If You Have Young Kids, Here's What Should Be in Your Go-Bag
Have you ever been stuck in the car when, seemingly out of nowhere, your kindergartener squeezes her juice box too tightly, creating a juice volcano all over her shirt and the seat? Then she starts crying, tells you she’s hungry and asks when you’re going home. We’ve been there too! Here’s how a go-bag can help you through these mini-meltdowns.
When you have young kids, you know that you need a go-bag: An easy-to-transport, convenient bag filled with essential items for mishaps, emergencies, and everything in between. Life happens when you’re not expecting it to, so it’s good to be prepared. HEre’s what to pack in yours:
A change of clothes
Kids spill things. They get dirty. They play in the dirt, grass, trees, and mud. Sometimes they come into the car looking like they’re wearing a completely new outfit, but you’re on your way to a family dinner. Keep at least one change of clothes in your go-bag for each kid—you’ll be thanking yourself when your third grader falls during recess and needs a new pair of shorts before they get to their after-school art class.
A non-perishable snack and a bottle of water
There’s nothing more frustrating than dealing with a hungry or thirsty kid in the car; minutes feel like hours. It’s hard, especially if you’re constantly shuttling your children between various extracurriculars and they’re picky at mealtimes. Make sure your go-bag includes at least a couple of non-perishable snacks and a bottle of water. Granola or cereal bars, trail mix, dried fruit, crackers, popcorn, and healthy cookies are all good ideas for non-perishable. If you’re willing to mix it up a little, you can add perishable items to your go-bag, too—just make sure they get eaten! Throw some veggies, fresh fruit, yogurt, or cheese in, particularly when you know you and your kids might be in the car for a while.
A play pack or some games and toys
It’s always a good idea to have an accessible, fun play pack at the ready. What if you’re on a road trip or driving through rush hour traffic on the way to a soccer game and you hit unexpected standstill traffic? To keep questions like, “Are we there yet?” at bay as much as possible, it’s a good idea to have a play pack on hand. You can find one that’s premade, or put one together yourself: Coloring books, playing cards, and smaller toys and games are all good things to have in your car in case your kids start having a meltdown.
Body Clean Towels
One of the downsides—okay, probably the only downside—of potty training your kids is that you no longer conveniently have a pack of baby wipes on you at all times. Add some Body Clean Towels to your go-bag so that you’re ready for any mess that needs cleaning, whether your kids spill juice all over themselves at lunch or your dog runs through the mud right after it rains.
Bandaids
You never know when your kids are going to get hurt! You may want to keep a full-on first aid kit in the car just in case of emergencies, but at the very least, have a few packs of bandaids on hand. Double that if any of your kids are extra squeamish about blood!
Coats or warm sweatshirts
You and your kids went to the beach, and the swore they won’t be cold later, but inevitably, they always are. Especially if you live in an area where the weather varies a lot seasonally, it can’t hurt to have a light jacket or zip-up sweatshirt that your kids can throw on at a moment’s notice to battle the chill.
There’s no predicting when you’ll wish you had first aid, cleaning supplies, or a fresh T-shirt on hand in the car for your kids, so feel free to adjust what goes in your play pack as needed. The most important thing is that you’re prepared for every car ride, from long road trips to quick drives to school.
