I remember the days when my kids were small and a few times I'd forgotten diapers when leaving the house. I trust I'm not the only absent minded parent in the world that has neglected to restock the diaper bag, at least once, before heading out.
And over the years of being a parent I feel like I have repeatedly forgotten some simple thing of significance that would’ve made life easier with children on board.
I’ve decided to compile a list of 15 necessities that families should always keep in the car (some are seasonal, but I just lumped them all together- You get the picture I'm sure). And believe it or not, once you get used to having them aboard for the kids, you find yourself wanting/needing them as an adult!
- Wipes or Wet naps (Don't forget to stock a few extra diapers in there if you use them)-But the wipes and wet naps are for those parents who don’t wipe bottoms anymore because they are small disposable packets and are best for hand/face cleanup and they don’t dry out as quickly as the boxes of baby wipes do)
- Plastic Grocery Bags for paper towel messes or garbage like banana peels and apple cores or other yucky trash
- Bandaids-(waterproof are best for beach/pool outings)
- Napkins-(I learned from my father to grab a few extra at the coffee shop or fast food restaurant and stick them in the glove compartment)
- Mini Packs of Tissues-(I put one pack in each child’s door storage compartment for easy access for them)
- Paper Towels (or small wash cloths) & some form of cleaner even if it's Windex (see my blog post on Yellow Inspiration- See the Humor in Things
- Hand sanitizer-(Bath and body works has a great selection of fun ones for kids that smell good and have cool names/colors. About a dollar a piece, they last for a while and kids are more encouraged to cleanse after school/daycare/sporting events/public bathroom use)
- Sweaters or sweatshirts
- Sunblock
- Bug spray
- Sheet or light blanket for sitting on damp grass at ball games or a sandy beach
- Frisbee or ball
- A book to read (for each person-because getting to doctors appointments early sometimes the magazines have been picked over and if you take longer at the bank drive-thru it's a great way to keep kids occupied)
- Paper or mini note pad and pen- for those mornings you’ve forgotten to write the teacher a note that your child’s not coming home on the bus, or has a doctor's appt., etc.
- A homework pencil-( AHHH, this is a pencil that is very different than any old pencil! It is a designated sharpened pencil with a good eraser for homework only, so that when you are running to ball games, flying through drive-thrus and sitting at doctor’s appointments your child will be able to do their homework. I have so conveniently handed my child a pencil In response to them saying that they do not have a pencil to complete their homework;)
Ummmm.... I am not exactly experienced with either of these things in the car, since I do not have either.
But the truth is I have considered the movies...but not the bucket....
What would you add to this list?
Truly,Amber