How much planning have you done for defending yourself and protecting your loved ones and your property? I'm not talking about gear, guns, and bug out bags—I'm talking about no-kidding, this is what to do if an attacker shows up meaning to do us harm. This is particularly important for those of us with a spouse and kids. Does everyone in the family know dad/mom carries concealed? Do they know if there is a home defense gun hidden somewhere? Have they all rehearsed what to do in a variety of situations? Here are some things to think about.
Do you have a safe room or assembly point in the home where everyone gathers, so when dad/mom goes to clear the house, they know all the family is in, say, the master bathroom? What happens if dad/mom gets jumped when the door gets booted in? Can one of the kids get the home defense gun since dad is tangled up with the intruder?
Do the kids know to run away and call 911 when you're walking through a parking lot and two thugs pop out and threaten violence? Do they know which way to run? Do they understand the difference between cover and concealment? Does the unarmed spouse know what to do? How about the armed spouse? If you're in a restaurant or other public place and shooting starts, is there a simple command to keep everybody together or to disperse depending on the situation?
These plans need to be kept relevant and rehearsed often as kids get older and statuses change – what you did last year when the baby was held all the time may need to be updated now that mom is pregnant again and the toddler is always in a stroller. And, the top notch plans you all rehearsed right after you got your concealed-carry permit may be outdated since the wife got hers.
Plan and prepare now. Don't wait for the fight to start.
