What’s in your babysitting bag? 10 items that are must for every occasion.
Congratulations, you have landed a babysitting position, and you’re taking the children out for the day to get them out of the house, (with given permission of course). Before you leave the house, there are just a few items that we consider to be essential to have in your Mary Poppins bag. That could not only get you out of trouble a little later into the day, but also add some little extra excitement to the outing. When packing your bag of goodies, we believe it’s important to include all that are listed in order to have a great time as well as be prepared for anything. Here’s our list, with 99.9% success rate (who doesn’t love those odds).
- First Aid Kit…
Your first aid kit should include the whole kitten caboodle of; band aids in a variety of different sizes and shapes, sterile gauze dressings, at least 2 sterile eye dressings, rolled bandages, safety pins, disposable sterile gloves, tweezers. It may seem dramatic to include all of these items, but it’s better safe than sorry. To save time of finding all the bits and bobs separately, you can purchase a pre-made kit online or in any grocery store. And to save room, if you’re driving to a location leave the kit in the car.
- Personal items…
Don’t forget your phone, phone charger if you’re going to be out for a while, or anything else that you may need throughout the duration of babysitting shift. You’re mind needs to be fully focused on the children at all times, so it’s extremely important to not have your mind drifting to the thought of your 13% phone battery life.
- Snacks…
Snacks are expensive just about anywhere you go, do a little bit of DIY and pack some sandwiches. Note, the children you may be caring for may have special diets in which must be followed at times, so don’t be afraid to ask for the parent’s ideas on what to pack, or rather what not to pack.
- Emergency numbers…
Your phone has died and your car has broken down on a hot day with the kids screaming to come home. Lucky, you made a little contact list in a small diary that fits into your bag so that in the case of this emergency you would have it all sorted. We highly recommend this.
- Pack something entertaining. Did someone say craft?…
Running in the park, going to the movies, or having a picnic may not tickle the child your minding fancies. They more be more into the idea of just sitting at home and playing with paper and scissors all day, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If the parents are demanding you to get them out of the house, don’t be afraid to get inventive and bring craft time outside. Pack their favourite colouring books and pencils!
- Pack Mr. Cuddles…
Soft toys can be extremely soothing for younger children, as well as children with higher behavioural demands. Identify what the child’s favourite cuddly toy is and don’t be afraid to bring the toy for an adventure also. If there’s tears throughout the day that may only be fixed by Mr. Cuddles, then bring Mr. Cuddles.
- Pack some games…
Packing some card games or something a little less pre-historic such as their digital games is a good idea in the case of long car trips in order to keep their minds occupied.
- Books…
To keep both the kids and yourself occupied, they don’t have to just have words. Colouring books are just as fun.
- Keeping in clean…
Hand sanitizer is always a good idea, especially when going outside into parks where there may be animals that come into contact with not only the children but also yourself.
- No hat no play…
Sunscreen and hats are extremely important to remember when venturing to activities outside. No hat no play.
We hope this gives you some great ideas into what you should pack on outings. It’s important to consider that not all kids will like being taken outside for a play date in the park, so you will most likely need to consider packing items in order to engage better with the kids. Have a read of our list, try making one of your own. Let us know what you consider essential.
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