Be Prepared

A few things in the past week have gotten me to think about what I need to do to keep myself prepared in my van. I recently found myself without diapers in a location where I’d just paid for parking and there was no place I could even purchase a diaper to get me through the day. I did stop a stranger and ask for a diaper which was almost 2 sizes too big for my baby, but “any port in a storm!” Knowing I only had the one diaper, I wasn’t able to stay any longer than an hour so that I could get home before needing to change baby again.

Now that my older son is in Boy Scouts, the motto “Be Prepared” goes through my head a lot. Well now I need to be prepared in my van for any situation. If you have kids, here is a list of some things you should always have on hand in your vehicle:

Diapers If you have a child that is not potty trained, you should have AT LEAST two diapers on hand at all times in your vehicle.

Wipes Not only do you need wipes in case you need to change a diaper, but wipes come in handy for everything. Fast food in the car, you need to clean up afterwards.

Change of Clothes If your kids are like mine, not only could they have an “accident” and need new pants, but they could also get themselves soaked by playing in the water fountain repeatedly.

Water and Snacks My kids are always hungry, how about yours? Having some granola bars and water on hand helps to keep the whining down!

Sweatshirt or Hoodie You’re on a long-ish trip with the a/c on, 30 minutes in, and your child is saying “I’m freezing!” If you have something warm for them to put on it’ll make everyone happy.

Books, Colored Pencils, and a Notebook Keep the older kids busy with something to keep their brains busy. You can have books to read or audio books. You can also have colored pencils and a notebook or coloring book that you keep just in the car so it’s something special and not an every day thing.

Sports Equipment Keep a baseball or Frisbee in your car for those times when you are somewhere that has turned into an extended stay and the kids need something to do outside to burn off some energy.

Don’t be like me! Make sure that your car is ready for anything when it comes to kids. You definitely don’t want to be stuck somewhere without diapers and wipes!

What do you keep in the car so you are always prepared??

Kayser Chrysler Center of Watertown can help you pick a vehicle that fits your needs!