Back To School: 5 Healthy Ideas For Lunches And After School Snacks

For some reason the hours between lunch and dinner make my kids crazy with hunger! I call it the late day feast. I'm always looking for ways to get my kids to eat more veggies and healthier foods, so the late day feast is the perfect time to sneak these things in because frankly, they will eat anything!  Especially if you just casually set it out on the table for them to run by and grab a quick bite of something. In our house we call these "hummingbird bites," because they are too busy to sit for a meal but we need them to eat so they just fly by and grab a bite and get back to playing. The meal gets eaten eventually and they get to keep playing. If it's something messy we will usually hold it while they take a bite or they will use a fork. This only works if you are not in a rush to get out the door and you have more freedom with time.

We are fortunate to live near large grocery stores like Mother's Market, Trader Joe's and Sprouts that offer great deals and sales on organic produce. I try to buy most of my fresh produce from the organic section, so whatever is on sale or special is usually what I'll buy.

Here are some different ideas for lunches or after school snacks. This is a list of stuff my kids will actually eat. They are 7 and 4 & 1/2. My little guy hasn't always loved eating a wide variety of fruits and veggies and for a few years was stuck in a rut of only carrots, corn, apples, blueberries and red grapes. However, I kept offering different things to him and would also set out veggie platters with a wide array of colorful options that would get eaten quickly by sissy if you didn't act fast! My daughter has always eaten like a rabbit sneaking into a farm! I mean, as a 5 year old she was munching on Brussels sprouts and asparagus! 

After many colorful veggie platter presentations with an array of different dips like ranch, creamy cilantro dressing and hummus, he finally started trying new things. So don't give up if your child doesn't like something. Keep offering it! Someday they might just surprise you and try it! 

1. The Veggie Platter. 

You're probably rolling your eyes at this one, and trust me, before I saw it with my own eyes I would too. But think back to your child at an adult party or a holiday dinner. There is bound to be a veggie platter there with different dips and your child is bound to be drawn to something on there. So start with serving that! Our veggie platters vary from meal to meal with whatever I have on hand, but I suggest stocking it with stuff your kids like for the first few times you set it out then slowly add in a few new items for them to explore on their own. If they ask what it is, just casually tell them the name of it, reach over and eat one (make yummy noises) and walk away. If you make a big deal out of it, they won't eat it! Things to add to the veggie (and fruit) platter: carrots, cherry tomatoes (these ones are from our garden!), cucumber, celery (I slice it very small into "shoelaces" as seen in the picture, because it can be pretty strong), mini corn cobs, olives, sweet bell pepper slices, small romaine lettuce chutes with ranch dip, jicama slices, even some veggies that are lightly blanched like: broccoli, green beans and asparagus spears. If your kids are really having a hard time eating only veggies you can add in a bit of fruit like apples and grapes, but I recommend not adding in too much fruit because it's so much sweeter than the veggies and they might just eat the fruit and leave the veggies to die on the plate! To mix things up a bit in the veggie department, I'll even make a fresh pressed juice (adding more veggies than fruit to avoid too much sugar) and that seems to keep the troops pretty full til the next meal too.

2. Fresh Organic Fruit. I like to have some things on hand that are already ready to eat like pineapple spears, cut melon like watermelon, honeydew, etc., cuties (the little clementine oranges), fruit cups (in water if possible, to avoid too much extra sugar), apple slices or apple sauce, berries, bananas, etc.

  

3. Healthy carbs. Everyone needs carbohydrates to help with proper brain function but empty carbs aren't going to help anyone, so opt for healthier ones with whole grains like rice cakes and whole grain crackers. We also like unsalted pretzels, snap pea crisps, whole grain chips and salsa, etc. My kids love rice cakes and they now come in a variety of different flavors. We usually stick to brown rice, light salted with sea salt. We love this brand by Lundberg and can find them at Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Mother's Market, Von's/Pavilions, etc. They have so many products I'd love to try them all!  These organic, non-GMO rice cakes are by far my favorite!


