Do we really involve our spouses in getting ready?

[Bearman202]

I think something else that might help would be a big helping of humble pie. We can't possibly know it all, there's just too much. The other thing to realize is that a marriage is as much of a partnership as anything else. i.e. it's not a hierarchy. In western culture, the man makes the decisions, but the really wise ones talk them over with their wives first. They usually end up making better decisions. Two heads being better than one, and really, who is more likely to know what clothing etc. you're going to need? There are just some things that women know more about than men, and vice versa. With both pulling equally the cart goes a lot further, a lot faster.

[MustangGal]

If you guys want to get the women in your lives involved, have them read "One Second After." The thought of my child going hungry or worse has been a huge motivator for me. By nature, we are caregivers, and the thought of not being able to care for those we love scares us like nothing else.

I'm a pretty tough chick, a crack shot, and I've been told I fight like a man (still not sure if that was a compliment or an insult - lol), but becoming a mother really changed me. I'm still tough, but I have a need to control the future as much as I can to protect my child. I hope I am not just rambling and that it helps some of you connect with your wives.

[dilli]

i am the prepper person round here, most all ideas are mine and i drag him into them...not to sound like a schmuck but i have always intimidated men with my abilities... takes a strong man to be able to put up with me and that allows me to be me... nothing i dislike more than having reigns about my neck when not needed and prepping, in my mind, isone of those places where it isnt needed..

[610Alpha]

My wife is the default medic seeing as how she is an RN. She has worked in Nursing Homes and on a Medical Surgical floor where she saw and learned a lot. She sees the packages...has seen the video camera up after I got done doing the grain mill review. The other day she was helping me find some tubs for kindling and we were in the garage and she asked "What are all those buckets for?"...I sheepishly replied "Storing stuff"...she asked "Storing what?"..this time I replied with a little bit more confidence "Storing Food"...that was it. I am a bit reluctant at times to get her involved not because I don't think she has anything to offer...I think partly because she is older than me, about 4 years, but the thought of her thinking that I have gone off the deep end and that she might think that I am some conspiracy quack sitting in the basement wearing a tin foil hat and which leads me to the thought that she wouldn't be 100% on board.

We have had discussions before but she threw out the "God will provide" bit...

My wife is a hard worker and I would love to have her on board 100%...I am working out in my mind a way to have a discussion with her about my role as the head of the household; that I am to provide for and protect my family including using God given wisdom to learn from history specifically Katrina, The Great Depression, and other lessons of history (Spanish Flu etc.).

So pray for me to be bold in this. Course the other issue is she is in the middle of school and is spending her free time preparing her presentation and doing clinical time. I certainly believe in timing.

Thanks for sharing GB & 1Admin

[1Admin]

Definitely not off base. The women folk can do a lot more than we give them credit for.

My DW said "sometimes they have awesome ideas too" :) But she is right, often times she'll mention something and I'll think "oh yeah, I forgot about that."

I've said it before but it bears re-mentioning- your family is either going to be your biggest ASSET in a survival situation, or your biggest LIABILITY. The choice is yours, it's all about what you do NOW.

[Grinnan Barrett]

I have been on the road pretty much for the last month. One nice thing is I have gotten to spend some time with some really good people just starting out into survival. One gentleman really made me think when we were together. He was totally freaked out about getting ready. He knew in his heart he needed to get started but was so overwhelmed by the very thought of all the things he had to do he did nothing. His wife wanted to get going but he felt he had to put all his efforts into his job.

The more we talked the more I began to realize that he was me in many ways. His wife was trying to get involved and start getting their preps ready but he felt like He was the Man of the House and in GOD's eyes he had to do it all. he could not for some reason give up any authority to his wife to let her make some decisions and work on their preparations. This is a very good man. We talked a lot over a couple of days and it made me realize I need to let my wife be more responsible for certain jobs she feels like she has the skills to do.

My wife is not a wimp about doing things. She can paint, work on plumbing etc. At one time she built a log cabin. I realized that I don't want to hold her back from getting US ready. We both have strengths and we need to use them. As a man I find that I feel like I have to do it all sometimes. Do any of you have the same problem? I was wondering how the women out there felt about this? Am I off base by wanting to let my wife take on more if she wants to?