Got Quads?

Whether you’re trying to get out of the house with one toddler or four, there are certain things you can keep in your car to make your errands easier.

• Hand sanitizer

Keep some in your purse, your glove compartment, somewhere. I prefer the foaming spray versus the traditional gel. The foam doesn’t slide off small hands quite as fast, giving them a chance to rub it in.

• Disinfectant wipes

Many grocery stores where I live have wipes near the entrance for shopping carts. The supply always seems to be empty when I shop. I’ve learned to carry my own, which comes in handy at stores that don’t typically provide wipes. I wipe the shopping cart handles off even when I’m shopping sans kids.

• Plastic bags

The bags you get at the grocery store have a multitude of uses. First of all, they make great trash bags. They also make great barf bags if you have a motion sick traveler. I also use them to store soiled clothes from a motion sick traveler until we are near a washing machine.

• Hand vac

There’s nothing quite as messy as stepping on stray crackers. Since we’re on the go a lot during the week I tend to give my girls a snack in the car, but it can be messy. We’ve got a hand vac that plugs in to the cigarette lighter and does a pretty good job of cleaning up crumbs.

• A fun CD

My daughters really enjoy singing along to nursery rhymes. Our favorite CD right now is a sing-along-disc of Fisher Price “Little People.” I get a kick out of hearing my girls giggle through the songs. It makes our drive-time go a lot faster.

Some parents of multiples like to leave a diaper bag and change of clothes in their vehicle. I would rather be forced to pack those prior to each outing to make sure I have the necessary supplies. There’s nothing quite as frustrating as reaching in to your diaper bag to find out you used up all the wipes during your last trip.