Top 5 Diaper Bag Essentials (Toddler Edition)

Although I had blogged about diaper bag essentials before but that was 2 years ago when Girlee was just a tiny 6 month old baby. Now that she's out and running about, the things that I bring along in my diaper bag have changed somewhat.

Here are my Top 5 Must-Haves in your diaper bag for a day out with an active toddler:

1) Mosquito Repellent
She wears an anti-mozzie patch all the time now but I still bring a bottle of repellent out with me wherever we go just in case anyone needs it (it's suitable for both children and adults).

I totally forgot to remove her anti-mosquito patch for our photoshoot!

In our tropical climate and with dengue fever cases on the rise, prevention is definitely better than cure. You'll just never know!

2) Pacifier & Favourite Pillow

Napping Essentials

She calls them 'Nai Jhui' (Chinese for pacifier) and 'Chou Chou' (Chinese for Smelly, which refers to the pillow with her smell). She almost never sleeps without them so it's a must.

3) Wet Wipes
And lots of it! It is used for cleaning any type of surface such as mouth, nose, hands, bottoms and even dirty table tops and chairs.

I have never even bought any wet wipes before I was a parent and now I can't live without it! Our entire house is so stocked with wet wipes, it's insane.

4) Portable Recyclable Bag
Some places in Singapore and other countries such as Shenzhen & Taiwan do charge for plastic bags so it's always good to have a scrunched-up recyclable bag that can be pulled out of your bag and used for groceries and other stuff that can't fit into your diaper bag. Plus it's environmentally friendly so the earth will thank you!

It's also my way of cancelling out whatever negatives I've contributed to the earth from using so many wet wipes! *laughs*

5) Stuff for Those 'Just so Happened' Moments
As a parent, you will really never know when you just so happened to stumble upon a water playground or a nice play gym on one of your trips out with your little one. You'll also never know when your little one might have a not so little 'accident' in their pants or on their shirt.

This is why like every kiasu (Singaporean slang for 'scared to lose out') parent, I make sure I'm prepared with the following in my bag:

The Ultimate Emergency Kit

1. Extra clothes & underwear
2. Socks for both adult & child (a requirement of certain gyms/playgrounds)
3. Sunblock (always ready for the outdoors)
4. Three types of diapers = Ordinary, Pull-ups (in case no changing table in sight), Swim (in case of water play)

If you're wondering "why so many diapers?", well, there was once where baby girl actually used up all of my diapers due to sudden diarrhea, I kid you not! So it's really not a lot at all =)

And there you have it!

I didn't use to be this prepared. But I've learnt things the hard way over time, if ya know what I mean. Nowadays, I feel very vulnerable when I step out of the house without my bag as it has everything I need for every situation! *laughs*

What's in your diaper bag?