Practical Plans for Pleasurable Adventures Be Positive, Practical, and Proactive
Preparedness Techniques

Here are some typical scenarios and how I've learned (often the hard way) to prepare in advance for them.

You anticipate that the kids and their guests will argue over toys.
If a large group of children is coming over, do a bit of preplanning by setting up stations so that the children can rotate and take turns. Have some kids cook their favorite fantasy recipe in a pretend kitchen, while others build a castle with blocks (for eating the pretend "dinner" in later), and still others play the roles of the diners, ordering and awaiting their orders. Have an arts and crafts table ready to go with an easy project for all to participate in. Homemade play dough and cookie cutters set out with dull plastic knives and vinyl place mats keep them occupied a long time. Having structured playtime with larger groups seems to work best.

You experience a sudden change in weather when on an outing together.
Create a weather kit." Keep an old sweater or two, plus an umbrella, packed in a bag in the trunk of your car.

You are stuck in traffic and the kids are starving.
Keep an emergency snack container filled with crackers, water, or other shelf-stable snacks in the glove compartment.

You fear being caught without a pacifier or losing one.
Buy pacifiers in bulk, a dozen at a time. Leave one in every room, one in every car, two in your purse or diaper bag-and even leave a couple at Grandma's house.

Someone has a boo-boo!
Keep the first- aid kit handy in the car. Band-Aids, amazingly, fix almost anything (kudos to my charges' mom for that one). You can even put one over a "hurting heart" when a child has wounded feelings or is sad about having to leave the fun of a play date.

You've had a fender bender and are shaking so badly you can't remember your name, much less all the information the police want.
Keep a list of all emergency phone numbers, doctors' information, and medical information in the car along with a copy in your purse. A laminated index card works really well for this purpose. People often have a hard time recalling this information during times of stress.

Your kids are a chocolate mess, and you are miles from a clean bathroom.
Always keep a few water bottles, paper towels, and wet wipes in the trunk. This makes for easy cleanup of the kids-and the car.