Car Survival Kit for Moms (and Dads)
By Charlotte Bowman
Back when my boys were babies, their diaper bag substituted as my car survival kit. I kept it stocked with a change of clothing (for baby), extra diapers, burp clothes, snacks, wipes, etc. Once the boys were potty trained, my fear of diaper blowouts vanished and I happily retired the bag in favor of a smaller, light-weight purse.
I’ve missed that bag. Many times I’ve been running errands around town and needed a certain item, only to realize I’d left it at home. Inspired by another blogger, I repurposed an old Lands End diaper bag and filled it with a number of items to help me survive in a moment of chaos.
Today I had the good fortune (or misfortune, depending on your viewpoint) of needing it. The bottom of my styrofoam cup broke and dumped 32-ounces of Diet Coke all over my lap. What a mess! Thanks to my survival kit, I was able to mop up the mess with ease.
Items in my Car Survival Kit:
- Bottled water
- Bug spray
- Sun Screen
- Sunburn/ First aid spray
- Microfiber hand towels
- Hand lotion
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes
- First aid kit
- Aleve (for mom)
- Junior Tylenol (for the boys)
- Lip balm
- XL Ziplock bag
- Small fleece blanket
- Wet Wipes
- Kleenex
- Multi-purpose tool
- Toilet paper
- Paper, pens & crayons
- Water resistant picnic blanket
- Flashlight & extra batteries
- Large Plastic Coffee Container (for when the “throw up” bug strikes!)
Of course, the great thing about creating a car survival kit is that there are no rules! You can customize your kit depending on your needs and the ages of your kiddos.
Additional items to include:
- Contact solution & spare glasses
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
- Chewing gum or breath mints
- Hairbrush, hair ties
- Stain pen
- Small umbrella
- Tampons & personal hygiene items
- Gas card and extra cash
- Nail file, clippers
- Cell phone charger and power cords
- Recycle bags (insulated and regular)
- Snacks (for mom)
- Snacks (for kids)
Do you have a Car Survival Kit? What does it include?
