Are you ready to transition out of a diaper bag? Come, enjoy freedom with us!
All moms understand the burden of the diaper bag. It’s not just that you’re carting it around everywhere for years and it becomes like an extra appendage. No. You also have the mental burden of making sure it’s stocked and ready to go at all times. The diaper bag truly takes over when you have babies and toddlers.
So, when you’re ready to transition out of a diaper bag, it can be jarring – even scary. Sure, it’s freeing to not have to lug around your whole life everywhere you go, but it’s also a little unsettling. How do you know what you need and what you don’t need? You might feel silly, but if you’re struggling with the transition out of a diaper bag, you’re not alone!
I recently successfully completed potty training my youngest, so I’ve been through the transition out a diaper bag and can share some wisdom from the other side. If you’re on the cusp of transitioning out of a diaper bag and feeling a little nervous, stick with me! This is how I made the transition and it’s working well for me!
How to Transition Out of a Diaper Bag
Bag
First up, you need the right bag. Now, you still have kids, so you will still need stuff with you. This is not the time to go from a giant diaper bag to a tiny little crossbody. Baby steps.
If you’re looking for a good bag for the transition out of a diaper bag, I think you should prioritize three key attributes.
Size
Look for a medium sized bag. You’ll still need to carry around more than your phone and keys when you have an older toddler or preschooler, so you’ll want room for these items. But you don’t need anywhere near the amount of stuff you’ve been hauling from place to place, so now is the time for a pretty serious downgrade.
Material
When kids are involved, I’m all about easily wiped or washed fabrics. Look for a bag that’s made of a material that is either repellent to yuck (like nylon) or can be thrown in the washing machine. Now is not the time to invest in a quality leather bag.
Hands-free
You’ll still want to keep your hands available for holding a child’s hand or some of the random stuff that comes with kids. Look for a bag that will allow you maximum freedom of movement. Great options include a larger crossbody bag, a sling bag, or a small backpack.
Examples
If you’re in the market for a bag to use as you transition out of a diaper bag, here are some great examples.
Crossbody
Although you might need more than a tiny, fashionable crossbody bag that holds little more than your car key and phone, you can still opt for a crossbody to transition out of a diaper bag. You just need to pick a slightly larger option. Lululemon makes a larger version of the All Night Festival Bag and Quince has a promising option in its Revive Nylon Foldover Crossbody.
Sling bag
When I first began to transition out of a diaper bag, I opted for a sling bag. I liked the idea of it being almost like a hybrid of a crossbody and a backpack. Although I think I will like a sling bag eventually, it isn’t the right fit for me right now. Why? When I need to take my 3-year-old to a public restroom, the sling bag tends to get in the way or even fly over my head. When I don’t need to be so hands-on in the potty, I can see a sling bag reappearing in my daily life.
If you’re not concerned about the mechanics of helping a little one in a public restroom, check out the Athleta All About Sling Bag or The North Face Isabella Sling bag.
Backpack
My current bag preference when I’m tooling around with my kids (ages 5 and 3) is a small backpack. Two small backpack options that tick all the boxes and work great in practice are the Vera Bradley Small Banbury Backpack and the Kate Spade Chelsea Medium Backpack.
Snacks
Snacks are the most important thing you can put in your transitional bag. I go nowhere without snacks. There is very little that a Lara bar or a box of raisins can’t fix. My general rule is to bring two snacks per kid for any outing. Sometimes we use them, sometimes we don’t. But I’m always glad I have them when I need them.
Water
It’s so interesting how much things can change in a relatively short period of time. I never remember drinking water or carting water around with me as a kid, but my kids can’t go to the mailbox without water. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good that they’re hydrating. But it also now means that you’re schlepping water bottles all over creation. Just remember this when you transition out of a diaper bag. This will be your heaviest item in your transition bag.
Clothes
Like it or not, accidents happen. Potty accidents, food spills, and mud splatters are just a fact of life with small children. Unless you want to find yourself in an unfortunate situation when one of these accidents happen, I highly recommend having some extra clothes at the ready for a while. Whether you actually pack them in your bag and tote them around is up to you. I tend to keep them in the center console in my car for just in case so they’re easily accessible without taking up room in my bag.
Wipes
Even if you’ve kicked diapers to the curb, it’s not quite time for the wipes to follow. Wipes come in handy in so many situations. Sure, you’ll be glad you have a pack of wipes for those accidents that are bound to happen, but you’ll also be glad you have wipes to clean faces filled with frosting at a birthday party or noses dripping with snot during cold and flu season. You can always use a wipe, so make sure you continue to carry them as you transition out of a diaper bag.
Trash bag
If your kids are snacking (which they will be) and you’re using wipes (which you will be), you’ll need a place to stash the trash until you can find a waste bin. Instead of just shoving the trash in your bag willy nilly, I highly recommend that you carry some sort of trash bag with you. Grab one of the 10,000 plastic grocery bags shoved under your kitchen sink or a poop bag from the roll attached to your dog’s leash and stick it in your bag. It takes up basically no space and performs a tremendous service.
Outing-specific items
When I was carrying around my giant diaper bag everywhere I went, I basically kept it fully stocked with everything I could possibly need at all times. Things just lived in there permanently. Now that I’ve transitioned out of a diaper bag, I tend to pack my bag for each outing so things move in and out of the bag as their numbers are called.
If we are heading on our outdoor adventure, I’ll add stuff like hats and sunscreen to the bag, but these things won’t come along for the ride to an indoor activity. Matchbox cars might come with us to dinner at a restaurant, but they won’t make the cut if we are going on a hike. If the item isn’t likely to be used on a particular outing, it doesn’t go in the bag.
Mom stuff
When Mom is carrying around stuff for everyone else, it’s easy to forget about her own needs. But Mom needs some stuff too! I like to keep my Mom-specific stuff in a separate little pouch that I slide in the bag so I can access it easily. It’s not fun to have to sift through the detritus of children to find your lip balm when you need it, so save yourself that frustration with a little pouch. I keep my wallet, keys, phone, lip balm, hair tie, tampon, and a pen in my Mom pouch, but cater your Mom pouch to your own needs.
Other posts
Looking for other tips for moms of young children? You might find these posts helpful:
I hope these tips help you transition out of a diaper bag. For those veteran moms who have made the transition, what else do you recommend? Do you have a bag that you absolutely love? Please share down below or over on Instagram @sarainseason.