I take my job as mommy pretty seriously so I like to go with the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared!” When my kids were young, I was always overpacking the diaper bag. Now with a few years of experience under my belt, these are the things I consider essentials on our daily mommy day camp adventures:
Sun Protection: I am a pale redhead but luckily my children got my husband’s skin so don’t burn in an instant. However, I am a pretty big promoter of sun protection. For sun block, I prefer Banana Boat Kid’s Spray. I actually have added it to our morning routines right after the kids have gotten dressed. It goes on pretty quickly which is important with my impatient, squirmy children. I generally opt for a sunscreen stick for their faces. I also try to carry sun hats and sun glasses for them. They don’t always wear them but if it’s hot or bright enough, they generally comply.
Bug Spray: My kids are super sweet…to mosquitoes. I should probably be more concerned about West Nile Virus, but what I really aim to prevent are itchy bug bites that wake my kids (and therefore me!) up at night.
Towels: I found our local drugstore or Ikea has great, thin bath towels that are perfect for throwing in the tote bag. Generally, the kids are only a little damp after playing in sprinklers so it’s enough to carry a single towel. In a pinch, it can work well for impromptu snack picnics.
Potette Plus: My daughter recently potty trained but I have found having a foldup travel potty has saved me on numerous occasions with both kids. Frequently, bathrooms can be a hike or disgusting and having my own thrown in a bag makes life so much easier whether at the beach or playground.
Wipes: Even without any diapers in my life, I found that it’s always good to have wipes around. I saved one of those small Huggies wipes containers and refill from home. As any parent knows, kids and messes go hand in hand.
First Aid Bag: I filled a little Ziploc that I move from bag to bag with each new adventure. It’s got bandaids, first aid spray, Benadryl cream, Motrin (for adults), Tic Tacs (amusing for both kids and adults in a pinch!), hand sanitizer, lip balm, lotion and tooth floss (you never know!). Everything is trial sized and I refill as needed.
Cooler: On almost all of our adventures, we set out in the morning and are out over lunch. I try to pack a variety of healthy foods and it’s been great to have a small, soft-sided cooler to keep drinks, sandwiches, fruit, cheese sticks, etc cold. I got one small enough to fit in my tote bag that doesn’t add tons of weight.
Park Blanket: My drugstore had an inexpensive park blanket called The Neat Sheet that folds up pretty flat, is super light weight, and waterproof. It’s great to stuff in the totebag and pull out for picnics or the beach. Plus it was $5.
Water Shoes: I found inexpensive ones at Old Navy this year. They work for a trip to the park so they can easily play in the sprinkers as well as at the beach. They dry pretty quickly and provide enough support that the kids can also bike or scooter in them.
Metro Card: I can’t say we take the subway or buses for every trip, but a pre-loaded metro card can save for tons of headaches. I try to add money at the end of a day as we are getting off a train so I know we aren’t rushing to catch a train or bus with an empty card.
Bathing Suits: It also falls under sun protection but I love the rash guard shirts and shorts for bathing suits for both kids. They can wear them as we start out the day as clothes and keep them protected when the sun is highest. Makes it easy to jump straight into playtime as soon as we arrive at our destination!
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Carolyn Pravda is a stay-at-home mom in Brooklyn, NY. After having two kids in quick succession, she found the slippery slope to frumpy housewife was getting steeper. It was just too easy for her to pull the same jeans and cotton t-shirts out of the closet each day. With laptop in hand and a firm nap schedule, she set to work creating a site that would help mommies everywhere get dressed in the morning, ready for life with kids and looking good. Her suggestions are budget conscious, washable and wearable at the playground.
Carolyn blogs at www.mamathreads.com with fashion suggestions as well as Mama Thread Thoughts on parenting. She is a member of the Yahoo! Mother Board and is a moderator for the lively and helpful online parenting group Bococa Parents. Finally, she contributes to AChildGrowsInBrooklyn.com with a column on fun things to do this summer in New York for an adventurous mom of two preschoolers who didn’t sign up for any camps!