Summer is here, and with it comes increased car trips, as well as more “stuff” that must be transported in the car. If you have children, you are likely ferrying them to places like camp, the pool, day trips and longer vacations. Keeping your car organized when you have kids, no matter what the season, can be quite a challenge. Here are some tips on how to organize your car when you have kids.
Cup Holders
Ideally, cup holders in your car should be used for cups, and nothing else. If you have them blocked off with other stuff (sunglasses, keys, to-do lists, etc.), you can’t use them to hold your kids’ water bottles, sippy cups and other drinks. If you must use your cup holders to hold small items other than cups, consider using measuring cups, the kind you use when baking, to hold these items so that they don’t get lost in the depth of your cup holders. Hair ties, bobby pins, and loose change can all be held in baking cups, most of which will fit in the cup holders or other open areas around them (depending upon the design of your car).
Console (Middle)
The middle console of your car should be used to store frequently used items. Examples could be your kids’ snacks, chap stick, tissues, wet wipes, and your sunglasses. Some car consoles are deeper than others and can store other things that you might need, such as a small first-aid kit.
Glove Compartment
It’s amazing what you can fit inside a car’s glove compartment. Of course, important car documents are top priority to be stored in here. Others things that can be kept in the car’s glove box include a tire pressure checker, screwdriver, car phone charger, flash light, and first-aid kit. If you have kids who like to draw on car trips, perhaps keep a small pad of paper and a pen in there, too.
Back Seats
Everyone who had kids knows that the back seats of a car can become really messy, really quickly. It’s best to try to keep things off of the car seats and floor as much as possible. Once things start to accumulate here, many people just let them continue to accumulate until the back seat has become a big mess! Most cars now have pockets behind the front seats, which are great for storing kids’ books, coloring books, and crayons. Store electronics that they use in the car in there as well.
Garbage Bag
No matter what, always be sure to keep a garbage bag in the car if you have kids. This way, once they have finished eating or drinking, the empty bottles and wrappers won’t litter the floor of your car, but instead, go right into the trash bag, to be emptied later at home.
Trunk
You might not think about it, but the trunk of your car needs to be organized, too. If you are taking kids to the pool often, keep a waterproof bag in there to store their wet towels and bathing suits until you get home (just remember to take them out once you do or you’ll have a growth of mildew to contend with!) Some parents keep an emergency set of a change of clothing in the trunk for kids, in a plastic bag to keep them dry. You never know when they might come in handy!