When traveling with children, it’s important to have certain items in abundance, even if you’re only going on a short trip. While some items you can get away with forgetting, there are others that would cause you to turn around if you realized you’d left them at home.

Therefore, before you leave for a trip, it’s important to stock up on these essential items so that you’re less likely to forget them and to ensure that you don’t run out while you’re away. To help you write your list, here are four children’s travel essentials every parent should stock up on.

Pre-Packaged Snacks

Even though your kids won’t be doing much physical activity while you’re traveling, you can be sure they’ll still be constantly hungry. When those occasions arise, it’s important to have plenty of pre-packaged snacks ready to go. Let each of your children pick at least one favorite so you can be sure there will always be something they’ll enjoy. Pre-packaged snacks are best because they make both preparation and clean-up a breeze.

Bottled Mineral Water

Though it may result in a few more bathroom breaks, keeping your kids properly hydrated while traveling is crucial. Proper hydration helps prevent constipation, headaches, and other problems that can disrupt your plans. By purchasing 20 Oz bottled mineral water for sale, you can ensure everyone has their own water, making it easy to keep everyone happy.

Spare Socks and Underwear

Extra socks and underwear are things you probably won’t need if you pack them. If you choose not to pack them, however, there will almost certainly be an accident that requires a change of clothes. Therefore, it is better to bring some along. You can separate each child’s socks and underwear into zip-top bags to make finding the correct clothes easy should the need arise.

Bandages

From the scraped knee from the fall in the parking lot at the rest stop to the unexpected paper cut from the coloring book, cuts and scrapes are bound to happen when you’ve got kids in tow. That’s why it’s a great idea to bring along plenty of bandages so that you’re not left trying to find creative methods to stop the bleeding. To help the healing process along, it’s also a good idea to bring some antibacterial ointment so that none of the cuts become infected.

While there are plenty of items you can bring along to make trips with children easier, the most important thing you need to bring is patience. If you set out with patience as your goal, you will find that the trip goes more smoothly and is more enjoyable for everyone. While it won’t always be easy, packing plenty of patience is the true secret ingredient to a successful trip.