When I cleaned out and organized my car after our epic road trip to Miami last spring, I tried to stock it with all the practical essentials that might come in handy for me as a Catholic mom to four little ones.
If you’re in the same stage of life, I hope this list comes in handy for you, and that having these things in your car saves the day for you as often as it has for me!
1
Rosary
When we are on a long drive, I like to pray the Rosary in the car, just as my parents did when I was a kid. I always keep a rosary in the driver’s door for emergency prayer needs.
2
Guides for Confession
Somehow, we were scrambling to find these every time we went to Confession, so I decided to keep the examination of conscience guides in the car, in one of the seatback pockets. I keep this one on hand for my kids and it’s really nice having it ready to go.
My kids look through it and prepare their mental list on the drive there, so they are all ready for Reconciliation when we get to church. We can stop by a church for Confession whenever it’s convenient with our guide always on hand.
3
Hand sanitizer
No explanation needed! I like the hand sanitizer wipes better than the squirt bottles so that eager little hands can’t squirt out too much, but either one works.
4
Tissues
My toddler seems to have a runny nose half the year, so we seem to need these constantly.
5
Travel potty
Having a little kids’ toilet that folds up flat has saved my day more times than I can count. If you have a child who’s recently potty trained, I can’t recommend it enough.
6
First Aid Kit
My kids might be keeping the Band-Aid industry in business. My husband reminds them that “Summer is made of bumps and bruises” so we keep a first aid kit on hand for the inevitable scraped knee.
7
Plastic bags
Having a few plastic bags around comes in handy frequently, whether you need an extra carrying case or a place to stash wet clothes or, God forbid, a kid gets carsick.
8
A towel
We often find ourselves at the playground after a rainfall, and my kids act like I’m Supermom if I happen to have an old towel on hand to wipe off the slides and swings so they can use them without getting wet. Also comes in handy for wiping off wet feet after wading, sandy feet at the beach, or using as a blanket in a pinch.
9
Hairbrush and ponytail holders
Sometimes we’re on our way to Mass when I notice one of my kids never brushed their hair! I pass back the car hairbrush for a quick fix and breathe a sigh of relief that we won’t be too much of a spectacle at Mass today, although I’m still crossing my fingers my baby doesn’t yell…
10
Baby wipes and diapers
Another lifesaver, and we use wipes to clean all kinds of messes in a pinch!
11
Trash bag
A place to put alllll those tissues and snack wrappers.
12
Sunscreen
After rolling up to the playground or sports practice on a sunny day and realizing I forgot to put sunscreen on the kids, I keep it in the car now.
13
Bug spray
Same goes for needing bug spray when we meet our nature group at the forest. No more worries now that I keep sunscreen and bug spray in the car at all times.
14
Napkins or paper towels
You know when you get fast food and they give you about a hundred paper napkins? I keep those in the car for emergencies.
15
The seasonal bag
Living in a place with four very distinct seasons, I keep a few emergency items in the car that vary according to the time of year.
In the winter, I keep a bag with gloves, hats, and one sweater per kid in the car. That way they can be comfortable if the weather suddenly gets chillier than we expected.
In the summer, when my kids seem drawn to puddles and creeks like moths to a flame, I keep a change of clothes for my little ones in the trunk so an outing isn’t ruined if one of them gets soaked. I also keep their sun hats in the car so we’re ready for outside play.
And today we celebrate...