No one wants to see their child go off to war. But as a former intelligence officer and mother of two young sons, I’ve given a lot of thought to, well, the topic of war.

I’ve considered the possibility that, if a global conflict broke out, my sons may find themselves suddenly called upon to defend the nation. So, if World War III does occur, here are five ways that I plan to prepare my sons.

1. Remembering my duty as a mother

The first way that I am preparing for the possibility of World War III in my children’s lifetime is by reminding myself that my duty as a mother is actually not to keep my children out of harm’s way.

That’s right — it’s not actually a mother’s job to keep her children from harm. Rather, it’s a mother’s job to ensure that her children know how to properly confront danger.

This is a lesson that I wrestled with quite a bit while experiencing some of the ugliness of war in my previous job, and comprehending the full gravity of a parent’s responsibility actually provided a great deal of spiritual peace and clarity: Not only is it impossible for parents to rid the world of dangers and horrors such as war, but it is not what we are meant to do.

What is within our power, and what we should do, is raise our children to have the fortitude to weather even the most terrible storms. And that’s a remarkable, albeit frightening, duty and privilege that I have as a mother.

Practically speaking, this means that I am constantly reorienting my attitude as a parent; rather than thinking, how can I make sure my children never come across/experience/have to worry about X, I try instead to think, how can I raise my children to know best how to deal with/change/confront X.

2. Teaching timeless values

Second, I will teach my children to hold firm to their values despite what others think. They should know that public opinion about a conflict can and will change. If they resolve to answer their nation’s call and go to war, they need to understand that not all people will deem them heroes.

As such, their resolve, their sense of duty to their nation, and their moral compass must always be stronger than public opinion (indeed, if their conviction to act can be swayed by public opinion, they need to carefully re-evaluate their conviction). The U.S. saga in Vietnam is a good way to illustrate this.

3. Studying history

This brings me to my third point: I’ll be teaching my children not only to be students of the Vietnam War but of the entire history of war. A knowledge of how and why people historically have taken up arms not only familiarizes children with common military tactics and strategies, but, more importantly, it tells a lot about humanity itself. Humanity’s history of violent conflict may offer the best (if not the most sordid) illustrations of both the darkest and the noblest aspects of human nature.

Because my children could see conflict in the Pacific theatre involving China, I want them to study Chinese history, especially Mao Zedong’s Marxist theories and how his policies left millions dead. I want them to understand the tyranny that the Chinese people have lived through in China’s recent past so that they have both a sense of compassion for Chinese civilians and an understanding of the brutality of the Chinese Communist regime and its disregard for human dignity, which may help prepare them for any atrocities they may encounter.

4. Learning from everyday heroes as well as renowned ones

I will ensure that my children study warriors and heroes, both fictional and historical. They will know the stories of figures like King David, Achilles, Spartacus, Sun Tzu, George Washington, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Harriet Tubman (not many people know that she was a Union spy and scout!), the Tuskegee Airmen, and Winston Churchill, just to name a few that jump to mind.

Familiarizing youth with warriors and heroes should not, however, be limited to heroes of great renown, so I’ll also encourage my children to seek out and learn from the more “everyday” war heroes, such as the elderly stranger with the “Vietnam veteran” cap with whom my child may strike up a conversation when they meet one another by happenstance.