Parent Emergency Essentials Every Parent Needs

Life as a parent can be tough, but it’s even tougher when an emergency happens. Many times we aren’t prepared for what life throws at us. Today, we are going to discuss emergency essentials every parent should have, both at home and in the car. 

Parent Emergency Essentials at Home

Being a parent is tough, and kids inevitably make your heart drop on a daily basis. As a parent, you want to make sure you have everything you need in case of an emergency situation, whether long-term or short-lived. Here are a few things to make sure you have at home:

#1 Extra Food and Water 

Obviously, we make sure our kids have food and water on a daily basis, but if something happens where you can’t get to the store, you want to have what you need stored away. Make sure you have non-perishable food and water containers in case of an emergency. I would suggest having at least a month’s supply of food and water for everyone in your household. 

#2 First Aid Kit

Whether you have small kids or big kids, they will get hurt at some point. Most injuries don’t require a trip to the ER or even the doctor, so you need to have some essential items you can use yourself. Here are a few things to have in your first aid kit:

• Bandages…lots of bandaids
• Butterfly stitches
• Ace wraps
• Superglue (it works for semi-deep cuts)
• Liquid bandage
• Alcohol swabs
• Peroxide
• Bee sting kit
• Burn gel
• Calamine lotion
• Antibacterial Ointment
• Cotton swabs
• Elastic Gauze
• Gauze pads
• Splints
• Tourniquet
• Fever reducers for kids
• Instant cold pack

#3 Phone/Address Book

This may seem kind of old school, but that’s only because you may not have had your child try to flush your phone down the toilet. Seriously, we keep all our contact information on our phones these days, but what if you can’t get to the phone or it has run out of power? If nothing else, fill out this contact form I made years ago. Printable: FSM Emergency Contact Info

#4 Flashlights

If the power goes out, the kiddos might feel a little scared. Having plenty of extra flashlights on hand will help keep the peace. It’s also a perfect way to get some reading done and safely maneuver within your house or yard. 

#5 Manual Can Opener

Make sure you have a way to open that non-perishable food, especially if the power goes out. Remember, you may not have electricity to use the electric one. 

Parent Emergency Essentials in the Car

Before you go on a road trip, or even a quick drive to a relative’s house, you want to make sure you have a few emergency essentials in the vehicle. Anything can happen on the road, but the most common situation is your car just breaking down on the side of the road. I don’t know about you, but if my car broke down on the side of the road who knows how long you may be there without assistance. It may take someone just a few minutes, or you may have to wait a few hours, depending on where it happens. With that being said, if you have kids in the car, you need to make sure they are taken care of. So, here are a few emergency essentials every parent should have in their car:

#1 Solar Powered Phone Charger

I can’t tell you how many times my phone was charged when I left, but it was 5% by the time I got somewhere. In an emergency, you will need your phone to call for help. Make sure to have a battery pack or solar-powered phone charger for your cell phone. 

#2 Water

Have you ever seen the movie Cujo? The little boy almost died from dehydration. He and his mother were stuck for days trying to stay safe from a vicious dog! Make sure you have water in your trunk. I would suggest having at least 1 gallon of water per passenger. 

#3 Throw Blankets

If you live in regions where it gets cold, you need blankets in your car. If the car isn’t running, it isn’t producing heat. This means it is going to get cold pretty quickly. You may need blankets to bundle up in to keep warm while you wait for help. 

#4 Non Perishable Snacks

Let’s face it,l kids get hungry, whether it’s mealtime or not. For that reason alone, always have non-perishable snacks. However, in a dire situation, these snacks could keep you alive while you are waiting to be rescued. Here are a few examples:

• Granola bars
• Squeeze fruit like applesauce
• Fruit snacks
• Cheese or peanut butter crackers
• Freeze dried fruit

#5 Hand Sanitizer

Gas station bathrooms can be pretty disgusting. Sometimes the water won’t even work to wash your hands. For this reason and others, I always have a hand sanitizer in the car. It’s also great to have for after a day at the park. 

#6 Sunscreen

As a parent, things aren’t always planned out. Maybe you want to swing into the park or stop by the beach. If you have sunscreen already in your car, you’re good to go. On hot summer days, taking a car ride and the related adventures may require some sunscreen. 

#7 Bandages/First Aid Kit

If you are a flying by the seat of your pants parent, bandages may be just enough, but I would suggest having a small first aid kit in your car. From scraped knees to a bleeding head, anything can happen when you have kiddos. 

#8 Atlas

This may seem kind of old school too, but if your data isn’t working well on your phone, you are without a GPS. An atlas can help get where you need to go if you can’t use your GPS. Yes, they still print an ATLAS

#9 Jumper Cables

I can’t tell you how many times these have saved me and others who are stranded. Always, always have jumper cables in your car. Jumper Cables

Other Parent Emergency Essential Posts to Read

In addition to the information above, I would encourage parents to check out my other posts so you are even better prepared. Here are a few to check out:

• What’s in Your First Aid Kit
• Tips for Storing Emergency Supplies in Your Vehicle
• Car Survival Items Needed in Your Vehicle
• Emergency First AId Kit Buckets

Final Word

Being a parent is hard, but if you prepare ahead of time, you are prepared for almost any emergency that comes your way. We can never be too prepared when it comes to our children! We can do this! May God Bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: LED Flashlights Deposit photos_180774812_s-2019