Productivity Creepin’: Leaving the house with a toddler
4 Oct
Today I have a variation of the What’s In Your Bag post because who likes to look through my virtual cupboards? You do! I mean, I assume you do. Because I like to look through yours and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in this. If you’re not interested, however, I’m going to assume you’re faking it.
Now then, I’ve learned the hard way that there are a few things I need to always have on hand pretty much any time I leave the house with Isobel in tow. Maybe I don’t need all of this if I’m making a quick stop at a taco truck or if we’re going across the way to a friend’s house, but if we’re going some shopping or on any type of adventure or just leaving the house for any significant length of time I learned very quickly to pack the necessities.
The hair brush has come in handy for myself on more than one occasion, but I originally packed it because children who ride in car seats get the weirdest bedhead. The thing we most often forget when leaving the house is her water bottle. It’s so extremely important to keep your child hydrated during the intense heat and dryness of summer, but we really can’t do without it in winter, either. Farmer’s markets and different grocery stores offer samples that Isobel is constant munching on, and the request for water is inevitable. I broke my fancy-shmancy water bottle and have since relied on the closest substitute I had on hand: my Wonder Woman travel mug.
Probably the most important thing that I have on hand for Isobel is the cloth napkin that I keep tucked steadfastly in my purse wherever we go. Restaurants and such never provide large enough or as many napkins as a toddler seems to need, and many an snotty nose has been rescued by the cloth napkin. I don’t even use wet naps anymore, because a little bit of water and a cloth napkin work just as well and it’s one less thing to bring. I may never leave home without it, even after Isobel is grown. They are easy enough to find while thrifting and, oh look!, I just happen to have some in my shop.
My keys, phone, and wallet are only slightly more important than my little mushroom pouch. It contains hand sanitizer, emergency hair bands, and various types of medicine. As anyone with health problems knows, you are an idiot if you leave the house without your meds. I do keep a few other things in there, but those are the important bits. I also like to have at least one reusable shopping bag on hand at all times and they’ve come in handy more than once. Luckily for me I found one that’s covered in kawaii foodstuffs.
Isobel is pretty much potty trained at this point so I thankfully don’t have to worry about changing her while we’re out (of more pressing concern is finding a “quiet potty” that is not “too scary”) but I do keep her fully stocked diaper bag in the trunk of the car at all times, that way we are prepared with extra outfits and the like should we need one. I have a big car with a large trunk and I also keep a lightweight umbrella stroller back there, too. What are your necessities for leaving the house?
You know, people keep telling me my Driver’s License should be one…including cops who have pulled me over, but I can never bring myself to remember even that! I’m lucky if I’ve even got enough money to stick a $20 in my bra. I am probably the least prepared and most empty-handed person ever.
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That’s hilarious.
A quiet potty? How do you find one of those? I assume that means not a lot of other people talking and flushing. That is kind of scary, especially because all of those spores (The Secret Garden reference) are floating around infecting everything.
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“Quiet Potties” have nothing to do with people (she’s fine with those) and have everything to do with the sound of the flush. Modern toilets tend to have those power flushes that are ear-splittingly loud but very effective. Isobel prefers older potties that are quiet and less concerned about getting the job done.
So right on the cup. I also throw a change of undies/pants and a washcloth in because while Allison loves public restrooms (I know, I think it’s the acoustics because she always starts yelling when we get in), she doesn’t always give us enough notice to get there. But the most invaluable thing is toys. I’ve got a few small things in my purse to keep her busy during a long car ride or while we are waiting at a restaurant. The Flash action figure has saved us more than once.
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You know, it never occurs to me to bring toys. Partly because she is always way more interested in playing with Deedee and Daadaa–her imaginary friends who happen to be her hands–and also because we hardly ever leave the house without Pink Purse in tow. And Pink Purse is always filled to the brim with toys.
Ok…soooooooo….I’m not a mom and therefore, on those occassions when I have the 2 year old godson, there is a lot of improvising due to the fact tha I’m prepetually unprepared to play “mommy”. So, I’m going to admit this and then we’re immediately going to forget I ever said it…forever. So, Godson is pretty good about potty time notifications but once in a while, he has an accident. He had an accident and I did have a pull up with me (keep that under the car seat) but what to do with his soiled underwear and shorts? I searched the car for a bag or baggie or newspaper or something to wrap them in and finding nothing…I looked in my purse praying for some kind of divine intervention and found…2 condoms. I rolled those wet underwear up in the shorts, and carfully fitted a condom over each end so it overlapped in the middle (seriously, comdoms have way more stretch than you’d imagine. Luckily, they were unlubricated. I did this standing by the trunk with kiddo safely in the car seat so he wouldn’t ask any questions and waited until he was mesmerized by television to remove my odd bundle from the trunk upon arriving home. But, my car doesn’t smell like pee. Despite my unorthodox methods, when you’re caring for a potty training toddler, a car that doesn’t smell like pee is just about all you can ask for.
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You are a genius of MacGuyver-levels, April.
From the cloth napkin to the mushroom pouch to the wonder woman cup: you have all of the cutest things in the universe!
Thanks so much, Tracy! I credit my overwhelming pickiness.