4. Healthy Protein. Pair your healthy carbs, fruits & veggies with healthy proteins like hard boiled eggs, lean lunch meats, tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad (easy chicken salad recipe found here), cottage cheese, low sugar yogurt, sliced cheese or cheese sticks, sea weed snacks, organic nut butters like, peanut (we love apples and peanut butter together!), almond butter or our new favorite, Honey Sunflower Butter from Wild Friends!  It's super yummy and the kids love it! They have other products too that I'll have to try. We found this at Costco. I'm eating it right now, in fact, on top of a rice cake!  Yum!

 

5. Kid Sized Sandwiches And Snacks. I have learned as a mom that my kids will try almost anything if it's cut cute and small. So in addition to these snacks I also like to do mini egg salad sandwiches, cucumber with cream cheese, peanut butter & jelly, tiny ham & cheese or turkey & cheese (both with pickles, of course!) or chicken salad sandwiches on whole grain bread (kinda like what you'd find at a fancy afternoon tea). We also keep on hand plenty of healthy trail mix made with unsalted nuts and unsalted pretzels, sesame sticks, dried fruit like cranberries or cherries, banana chips or plantain chips, popcorn, with yogurt chips for a little something sweet added in and I'll serve it in a small dixie cup to eat on the go! We also make mini banana or apple muffins with flax seed, chia or sliced almonds. Anything healthy to keep them full til the next meal!

What are your favorite healthy snacks?  Please let us know in the comments below!

My kids were making "sandwiches" with rice cakes, sea weed snacks and veggies. 

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*The products I'm featuring in this post are just some of my family's favorites. I was not asked to advertise for them. 

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Dog Days Of Summer - The Art of Doing Not a Whole Heck of a Lot

It's getting towards the end of July and the reason I know this is because the TV and stores are now bombarding us with back-to-school shopping ads. Oh and I was in Costco the other day feeling pressured to buy a thick, furry rain coat for my child because if I don't get it now they will no longer carry them when I actually need it - in about 6 more months. (I didn't buy one.) I know when I go there in a few more weeks (in Aug) I'll be able to pick out my child's Halloween costume if I so desire and a week or so after that I'll be able to buy my fake Christmas tree with all the trimmings. 

Can we just be done with speeding through life already?  

I know I'm fighting a loosing battle because that will never change, as annoying as it is. But for now while I am a stay-at-home-mom creating a little, tiny bubble around my little, tiny family we can ignore all of the pressures of society - as much as possible anyway. As my kids grow older and we are out in the world more (like kindergarten), I am really noticing this push to do everything, be involved with everything and learn everything as young as possible so you have several years to hone your talent before you start making your parents millions of dollars. OK, slight exaggeration, or is it?  All you have to do is take one class with your child to witness first hand the parents who are trying to get their child on track to excel in that particular thing whether the child wants to or not. 

As a kid I had a good friend who literally did everything. She had no down time whatsoever because her time was filled with several commitments a week and she was never, ever available to do the typical childhood things on the weekends due to these commitments even though she desperately wanted to be a regular kid. She couldn't go to sleepovers because her weekends started very early in the morning with various practices, competitions and recitals and for this same reason she couldn't go to birthday parties in general, or any playdates for that matter. However, when I was a kid we didn't call them "playdates."  We just called it "playing outside with the neighborhood kids." 

Now that I'm a mom I'm very careful not to schedule too many things at once, even fun things they want to do like dance classes and swimming lessons. First of all it's expensive. But when you have more than one child doing more than one class a week you can see how your days and weeks get away from you and they no longer belong to you - they belong to the schedule. 

It's important to know your child's personality type to see if this is a good thing or a bad thing - for them. Notice I didn't say to pay attention to your own personality type. Many times we are very different from our children even though we may not want to admit it or "deal with it." Just because a parent likes to be super busy and on the go with several things scheduled at all times, this doesn't mean our child thrives in this situation and vice versa. Just notice your child's daily/weekly tantrum level to see if this is the case. (Even older kids have tantrums in their own ways.) Most tantrums are thrown by children who are overwhelmed, over tired, over scheduled and over stimulated with no room for transition time between activities. If you find yourself running from activity to activity, eating restaurant meals in the car or on-the-go, your kids are doing homework in the car or prepping for the next class and your only "down time" is the drive to the next function (whew that makes me tired just typing it), you are very likely over doing it and setting yourselves up for failure. Kids need down time to discover who they are are, what they like and what they are capable of doing on their own. 

