Hurricane Florence is upon us and our kids are officially home with nowhere to go. It’s a good thing we’ve prepared for this exact moment. If you haven’t yet prepared it’s not too late! Here’s how you can prepare for spending the next 72 hours with your little ones.

1. Practice eating dinner by candlelight. A candlelight dinner may sound romantic, but it will be less romantic when your kid tries to pass the mashed potatoes and sets his arm on fire. Or if you’re lucky they will just think it’s someone’s birthday for every meal. Either way, better to know now.

2. Go on a Netflix diet (at least try to practice living without a TV) but then charge every iPad, iPhone, or iDevice you have and download all the seasons of their favorite show and of course all the shows you haven’t had time to watch as a parent. You can never be too prepared.

3. Put ninjas in your bed all night. I mean, how else are you going to live with being kicked in the face and laid on for 3 nights because they’re scared?

4. Eat nothing but pantry items. I’m looking at you Rice Krispy Treats and Goldfish Crackers! You will be the best parent for the next 3 days. But you need to practice because otherwise your stomach will likely protest.

5. Tether the kids to your wrists and legs then try to prepare a meal. Obviously someone will be crying or tattling on rotation and you will not have peace for days.

6. Practice settling disputes with your spouse without Google or Alexa. Then secretly conclude that no matter who “wins” the argument that you’re right.

7. Lock yourself in your room and wait while your kids are left to their own devices outside the room. This way you have a good sense of what the hurricane will look like inside your house, while the hurricane wrecks havoc outside your house. The effects of the kids on the toys compared to the wind on the trees may look similar.

You are now officially prepared for anything Hurricane Florence can bring! Good luck out there!