The Anatomy of the Toddler Diaper Bag

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for WaterWipes. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

We’ve all be there – we get brave enough to take our infant out of the house, only to find that we’re stuck lugging a 1,000 pound bag full of stuff (only a slight exaggeration) with us called a diaper bag…because you couldn’t possibly leave the house without the essentials, even if it’s just a quick trip out to the grocery store.  But by the time you child hits the toddlerhood years you’re experienced.  Motherhood has weathered you.  You’re a pro.  And you’ve realized that you don’t really need all that stuff that you brought along when you went on outings with your infant.  In fact, you’ve realized that you don’t need most of it.  But with toddler messes bound to happen, you can’t skip the diaper bag altogether just yet.  And so I present to you – The Anatomy of the Toddler Diaper Bag:So what goes in the Toddler Diaper Bag?

Diapers – Unlike that diaper bag for the infant, the toddler diaper bag contains 2-3 diapers (or training pants), tops.  You’ve finally realized that a quick trip to the store is going to require one or two diapers, so why carry a whole pack?

Spare Clothes – Let’s face it, toddlers are messy and their clothes often get the brunt of the abuse.  If you decide to skip these in the diaper bag, you’ll no doubt need them.  I try to pack the lightest weight outfits possible for space and keep the bag light.

Sippy Cup – When my kids were infants, I carried up to 4 bottles for a day out.  FOUR.  All filled with formula or breastmilk.  That’s a lot of weight.  With toddlers you can easy get away with one sippy cup for the entire day!

Toy –  Notice I didn’t say “toys”.  Nope.  Not here.  One toy…maybe two if you really need a second.  Carry just enough to keep them entertained in the car between stops, at the table before food is served, or for that quick trip to the grocery store.  Besides, when toddlers runs out of toys, they often make their own toys, which brings me to…

Snacks – Here’s the place not to skimp.  Carry snacks, lots of them.  Because the last thing you need on your hands is a hungry toddler.  The last thing anyone needs is a hungry toddler.  And make sure to bring a few different types of snacks, because hell hath no fury like a toddler who wants veggie straws when you only came armed with pretzels.

Sunscreen – Obviously this one is seasonal, but very important, especially if you live in a place that’s hotter than the face of the sun during the summer time, like I do.  Just try to buy smaller tubes or trial sizes so they don’t weigh down your bag.

Wipes – Ah, wipes…the linchpin of any well put together diaper bag.  Because wipes aren’t just for diaper changes.  No, they wash sticky fingers, wipe milk covered mouths, and clean little noses.  And because of the sensitive skin they touch, I recently started using WaterWipes.  If you’ve never heard of them before, WaterWipes is a premier, European brand of wipes containing only 2 ingredients – 99.9% pure Irish water and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract.  The result is a durable and effective and chemical free wipe.  It’s a safer, natural alternative to traditional wipes, that leaves skin looking clean and feeling fresh.  They even last longer than traditional wipes because they don’t contain preservatives!  A pack of WaterWipes will remain good for up to 15 months and the pack is sterile because the wipes aren’t interfolded.  Not that they ever last quite that long in my diaper bag, of course!

And right now, you can really stock up, because WaterWipes are 2 for $6 at Babies “R” Us.  Just make sure to look for them in the earth friendly section of the store – not with the traditional wipes – or else you’ll miss them.

To learn more about WaterWipes be sure to follow them on social media (Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest) and be sure to enter this great giveaway for a $100 Babies “R” Us gift card:

WaterWipes Babies “R” Us Promotion!

So, tell me, what’s in your toddler’s diaper bag? What are your “must have” toddler items?