When I was a kid 30+ years ago, our summer days looked a lot like this:

• Wake up lazy
• Have breakfast
• Pack a picnic lunch (my mom put in a lot of time packing awesome, healthy summer picnic lunches)
• Head to the beach or the park until dusk
• Get an ice cream at Thrifty's (back then it was only 25 cents a scoop)
• Fall asleep the second our heads hit the pillow
• Repeat the next day

That was basically it. 

If we went to the beach we'd take boogie boards and sand toys, beach chairs and an umbrella.  If we went to the park we took bikes or roller skates/skate boards, and maybe a board game or a deck of cards. We never, ever bought food at a snack shack because my mom had that covered. She even made extra sandwiches to last us throughout the several hour beach day. That didn't keep us from asking for snack shack food of course, but we never spent money we didn't have. 

The only time we'd ever get anything at a beach snack shack was when my grandparents lived walking distance from the pier down in San Clemente. To this day San Clemente is my very favorite beach of all time - even after living on Kauai. I have so many great memories of San Cle. When I was a kid the snack shack down at the pier had the best cheese burgers around. Kind of like In-N-Out Burger if you are familiar with them and their fries were great too. So this was the only time we splurged at a beach snack shack. 

How can you do nothing when there are chores to do?

As a mom, my goal is to fine tune my house keeping so that I'm not bogged down the entire weekend with piles and piles of laundry and dishes. The following has been a good system for me so far, but stick with me til the end because it might sound crazy at first if you have been accustomed to the weekend filled with hours of laundry:

Every morning I put in 1 load of laundry. We have a laundry sorter in the garage next to our washer and dryer so I gather up the clothes in everyone's rooms each day to take them out to the main sorter. At this point it's usually just a few items since I'm doing this every day. When that 1 load is finished washing I put it in the dryer or I hang it on the line (depending on the time of year) and this is the biggie: I do not start another load of wash. However, I do make a mental note of which load I'll be doing the next day. When that load is done drying I take it in and fold it right away and then I put everything away. Because I have only 1 load to do this takes very little time and effort and I'm almost 100% successful at it each day because it's one complete load of laundry from start to finish.

I do the same thing for the dishes however, it varies slightly. We usually run the load of dishes throughout the night. If time permits my husband empties the dishwasher in the morning before work and I fill it throughout the day. I cook at home and make homemade meals for dinner each night so we always have a ton of pots and pans to wash. In a perfect world, the drying rack gets put away as well as all pots and pans that are drying on the stove. This doesn't always happen, ok it rarely happens, but that is the goal if I want a clean kitchen. 

A preschool teacher we had made this great suggestion that I have found to be useful: wipe down all bathroom counters each day with a paper towel and spray cleaner, very quickly swish out and wipe down the toilets with cleaner (everyday!) and get rid of all bathroom clutter (ie; hang towels, put things back where they belong, etc.) Depending on how many bathrooms you have, you could get this daily task down to about 15/20 minutes or less a day. Because you are wiping everything down everyday it doesn't get the chance to gather any gross bathroom funky build up that takes a lot longer to scrub. 

If you are super organized (I'm not) you could accomplish this with your kitchen/stove top and counters every day too. My kitchen has become a catch all because we don't have a proper office so this is harder for us - but we're working on it.

These are just a few tips I try to do daily to minimize and eventually eliminate the long weekend cleaning days. 

If you only do one of these things every day I suggest doing the laundry thing. 

It makes a huge difference!  Especially when you have multiple people living in your house. Resist the urge to do more than one load a day if possible (I know it's hard because that is not how we are trained to do things) because when you do many loads at once, chances are you will not be able to successfully wash, dry, fold and put away multiple loads of laundry - and seeing it to the very end (clothes in closets and drawers!) is really the daily goal. When I get backed up from life getting in the way it only takes about a week to get back on track where the majority of our laundry is clean and in drawers or hung up. There are even some days were I'm actually looking for something to wash for that days load if you can believe that. That is when we do bigger things like sheets and stuff. 

I remember seeing an episode of Oprah were she said she has fresh, clean (and ironed!) sheets on her bed daily!  I don't know about you but I was kind of shocked when I heard this as were most audience members because they panned out across the audience to wide eyes and all mouths agape. She even looked kind of surprised (and sheepish) at the audience's reaction to see that most people do not change their sheets daily, let alone iron them. Someone in the audience made a reference to her having housekeeping help and even she agreed and said, yes, that makes a big difference. That must be so nice to have someone cleaning your house regularly!  

