We hope all of you have an emergency kit in your car. You can often buy them at auto supply stores or online. They can include things like a first aid kit, and jumper cables. Things you may need in an emergency. While having that kit in your car will help keep you safe there are other items you should consider including in case of emergency.
In addition to your emergency vehicle kit, there are a few things you might not realize can be a real sanity saver. Parents with kids know that survival is more than just the things adults would need in an emergency. Kids come with their own set of necessities. If you are a parent, you may want to consider keeping these things in your car just in case:
Parent Must Haves – In Case of Emergency:
- Gas jug: Just remember it’s never safe to keep a full jug in your vehicle, as gas is highly flammable and unstable. You can read more about the dangers of keeping gas cans in your care here. Keep a clean empty jug available for emergencies.
- Cell phone car charger:Sure you can use the Car Charger, but what if your battery dies? It would be a good idea to keep an additional portable charger with you.
- Cash:If there is no power, it may keep you from using your debit or credit card to purchase gas and other necessities. The good news is that cash is always good! Keep some with you at all times.
- Full fluids:Before any road trip, be sure to check all the fluid, including oil, antifreeze, and transmission fluid. These should be clean and full to make sure your vehicle is running in tip-top shape.
Baby Must Haves – In Case of Emergency:
- Warm Blankets: Babies are not good at regulating their body temperatures. Read more about it here. When dealing with a winter emergency a blanket is a must for your car.
- Extra Diapers and Wipes in the RIGHT size: Typically, you carry a few extra diapers in the diaper bag, but how often are you driving home after an event and only have one left, maybe two? Emergencies can call for back-up. Switch your emergency supply out often to ensure you are not trying to put a size 1 diaper on a size 4 baby.
- Extra clothing: This is the same scenario as mentioned above, your child has completely obliviated an outfit for whatever reason, and the spare underwear and pants you have in the car no longer fit. In the winter months having warm clothing to fit your children is a must for emergencies.
- Extra formula and clean water: Obviously if you are breastfeeding you would think that your supply would be able to hold up for your child, but what if the emergency had something to do with you? An accident, a medical emergency could leave you unable to supply food for your baby. Having extra formula in the car just in case is a great way to make sure that your child is not cut off from the food source. If you are not feeding, this still applies. Most of the time we only take enough formula for a day, if you are stranded somewhere make sure you have enough for several days.
Toddler Must Haves – In Case of Emergency:
- Extra Clothing in the correct size: Kids grow so quickly, make sure you have the right sizes of extra clothing in your car in case of an emergency.
- Snacks that are easy for them to eat themselves: Kids need to eat, and having non-perishable snacks they can feed themselves in an emergency is important. We often bring something with us, but when we stop carrying that diaper bag around we often forget to pack snacks.
- Juice boxes: When it is cold, a juice box is a great option for kids. The cold can cause little bodies to use up their calories quickly to try and stay warm. Juice boxes are easy to keep in the car, most kids will drink them. Have a few extras in your car always.
- Lots of wet wipes: If you are a parent this is obvious. Kids require wet wipes. They are great for cleaning up an assortment of kid issues quickly.
- Blankets to keep warm: Like babies, toddlers still don’t regulate their temperatures well. Responsible parents always have coats on their kids for the winter, but coats don’t cover legs and feet, and the more layers you can put on your kids to keep them warm the better.
- Games and toys that do not require power: If your kids are into electronics we all know how short of a lifespan most batteries have in their devices. It is a good idea to have other options to occupy them if you are in an emergency state for a lengthy period.
We hope your travels are safe during these cold winter months. Come see us soon! Contact us with questions HERE.