Making a summer survival bag:
Everything you need to make it through your family outing alive.
Article by | Hannah Holbrook
Don’t worry mom, we get it. Hauling kids around is a lot like hauling wild animals. No one will sit still, someone has run off, someone injured themselves, one kid is hungry, and another just made a mess in the backseat. What’s a mom to do? Here are some essentials we hope will make your summer easier to survive.
If you’ve been a mom or any amount of time, you know how important it is to be prepared! If you don’t already have one, try making a Summer Survival Bag! Start with the items listed below, and add things related to the specific needs of your family.
- Snacks – “MOM, I’m Hungry!” This is a phrase every mom hears on the daily. Be prepared by keeping a couple snacks in your survival bag!
- Bug Spray – Mosquitos are just the worst. You don’t want to be caught without protection during a Texas summer. Stop the bites before they happen by carrying some bug spray in your bag!
- GAMES – As soon as you hear, “MOM, I’m bored,” you can whip something out and silence the complaining like a pro.
- First Aid Kit – If you have a kid, chances are that at some point during a summer outing, someone will get a boo-boo. Win the “best mom award” by being prepared with a mini-first aid kit.
- Baby Wipes – Whether it’s a spill, sticky hands, or an unforeseen accident, all moms know the power, and importance, of having wipes handy.
- Sun Screen – Texas sun calls for some powerful protection. Sunburns in our great state can ruin any summer outing. It’s hard to have a pleasant attitude when your skin feels like it’s on fire. Be proactive and beat sunburn before it starts! Pack extra sun screen, and stay on top of your little ones, making sure they reapply every few hours.
- A Prize – Pick a prize, keep it in your bag, let your kids know that one of them will win the prize at the end of the day for amazing behavior. Throughout the day keep track of acts of kindness, sharing, and obedience. At the end of the day, award it to one of your kids and let them know why.
- Lip Balm – Chapped lips don’t make for happy kids. Lips can only take so many trips to the pool before they start to get dried out. Beat cracked, bleeding lips to the punch by packing extra lip balm in your survival bag.
- Water Bottles – Second only to “I’m Hungry,” moms hear the famed words, “I’m Thirsty,” more than anything. Beat the complaints and the dehydration by keeping a few extra bottles on you at all times!