Ahhhhh....just give me a second to dream.... 

Imagine the free time you'd have?!  

Well, do my laundry trick and I promise if you keep it up all week and stick to the 1 load a day rule until you get a firm handle on it you'll feel a bit of freedom from the piles and piles of weekend laundry. This of course only really works if you don't have to go to the laundry mat, or share a common laundry room in a complex of some sort. Been there done that and I feel for you in that situation with a family, I really do. 

As far as not doing much during the summer because I kind of digressed a bit there, if you can get a handle on the household chores you have more free time to do not a whole heck of a lot. I don't mean spend the day watching TV, playing on the computer or playing any type of electronic device for hours on end. I mean spending time outdoors doing basically nothing. When I say "nothing" I mean where your child's day is not scheduled out for them with a class or anything structured and they get to make their own fun using their own brain, their own creativity with maybe a few things provided like a bike at the park or a ball, sand toys at the beach or something like that. But no cheating with electronics!! Hopefully you get exactly what I'm getting at here.

Here is a list of what nothing looks like for us:

• Going to the park, setting out a blanket, taking a lunch and just letting the kids play and explore. 
• Going for a nature walk in the neighborhood and discover the world around you.
• Taking a lazy stroll or slow bike ride/scooter ride through the park, beach trail or neighborhood.
• Lie on the grass and look at shapes in the clouds.
• Go to the library and discover something new, attend a FREE toddler/preschooler story time or get involved in a reading club.
• Turn on the sprinklers in the back yard, fill up the water table, play in the sandbox and have a picnic outside.
• Garden, dig in the dirt, plant something.
• Look into FREE things through your local parks and rec like public wadding pools for little ones and concerts in the park in the evenings and different events for Holidays like the 4th of July or Easter Egg Hunts, etc.
• Have a backyard family camp out.
• Have a night time family movie party (the kids pick the movie) and get a pizza or make something fun to eat and put out a blanket and let the kids eat in the living room picnic style while watching the movie. This will be a huge, fun treat if your kids never get to eat in front of the TV. (That is a good thing btw!)
• Reading!
• Painting with watercolors
• Arts and crafts
• Exploring the wild outdoors
• Most importantly - slow down.

Have fun discovering what your family likes to do that is not a structured, scheduled, indoor event. Those have their time and place in our lives too but they should be the exception, not the daily agenda. We have a rule in our house now with extracurricular classes scheduled through parks & rec (especially since we have baby #3 on the way): Each child gets to take one class at a time and we take a break in between sessions. The classes we usually take are once a week for about an hour and at this age we have been able to combo some classes like tumbling or take them the same time at the same location but different teachers like swimming lessons, or back-to-back on the same day with the same teachers like soccer. (I had a very strict rule that there was to be no electronic devices used during the soccer class while the other sibling had class. Their options were to actually watch their sibling play and encourage them while doing so, or find their own fun running around looking for bugs and leaves and chasing birds at the park. Sometimes we took supplies to color or draw. It was never an issue. Mom stuck to the no electronic device rule too because as you know, you teach by example as opposed to just using words without backing them up with an example.)  

This summer is a bit different since our daughter is taking a kids Science and Nature Summer Camp at the Nature Center and these summer camps run for a week at a time from 9-noon. So far we've taken two different ones and have one more week on the schedule. So for now she is the only one who is taking a scheduled class because the ones for preschoolers filled up too quickly and we didn't book them in time. We've learned our lesson for next year! However, my little guy is doing plenty of fun things because we have a pass to our local water park and usually go several times a week for a few hours or so.

If you need any more ideas of things to do in the summer I wrote a Summer Bucket List a few years ago. Some stuff no longer exists like the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, but you can fill in your own activity in that one. 

Here are some lazy family pics of us doing "nothing." 

Learning to surf from daddy at Doheny Beach, California

Exploring the stream at the El Dorado Nature Center in Long Beach, California

Exploring the trails at the El Dorado Nature Center in Long Beach, California 

Splashing in the wadding pool at a local park.

Making up their own games with their own rules.

