After being stranded a few too many times without things I needed for my son, I decided to be more intentional about the things I keep on hand now that we have two little ones.
I purchased a huge bag at Aldi that I knew would be big enough to contain all of our little ones’ necessities. Not everything comes everywhere with us because that would just be too crazy, but I always have absolutely everything we could possibly need in the bag which is only as far away as our car.
Here is what I keep in my diaper bag for our kids and I feel like we’re (almost) always really well prepared:
- Diapers (plenty in both sizes – newborn and size 4 right now)
- Wipes
- Q-tips
- Changing pad
- Hand sanitizer
- Chapstick – for me and the kids. I keep this on hand at all times
- Baby powder
- Extra bottles
- Extra sippy cups
- Nursing cover
- Extra outfits
- Thermometer
- Insurance cards
- Extra cash
- Smaller bag (to take the necessities with you while you leave the big bag in your car)
- Wash bag (for those inevitable blow outs)
- Snacks (puffs and freeze dried yogurt bites work great for us)
- Silicone bib
- Small toys
- Small books
In addition to these things, I always keep a baby wearer in our car. It’s easier for me to wear our newborn and try to convince our son to walk while holding my hand. Also, I kept copies of my medical records in my diaper bag while I was pregnant with our second son in case I went into labor away from our planned birth center.
You might look at this list and think there is way too much on it. I would have thought that before I had kids! Now, I can honestly say that half of our diaper bag is devoted to tantrum-mediation.
Also, as soon as I had our first baby, I stopped carrying a purse. I have no idea how anyone can carry both a diaper bag and a purse. My diaper bag is my purse. So now, I carry my stuff, the stuff of two kids, plus extra odds and ends for my husband with me everywhere.
What do you carry in your diaper bag? How do you prevent being unprepared when you’re away from home? Let me know in the comments!
Maria Solarz
Friday 29th of July 2016
Sunscreen and bug lotion plus pain relief for the little ones and teething meds
Jamie
Friday 29th of July 2016
Pain relief is on my list now too that my little one is getting his molars. Great idea with sunscreen!