Saturday, November 27, 2010

The emergency bag!

(guest blogger)

Well this week I finally did it... 

After 3 ½ years of parenting, keeping an emergency bag in each car fully stocked with nappies, clothes, shoes, hats, bottles, drink cups, sunscreen, bum cream, toys, and goodness-knows-what-else for each kid...

I finally needed the emergency bag!

Because of course, I always carry the monster bag with everything I need anyway, so for 3 ½ years I haven’t actually needed the emergency bag... until this weekend.

So this weekend, I left the monster bag on the kitchen bench, and took off to another town to visit Grandad.  I realised due to a bizarre series of events and car-swapping I had no emergency bag either.  No matter, we were cool.  Then I went on a whim for an overnight visit at my parents’ house in another town.  2 ½ hours from home I connected the dots and realised I had used the last nappy and had absolutely nothing for the kids, not even a change of clothes.  AARGH!

Never fear, a quick trip to the shops sorted nappies, milk and toothbrushes, and I figured nothing else mattered.  I put the kids to bed in oversized clothes I scraped up at mum’s place and chucked everything else in the wash.  Voila – sorted.  The only thing we REALLY missed was a security teddy, but after so much time playing with the grandparents, my little boy was so tired he went to sleep without. 

So now I ask myself the question – knowing I will survive happily without it - can I ditch the emergency bag idea, or is it a sensible “Be Prepared” precaution?  Do you carry everything everywhere you go, nothing, or something in between?  Let us know!

5 comments:

  1. OMG this is so true!! When I had my little boy I was told to have an emergency car bag! But I've never used and all I've done is put different sized clothes and nappies in it....I think I'll give it up too :)

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  2. I have always had an emergency car bag and it has saved me quite a few times. The most important was when my car blew and engine with me, my cousin and 6 kids oldest 9 youngest 7 months. I always carried water, tins of spaghetti and baked beans a clean bottle and formula powder, change of clothes and nappies. We were out the back of woop, woop and it took family 3 hours to get help to us. we were very lucky to have our emergency car bag.

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  3. In June I'd gone to Toowoomba & had my 'emergency' bag with me - but the out & about day trip went longer than expected & even the extra nappies were all used up. We were just outside of Toowoomba & I went to the 'local' store for nappies - $28 later & that was for the "convenient" size pack, I decided that the emergency bag needed to be stocked with more than a few nappies when we went outside of our "usual" zone of driving...
    As to whether or not you need to always have an 'emergency bag' in the car? Comes down to where you are, what your 'travels' consist of & whether your circle of family & friends have young children as well, as to - if & when you'll ever make use of the 'emergency' bag.

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  4. I used to have an emergency bag - now with a baby and a toilet trained 3yr old I carry a trendy bag with 1 spare nappy, small packet of wipes, antibacterial wipes and tissues and some snacks. But if I was going out for a whole day, I always pack a big bag of everything. I found there was no point in keeping an emergency bag any more, because the only time it got opened was to change the stuff inside to a bigger size! But I have to admit, when I had baby #1 and I was a new mum, having that giant bag with me sure gave me peace of mind. :o)

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  5. I have a box in the back of the car and that has nappies, wipes and a few other bits and pieces (like change of clothes and undies) I dont carry a nappy bag as such so this box gets used often as my out and about bag of sorts and I just pop what I need in my handbag.

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