10 Essentials Every Parent Should Have in Their Car
We bring our children with us everywhere we go and yet it almost seems we forget something on the road. We put together a list of must-haves that make road trips and even trips to the grocery store a lot easier.
1. The Zipadee-Zip
The Zipadee-Zip is the perfect nap time essential for car rides as it helps maintain nap time on a long trip. It also keeps babies comfortable, warm, and fussiness-free!
2. Baby wipes
Baby wipes are quite possibly the best invention since sliced bread. They are boundlessly useful for things far beyond baby bums. This is a coveted quick cleaner upper for parents everywhere which is why they should be in your car. They will help you clean sticky fingers, tackle spills and clean stains on the road.
3. A spare outfit
Young children usually aren’t the most graceful so accidents are bound to happen. Maybe they’ll roll around in the dirt at the playground, drop their chocolate ice cream cone on their crisp white top or have a potty mishap. Be prepared with a plan B outfit (that includes fresh undies too!)
4. Snacks
Even though it seems they just ate, the appetites of little ones can be relentless. Be prepared with resalable snacks stashed in the car somewhere. We emphasize “re-sealable” because as you know, things can get pretty messy in the car. Pack something dry but not crummy to save yourself the headache of cleaning up a big mess when it’s time to pull over.
5. First aid kit
This list wouldn’t be complete without a mom safety check item. Purchase one of those pre-packaged first aid kits or make your own, but either way, make sure it’s there! Although it seems pretty hard to imagine someone scraping their knee while sitting quietly in the backseat, nothing is impossible with children.
6. A car seat
Car seat laws are a lot stricter than a lot of parents think. Some school-aged children are required to use car seats or boosters in some states. Check the car seat laws in your state to see if your little one should be secured in a car seat to avoid landing a pretty hefty traffic ticket.
7. A blanket
Whether it’s a spare of the moment picnic, the need for somewhere to sit or maybe it’s just a chilly; there’s always a reason to have a blanket on hand when traveling. You don’t want to be caught without this one.
8. Zip lock bags
Unfinished meals and soiled clothes need to be stored somewhere. Zip-lock bags are your best friends in these cases.
9. Water
Keep the kiddies hydrated with easy accessible water bottles in the backseat. You’ll thank yourself later.
10. Charger
This one is for you AND them. A dead phone, iPod or tablet is a tragedy in this day and age. Ensure the children don’t lose access to their favorite game Apps and music half way on your journey to your destination.
What are some things you can’t hit the road without when traveling with your kids?
Also read: 7 Car Seat Mistakes Parents Make
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Written by Stephanie Parker from Sleepingbaby.com, inventors of the Zipadee-Zip
The motto for Sleeping Baby, makers of the Zipadee-Zip, is: "Inspiring Dreams One Night at A time," and that, in a nutshell, is how it all started…with one little dream that has since become the Parker family's reality. When Brett and Stephanie Parker's daughter, Charlotte, was born, the feeling that welled up inside of them was indescribable; they never realized until first looking into those baby blues of hers that they were even capable of that kind of love.
When it was time to transition baby from swaddling, the Parkers tried every sleep sack on the market and every swaddle weaning trick they could find for nearly two weeks and nothing worked to get baby Charlotte to fall and stay asleep.
Stephanie became determined to restore sleep and sanity to their household and set out to find a solution that would soothe Charlotte's startle reflex and provide her the cozy womb-like environment she loved so much but still give her the freedom to roll over and wiggle around in her crib safely. Out of sheer desperation and exhaustion, the Zipadee-Zip was born. The first Zipadee-Zip(R) Stephanie put together on her little sewing machine worked like magic!
To date tens of thousands of Zipadee-Zips have been sold and all from word-of-mouth marketing. It is so rewarding for the Parkers to see other parents and babies getting the sleep they both need and deserve!
Interested in writing a guest blog for Sleeping Baby? Send your topic idea to pr@sleepingbaby.com.
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