Taking a scooter & bike riding detour to throw sticks and leaves in the stream at a local park.

Exploring a local water fountain after having lunch out.

Mom's Night Out! Mama's perfect version of doing nothing!  (This one is a solo act btw!!) 

My favorite beach of all time: San Clemente, California

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Back To School Tips From One Organized Mama: The Family Command Center

There is a saying that goes for writers, "write what you know." In this case I'm writing about what I'd like to know and what I've been learning from doing research on this segment called, Calling All Organized Moms! Please Share Your Secrets!  I'm not going to lie to you, I've never been accused of being organized. Sure there have been times in my life and certain instances where I have been organized, even really organized - but as a mom in general there is a lot I still need to learn. However, I'm totally willing to learn. That is the first step!

I've received many emails and messages about the various methods moms' use to organize their household and for my first featured post on Organized Mamas, I'm super proud and excited to share with you one of the most organized mom's I know - our cousin, Jenn who is One Organized Mama! She is the wife of my husband's cousin, James and I've seen her mad organizing skillz first hand, so it was no question that I wanted to ask her to please, please, PLEASE fill us in on her secrets. Luckily for us, she was happy to!

Jenn has some really great tips for getting your house ready for the onslaught of papers, books, toys, shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, playdates and school activities that come from every day life with kids, but especially when your kids are going back to school.

Meet Jenn -

Clean up after yourself. 

House elves don't work here.

Hi, my name is Jenn and I am a list making, calender keeping, post-it note sticking, red pen checker kinda gal! I am a total nut when it comes to having a calendar and list in every room and I have to make them every week and review them every morning - especially during the school year. With both girls in school, one in girl scouts, cheer and language club, plus playdates, grocery shopping, errands and various appointments, I needed to get it all together.

Home Is Where The Heart Is.

I am a stay-at-home mom to two awesome little girls - very busy little girls! Lillian is six years old and Madelyn is three and a half. My Hubby works in the Country Club/Restaurant Industry and just when I think I understand his schedule, club season changes, weddings are booked, events are planned and it becomes crazy at his place of business - so long story short he typically gets one day off a week. I try not to complain because during the summer he is usually home a lot more and well, he loves what he does and it allows me to stay home and focus on what is important... our girls. 

Jenn has a few signs in her house to remind her and her family about the important things in life. 

Always Remember To:

• Count Your Blessings
• Live Simply
• Dream Big
• Be Grateful
• Give Love
• Give Lots
• Laugh Lots

How can you get away from all of the daily tasks needed to run a busy family household and still Live Simply? 

Hold tight because Jenn has some great tips for you:

The Family Command Center

I felt so overwhelmed with all of my various lists and calendars in different rooms so I knew I needed to consolidate everything to one location in order to be efficient in my organization. Thanks to Pinterest I got some great ideas on a Family Command Center!

Picture taken by Jenn H. -  Family Command Center - My Tales From The Crib - 2013  

... so this is my FCC which is my new favorite area of our house! Not only is it a monthly and weekly organizer, the girls have their shoes, toys, library and school backpacks all in one place. My Hubby has given me an official title ...other than Mom of course, I am now the "House Manager" (heeheehee!!)

Picture taken by Jenn H. -  Family Command Center - My Tales From The Crib - 2013  

Not only can the Hubby see whats going on at a glance, he can add things to the calendar too like date nights, nights he might be home early and even days he has off. The girls love it too! 

Picture taken by Jenn H. -  Family Command Center - My Tales From The Crib - 2013  

I was so tired of collecting shoes after everyone went to bed I decided to put in a shoe rack and let me tell you I have not seen a missing shoe for the past few months! Even the Hubby and I put our shoes there when we come in from the garage. 

Which saves us time getting out the door in the morning.

Picture taken by Jenn H. -  Family Command Center - My Tales From The Crib - 2013 

My favorite part of the Family Command Center is probably the labeled baskets. One for each girl! After they go to bed I spend barely 10 minutes collecting all of the toys off the floor and I throw everything in their own basket. When they do their chores the next day it is their responsibility to clean out their own basket and put everything back where it belongs. 

