Are you prepared, or am I over-prepared?
Remembering what I need for an outing can seem like more than I can handle sometimes let alone, thinking about what I need in an emergency kit. We keep a basic first aid kit in the van, in the upstairs bathroom as well as in the kitchen cabinet but we’ve also added a few things beyond a basic kit for all kind of emergencies. A basic first aid kit can be purchased at all of the pharmacy stores and has been a great starting point for our emergency kit and here is my advice on putting together a kit. Keep in mind; I’m just a MOM and not an emergency expert of any kind. I fly by the seat of my pants and change as change is needed!
When looking for a basic emergency kit, make sure it has things your kids use all the time, bandages, gauze, Tylenol, Ibuprophen, anti-biotic ointment, alcohol wipes, gloves, scissors, medical tape. The list goes on and on, but I hope you get the idea of what the basic necessities are. I also include batteries and water, lots of water.
The rest of your children’s emergency kit is dependent upon what age your child is and what you might be doing. I lean towards having too much rather than not enough. For babies, you’re going to want extra diapers, a change of clothing, baby food and bottles. As your children get older you’ll need to make changes that meet their needs. No matter what the age of your child you should include dark colored towels, not only so when and if you have to soak up any blood they aren’t terrified by the color of the red on white towel, but also for messes, and with kids there is always a mess that needs to be cleaned up. You should also include a toy of some kind. Now, before you judge me, think this through, in a real emergency, you are going to need something to keep your child occupied while you are taking care of whatever is going on. It is their entertainment and will keep them from being completely freaked out along with you.
What would you add to your kit?
By guest blogger, Louise Bishop Momstart
