There is something about becoming a mother that changes the way you look at the world.
You don't just think about today anymore.
You start thinking about tomorrow.
You think about whether there will be enough food in the cupboard, whether there will be water coming from the tap, whether the electricity will stay on, whether your child will be comfortable when it's unbearably hot.
And sometimes, you find yourself preparing for things you hope you will never actually have to experience.
Lately, I've been thinking about the Super El Niño and the possibility of hotter and drier conditions in parts of South Africa.
And honestly, I don't want to approach it with fear.
I want to approach it with wisdom.
Because there is a difference between being afraid of what might happen and simply being prepared for the possibility.
💧 Water has made me think differently
Living in South Africa, we've all become familiar with water restrictions, shortages and the reality that water isn't something we can take for granted.
It is so easy to turn on a tap without thinking about it.
Water for drinking.
Water for cooking.
Water for bathing.
Water for washing dishes.
Water for the toilet.
Water for cleaning.
Water for everything.
But what happens when the tap suddenly doesn't run?
That's the question I've been asking myself.
Not because I think we should panic.
But because I don't want to wait until the shelves are empty or the water has already been switched off before thinking about what our family needs.
So we're slowly started preparing.
Not buying everything at once.
Not emptying the bank account.
Just taking small steps.
A few extra bottles of drinking water.
A few containers of water stored for the toilet and washing.
Thinking about how we can reuse water where appropriate.
Being more conscious about how much we use.
Because sometimes preparation isn't about having an enormous supply.
Sometimes it's simply about wasting less of what we already have.
Our pantry doesn't need to be perfect
I've also started looking at our cupboards differently.
Instead of thinking, "What emergency food should I buy?", I'm asking:
"What do we already eat that can last?"
Rice.
Pasta.
Oats.
Flour.
Beans.
Lentils.
Canned foods.
Long-life products.
Peanut butter.
Basic cooking ingredients.
Things that my family will actually eat.
Because let's be honest — having a cupboard full of food that nobody wants to eat isn't much help. 😂
Especially when you have a child.
I've learned that preparation has to work for our family.
It doesn't have to look like somebody else's emergency plan on the internet.
I'm also thinking about how we cook
If water becomes limited, cooking and cleaning can become more difficult.
So I'm thinking more about simple meals.
One-pot meals.
Rice dishes.
Pasta.
Noodles
Simple stews.
Meals that don't require five different pots and a mountain of dishes afterwards.
And there's something quite comforting about knowing that you can open your cupboard, look at what you have and make a warm meal for your family.
It doesn't have to be fancy.
Sometimes a simple meal made with love is more than enough.
And then there's the heat...
South African summers can already be incredibly hot.
So I've been thinking about the little things we can do if we have particularly hot days.
Keeping curtains closed during the hottest part of the day.
Opening windows when the air outside is cooler.
Keeping water nearby.
Making sure my son stays hydrated.
Spending some time outside in the shade instead of sitting indoors all day.
And remembering that sometimes we don't need to rush around doing everything.
Sometimes we can simply slow down.
Preparing isn't panic
This is something I really want to remind myself of.
Preparing doesn't mean I'm expecting disaster.
It doesn't mean I'm living in fear.
It doesn't mean I think the worst is going to happen.
It simply means I'm a mom who wants to be prepared just in case.
We've experienced enough unexpected things in life to know that being prepared can make difficult situations a little easier.
And I would rather quietly prepare now than desperately try to find what we need later.
One of the things I love about simple living is that it has changed my idea of what "enough" means.
I don't need to buy everything immediately at once.
I don't need to panic because someone online has bought 200 bottles of water.
I can simply look at my own family.
What do we actually need?
What do we already have?
What can we do a little better?
What can we save?
What can we use less of?
What can we prepare gradually?
And perhaps most importantly:
How can I create a sense of calm for my child, even when the world around us feels uncertain?
Because our children don't need us to have every answer.
They need to know they're safe, loved and cared for.
So, for now, I'm taking it one little step at a time.
A few extra supplies.
A little less waste.
A little more planning.
A little more gratitude for the water that comes from our taps and the food sitting in our cupboards.
And a reminder that preparation doesn't have to come from fear.
Sometimes, it comes from love.
From one mom to another — let's prepare wisely, stay calm and take care of our families.