Remembering What Is Important

The Family Rules:

• Keep your promises
• Share
• Think of others before yourself
• Say, "I love you"
• Listen to your parents
• Do your best
• Say, "please" and "thank you"
• Always tell the truth
• Laugh at yourself
• Hug often
• Use kind words
• Love each other

Anyone can learn to be more organized and make a Family Command Center that fits your family's needs and personal style. You can see from the picture below that you don't even need that much space to accomplish your own FCC.

Picture taken by Jenn H. -  Family Command Center - My Tales From The Crib - 2013 
Way to make your small spaces count, Jenn!  

Getting Organized Doesn't Have To Go Over The Monthly Budget Either!

Before you hit your favorite department store, look around your house to find things you already own to use in your Family Command Center like bins, hooks, dry erase boards, etc. I used an old shoe rack we already owned and I found cheap frames and scrapbooking paper in the clearance isle. Check your dollar stores, discounted stores and clearance isles for cute items that are very useful and very inexpensive. I bought the Family Rules plaque at Marshall's for only $4.00! The baskets were the most expensive purchase at $6.00 a piece at World Market and I found the little chalkboards for just over $1.00 there too. I hope to replace my dry erase calendar with a trendy chalk board or framed dry erase board someday but for now what I have works great!

Good luck with organizing!!

We appreciate all of your great organizing tips, Jenn! I've started using your tips and tricks in my own house and we've already seen an improvement! Are you an Organized Mom and would like to share your tips?  Click here to see how your ideas can be featured on our blog or if you have a just few tried and true tips that help you get through the day/week we'll take those too!




Can't think of anything specific?  We're looking for organizing tips on:

• Creating a weekly/monthly menu
• Tips on cheap, easy, cute and yummy school lunches
• Homeschooling: Getting/staying on task!
• Creating a monthly family budget
• Tricks on tackling laundry/dishes/bills/toys, etc.
• Tricks on tackling a stubborn area in your house: closets/garage/toy room/family room, etc. 
• Simple ways to go green and help save the Earth.
• What do you need tips on??  Please share.

Thanks for sharing!  Was this helpful?  Let us know below!  

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Back To School: Preschool Earthquake Kit

“...there's no harm in hoping for the best as long as you're prepared for the worst.” 
― Stephen King, Different Seasons

If you were a child in the 70's or 80's - this probably looks familiar to you.

Here is a list of items that have been requested by my daughter's preschool for her earthquake kit. I've been a stay-at-home-mom her whole life and never gave it a second thought that there might be a major, catastrophic emergency where she was NOT with me. *Cue the pit in my stomach.*  So here I am making a preparedness packet of items for my daughter to use at school in the event of an emergency (before I can get there to pick her up.)

I'm realizing that it would be a good idea to have these things in one spot at home too (like a big plastic bin/tub with a lid that sealed) along with plenty of bottled water.  Living in "earthquake country" we should already have this, and we do in our pantry - sorta... however, it should really be in one spot that can be grabbed quickly. It would be a good idea to change everything out once a year or once every two years depending on the item to be sure it's fresh - including bottled water. Especially if it's kept in a garage where the temperature can change drastically depending on the time of year.

The food items listed below may or may not be things you normally serve to your children, especially if you typically do not buy prepackaged items. But in the case of an emergency - especially when your child is at school, you will want to have things nearby that do not require refrigeration or cooking, or items that are perishable are easily damaged like crackers/cookies in a baggie that can get smashed. Also, don't include items in the school packet that require water to hydrate the item like instant oatmeal or soup cups. Be sure to check with your child's school about bringing peanut butter or items containing peanuts. Many schools do not allow these items due to peanut allergies.


Here are some suggestions. Not all items will fit in the large ziploc bag, so choose about 4-6 items.

• 1-2 boxed juices or bottles of water
• 1-2 small pop-top cans of spaghetti, stew, tuna, Vienna sausage
• 1-2 fruit rolls or fruit snacks
• 1-2 individual fruit cups or pudding cups
• 1-2 small, individual boxes of cereal
• 1-2 individual applesauce cups
• Small pkg. of trail mix
• Small pkg. of beef jerky
• Small pkg. of cheese and cracker packs
• *Plastic fork/spoon if needed
• Small pkg. of wet wipes
• Box of band-aids
• Small pkg. of kleenex
• Small book, toy, game or other small activity

(For your school pack) PLEASE DO NO INCLUDE:

1. Fresh fruit or other perishables.
2. Glass containers.
3. Crackers/chips/cookies that can get broken and smashed.
4. Dehydrated food that requires water, (or any food that requires heat.)
5. Valuable items like cash, expensive gadgets/electronics, etc.

