Notes from a London dad
Opinion pieces on getting a Muslim home ready for the things that do go wrong in Britain: power cuts, water outages, winter storms and the days when the phone stops working. Every figure is sourced. When a post needs a family to show the numbers, it uses the example household from the Playbook.
Three days is where the plan starts
The government's Be Ready campaign asks every home to manage on its own for three days. I think that's a good start, and here's why I don't stop there.
Read the postDon't build your family's plan on your phone
In a long power cut, home broadband stops straight away and mobile signal fades over hours. Why I'd keep the family plan on paper, with a radio by the bed.
Read the postStorm Arwen, five years on: four lessons for a winter power cut
Storm Arwen cut the power to nearly a million homes in November 2021, and thousands waited more than a week. Four lessons for a family at home in winter, most of them free.
Read the postTalking to children about emergencies without frightening them
Children notice when the adults start buying torches and bottled water. How to answer the questions they ask, using the Mental Health Foundation's advice for parents.
Read the postYour neighbour is part of your plan
The Priority Services Register is free, and one sign-up covers your electricity, gas and water. Why I think it matters more than anything on a shopping list, and where Be Ready falls short.
Read the postYour household, worked out
The free family plan does the sums for your home in two minutes: water including wudu, food, power and the numbers to keep by the door.