We’ve all heard of the expression mom brain. Basically the jumble in your mind that you feel from the chaos that is motherhood.
It can make us forgetful, overwhelmed, and even emotional. However, we always manage to get things done and get out of the house, even when it seems impossible.
Being a stay-at-home mom of two under two, I felt like my mind was always in a million different places. I had to be on my A-game when it came to schedules and routines.
Keeping all this information in my head got pretty overwhelming. I always had to be aware of which kid needed a snack, a diaper change, a nap, a meal, or a hug- and when!
Occasionally I would look at the clock and realize that I missed a feeding or nap, and then trying to figure out how I would squeeze it back in was a job in itself.
Everything overlapped especially with kids so close in age and storing it all in my mind was starting to get tougher once the youngest had more needs.
Scroll down for your FREE Printable Out-the-Door checklist for leaving the house with your baby or toddler.
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Leaving the House With Little Ones
The bigger challenge came when leaving the house.
They’re not old enough to get their things packed up independently or even get themselves fully dressed. They rely on us for everything.
With an infant, I always had fresh milk on hand (the joys of breastfeeding) so all I needed was a diaper and some wipes when I left the house. Super simple to remember!
Now that I have a 2 year old and almost 1-year-old, they have different needs. They eat similar things, but not the same. One is just about potty trained and one is still in diapers. One needs constant entertainment and the other is pretty content.
Even though I felt like I had a pretty good system down for leaving the house, I’d ALWAYS forget something. Whether it was a bottle, snack, wipes, diaper, toy, blanket, pacifier: you name it, I’ve forgotten it.
Typical outings (even for 1 hour) usually include at least 3 trips back into the house to grab something that I realized I forgot once I got in the car. Hey, at least I remembered it before I left!
That’s when I realized that I needed to jot all this information down in one place so I could have consistent reminders all day.
Necessary Items to Grab
I try to keep most of these items fully stocked in my diaper bag so I don’t have to remember them each time I go out. However, they often get taken out or used up and never get restocked.
Therefore, I always need to run through everything I need in mind before leaving the house.
Here are the items that I have found to be the most important things to have with me whether I’m going out for an hour or 6 hours. Of course, all of them are not always necessary, but they are things that I like to have with me.
I’m a big fan of
For baby:
Diapering
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Changing Pad
- Diaper trash bags
- Wet sack
- Diaper rash cream
Mealtime
- Bottle
- Formula/breastmilk
- Snacks
- Meals
- Disposable Bibs
Utenstils - Disposable Placemat
- Sippy cup
Entertainment
- Toys
Pacfier - Book
- Travel Seat
- Lovie/stuffed animal
Clothing
- Extra
Onsesie / sleeper - Extra Outfit
Socks / shoes - Blanket
- Hat, mittens, jacket
- Bathing suit, towel, hat
For toddler:
Diapering
- Diapers/Pull-ups
- Wipes
- Changing Pad
- Diaper trash bags
- Wet sack
- Diaper rash cream
- Portable potty seat
Mealtime
- Bottle of milk
- Sippy cup of water
- Snacks
- Meals
- Disposable Bib
Utenstils - Disposable Placemat
Entertainment
- Toys
Pacfier - Book
- iPad
- Crayons/paper
- Travel Seat
- Lovie/stuffed animal
Clothing
- Pajamas
- Extra Outfit
Socks / shoes - Blanket
- Hat, mittens, jacket
- Bathing suit, towel, hat
- nderpants
Using a Checklist
Always on my list of to-dos was to make a checklist for leaving the house. You know, every time I was 15 minutes late because I ran back in the house 4 times for forgotten items.
However, making the checklist was always one of those things that I also kept forgetting too! #mombrain
Anyway, I finally got around to it and wanted to share it with you all!
Print out whichever one you will use and LAMINATE it! This is the best way to preserve your checklist so you know that you will be able to use it for a while.
If you don’t have a laminator, you can easily purchase an inexpensive one here on Amazon. Don’t forget the laminating pouches, too! You’ll definitely use it again if/once you have toddlers.
Laminators great to use for making picture routine charts, behavior charts, and reward charts for your tough-to-tame toddler.
You can use dry-erase markers to actually check off each item as you grab it or just use it as a mental checklist, as well.
FREE Printable Out-the-Door Checklists
Download the quick and easy checklists below. They are made as 8.5 x
Out-the-Door with Baby Checklist
Out-the-Door with Toddler Checklist
Blank Checklists
If you wish to make your own using your own checklist items, I have also included blank copies, as well.
Blank Out-the-Door with Baby Checklist
Blank Out-the-Door with Toddler Checklist
Just laminate it and keep in your kitchen, by the door, or whatever room you are typically in before you leave the house. Grab some dry erase markers to make an easy, reusable, wipe off
I use a magnetic clip to hang them on my refrigerator for easy viewing.