*If your child needs medication you'll need a form that your child's doctor will need to complete.  Bring the form and the medication (in the prescription bottle) along with proper instructions to the office for dispensing in case of emergency.



Here are some other items I thought would be good to add to the list:

• Individual squeeze packets. I like to use the Organic food packets like chicken and rice, veggies and fruit, or ready-to-eat "toddler meals," etc. We like, Happy Tot, Ella's Kitchen, Plum Organics, etc., which can be found in the baby food isle of any major store.
• Granola bars, "meal replacement" bars, protein bars, cereal bars, etc. (be sure to check for peanuts if this is an issue.)
• Dried or freeze dried fruit (raisins, banana/apple chips, dried apples/blueberries/peaches/prunes/apricots, etc.  Check for expiration dates.)
• Individual pkg. seaweed snacks, kale chips, etc. (these usually come wrapped in a small plastic container to keep them from getting broken.)
• Individual pkgs. of dried veggie sticks (like Snap Pea Crisps, etc.)
• A small lovie to comfort your child until you are there to get them. (Who doesn't love a good lovie?!) Or a small toy to keep them comforted until a loved one comes to get them. This might not seem like a necessity, but small children will typically be less scared if they have something from home that helps keep them calm and happy in a stressful situation where mommy and daddy are not there to hug them. I put a very small, very soft stuffed kitten along with a very small Lil Pet Shop puppy. Both took up little space (they both fit into a snack sized baggie labeled with her name on it) and I was confident they would provide much love and comfort to my daughter if there had been an emergency. 
• Anti-bacterial wipes or gel. In the event of no running water, you'll want your child to be able to clean their hands. 
• Identification card with current picture of your child, their current height/weight, possible allergies or required medications and phone numbers where parents/caregiver can be reached. Be sure to have these people on "the list" at your child's school as well so they are approved to come and get them. This info should be in the office already, but it's best to have it handy in your child's pack. This can be laminated and attached to a lanyard for your child to wear during an emergency. Small children who might be extremely scared due to a catastrophic emergency might not even remember their own name so this would be a big help to adults who are there helping. Make an extra one for the bag/backpack they take with them everyday. Since you have your laminator** out and are looking on your computer for pictures, print up a wallet sized picture of your family include the beloved pets and favorite lovies and add that to the back side of their identification card. Seeing your smiling, familiar faces will provide them with extra comfort. 
• Something warm. Regardless of the time of year, it's good to have a sweater/sweatshirt for your child in case it's late in the day before you can get them, or God forbid they need to be there overnight (in extreme emergencies.) Most preschools and daycares already require you to bring a change of clothing for your child in case they have an accident, so you can have it in that bag. Be sure to include a sturdy pair of close-toed shoes and socks in this clothing pack too and don't forget to label everything with your child's full name. *When your child moves up a size in shoes, clothes (or diapers if needed) don't forget to change out your school clothing pack too. Make sure all personal items are labeled with your child's name and room #.
• Item List. Just to keep everything organized I would include a sheet of paper in the packet with your child's info (include room # and teacher) on it as well as an itemized list of the things in their pack so that things can easily be accounted for after it's been opened. It might be helpful to label each disposable item with a sharpie (w/your child's name/room #) and tag the personal items as well. If a situation arrises that your child will be needing these things at school this will help to eliminate any confusion during an already stressful time and to ensure your child has the food and comfort items they are already familiar with.  

*The school list didn't include medicated ointment or any wound cleaner, cotton balls for cleaning, etc. for the Earthquake Kit. I might include these items as well but it's good to make sure they have an updated first aid kit in the classroom as well or see if it's OK to provide a small one in your child's bag. 

**Don't have a laminator available?  Take an index card and glue everything into place. Then take shiny, clear packing tape and gently cover both sides of the card making sure all surfaces are covered. Punch a hole and attach it to your lanyard and voilà - laminated card. 


Did I leave anything out?  Any food or personal items that should be added to the list? What do you have prepped in case of an emergency?  Please comment below and I may include them in an updated post.

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