Making An Emergency Car Kit: Baby Edition
Ahh to be a first time mom. The first time you leave the house with your baby, you may feel like you’ve packed enough for a month-long vacation. It can be really stressful stepping out of the front door while you envision every scenario where you may need multiple changes of clothes, an entire box of snacks, bandaids and gauze, a jacket for baby (even in July), etc.
I made due without a car kit (for the most part) with Christian, but as a soon-to-be mom of two under two, I needed to make a change (and I wish I had done this during my first pregnancy)!
An emergency car kit for your kids (and you) is a perfect way to stress less about leaving the house with a packed-full diaper bag, while still being prepared for most anything. Here are the simple questions to ask yourself when preparing your own emergency car kit.
Where will you keep your kit? I don’t like clutter, so this was an easy choice for me. The trunk of my car has a storage compartment in the floor, so that’s what I chose. I’ve seen some parents put everything in a basket by the car seat, in the trunk, on the back of the seat, etc.
What will be in your car kit? Your kit may look a little different than mine depending on where you live and the weather, the age of your kids, and how much room you have to store everything. In my car kit I have: diapers in both my daughters’ sizes (about 5-10 of each), wipes, non-perishable snacks that will last in a hot car, a first aid kit, disinfectant wipes, tissues, a blanket, multiple changes of clothes for both girls (about two outfits, a jacket, socks), a few toys, a change of clothes for myself, and ziplock bags in case of a blowout or if I have something wet/gross that I need to bring home. **I personally chose not to do water bottles because of the Texas heat. I also wanted to do sunscreen, but I read that the heat of your car can make it less effective.
How frequently do you plan on replenishing your car kit? When you first make your car kit, set a calendar reminder on your phone for ____ amount of weeks or months. The amount of time may depend on when your snacks expire, when the weather will change drastically, or when you expect your children to go up in a diaper size! Your car kit will not be nearly as useful if the diapers/clothes don’t fit, if the clothes aren’t weather-appropriate, or if the snacks have gone bad!
And that’s it! Pretty simple, and it gives me so much peace of mind. If I ever need to leave the house in a hurry — no diaper bag, no problem. If I’m out and about and realize I’ve run out of diapers — no problem. Heidi poops all over her clothes and I don’t have a change of clothes in the diaper bag — no problem. Christian is turning from a toddler into a hangry monster and needs a snack ASAP — no problem!
