How We Keep Our Family Car Organized

When you have kids, the chaos of their stuff seems to follow you everywhere - including into your car. I accept that our cars will never be pristine (dirt, crumbs, and dog hair will always be present), but I make sure that despite that we have a simple system to keep our things organized and to make sure we always have our essentials at hand. | This post contains affiliate links |

Disclaimer: Use organizers and other items at own risk. Make sure they are properly installed and compatible with your vehicle.

Keeping Toys in Check

I got tired of loose books and small toys spilling all over the back seat and the floor, so I got a backseat organizer to corral the kids’ items and keep them within easy reach for long car rides. In the organizer we always have some small books, an electronic kids toy, and some puzzles like a Rubik's Cube, as well as sunglasses for each kid in the small pockets in the front. I like this organizer because it fits between the car seats and can also buckle in so it doesn't slide around. (Side note: Where's Waldo has become a favorite car read and keeps the kids entertained for a long time.)

Trunk Organizer

With young kids we always carry supplies like a first aid kit, full change of clothing for each child, trash bags for wet/dirty clothes, extra towel and blanket, etc. For awhile all those items lived in a diaper bag in the trunk, but we are past the diaper stage now and it was time to retire the diaper bag and upgrade to something sleeker and space-saving. I am really loving this sturdy SUV trunk organizer for keeping everything hidden but still within reach.

The Infamous Car Potty

If you know, you know… With small kids traveling with a potty is a must, even for awhile once they’re past potty training age. You never know when an urgent bathroom request will happen, and these days with the pandemic it’s great to have a clean personal potty for your kid to use, rather than a dirty rest stop bathroom. Pro tip: We line our car potty with an open diaper to absorb liquid and waste and reduce the risk of a spill (makes for easier clean up too!).

Registration/Insurance Holder

It’s a good idea to keep all your car paperwork handy and organized in the glove box, because if you need it you don’t want to have to go digging for it - especially if it’s of an urgent nature (if you got pulled over, fender bender, etc). I personally like the little portfolios that keep everything ready and easy to find.

Roadside Kit / First Aid Kit

Always keep a roadside emergency kit and first aid kit in your car in the event you break down or have an accident. You may be able to find a kit that covers all your bases, but often you may have to purchase these separately or at least supplement with some additional tools or first aid items. Our trunk area has a hidden compartment underneath where we store all our roadside and first aid gear.

Extra Masks

It’s a sign of the times… make sure you always keep a spare set of extra masks in your car for the whole family. That way you’re never caught without one if you need it. We made our mask case using a slim wipes container (similar container linked here).

Disclaimer: Use organizers and other items at own risk. Make sure they are properly installed and compatible with your vehicle.

Potty Training On-The-Go

You know that potty training is getting serious when you start driving around with a tiny toilet in your trunk! Thought I’d hop on here real quick and share some of our potty training “on-the-go” hacks. | This post contains affiliate links |

First, while we may be doing undies in the house - we still use pull-ups at night and when we leave the house… why? Because Mama don’t like having to change wet or poopy clothes in Target or get a carseat full on a drive. That is not fun for anyone and doesn’t set your kid up for success. Also, cleaning carseats is the worst.

For us we potty train our kids 100% at home and let them be flexible (by using a pull-up) whenever we’re out and about until they are VERY good at it, before transitioning them to undies all the time. During this transitionary time, we always keep a small potty in our trunk in case they need to go. It’s a lot easier and more comfortable for them to use a little potty that they’re used to, rather than having you dangle them over a public toilet at Starbucks.

The biggest helpful trick to the trunk potty? Line it with a clean diaper to absorb waste - that way you’re not driving around with a cup full of pee sloshing around in your trunk. It also makes for much easier cleanup!

And it goes without saying to keep wipes, clean pull-ups, a change of clothes, and a towel within reach in the trunk as well too… just in case.

Best of luck on your potty training adventure!