The 19 Things in One (Part-time) Stay-at-Home Dad’s Survival Kit

Most diaper bags are messenger-style, but I’ve found that abackpackis far more back-friendly, not to mention practical, as it frees up your arms and shoulders for carrying things and swinging on playground equipment. My go-to is this traditional and rugged JanSport, which makes me feel like I’m a sophomore at Dad U. There’s an internal laptop sleeve that actually functions great as achanging pad, and the main compartment is spacious: I keep my main gear in there, including extra kids’ clothes, containers of snacks, and a few toys. The front utility pocket is good for a very basic first-aid kit (bandagesandNeosporin),tissues, andhand sanitizer. And the “stash” pocket is good for just that: maybe someCBDgummies, but also acordand charger and emergencylollipopsin there.

There are twoplaythingsI try to carry with me at all times, and Hot Wheels cars are one of them. Not only do my sons like them, but they are versatile and widely appreciated on the playground because little kids, boys and girls, often just like to have something shiny to hold onto and run around with (kids: They’re just like us!). I make it a point to carry at least four at all times, to avoid disputes and create a little play community. The kids can run the cars down a slide, or zoom them along a bench slat.Because they are small and easy to tote around, these are also good kiddie distractions forcar ridesand restaurants. And if your little ones are not super interested in them, Hot Wheels are still great dad totems. I’ve got theHomeron my dresser, and I know several other dads who keep their own prized models on a special shelf. [Editor’s note: According to Amazon, the styles of cars in each gift pack may vary.]

The other toy I try to have on hand at all times is sidewalkchalk(again, at least four pieces). Like the Hot Wheels, it is versatile and a crowd-pleaser. Use itto drawa long and insane hopscotch course, a track to race your toy cars on, or whatever else kids like to doodle these days — hearts, skulls, flowers, rainbows, cities, fields, faces … Toddlers sometimes have a real purity of expression in thelines they draw, as there is not so much between their ideas and their hands. (Just don’t ask them what the drawing is of.)

Like nesting dolls, a dad backpackneeds smaller bagswithin it. For me, those bags always include a couple of plastic grocery-store bags (to transport wet clothes or dirty diapers), as well as a reusable one from Baggu. I use it on impromptu trips to the grocery store, as an extra “compartment” forlarger toysor balls, or just as storage for general backpack overflow. Baggu bags are generally so handy, and fold up into nothing — there has never been a day when I’ve had one on me and wished I hadn’t. Plus, each holds up to 50 pounds (and you probably shouldn’t be lugging more than that anyway). I like the plaids, which are attractive in a dadish way, and this set of three ensures there’s always one at the ready.

Most kids’booksandtoysthat require button batteries use these, so having some in your kit is like expert-level battery preparedness. The first time you “fix” that potty-training book with the flushing sound effects — a thing that many people might not even think to revive — because you have the right batteries, you will feel like you’re floating.

To execute these heroic battery replacements, most of the time you need to open a small compartment that is screwed shut for safety (thanks to theConsumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008). Usually, a small Phillips-head that you might have stashed in a junk drawer will work, but I like having a specialized screwdriver that’s dedicated to handling these types of jobs.This General Tools one has four different heads (including Phillips and standard), can be used for toys as well assmall electronics, and looks a bit more unusual than your standard screwdriver, thanks to its almostpenlike design.

I use one of these a few times a week, at least. It’s especially great for cutting up choking-hazard foods like grapes or hot dogs when you’re out in the field. I’ve cut off tags and labels, too, and have used the littlescissorsto snip straws. And although I haven’t had to (yet), I like to think I could extract a tick with the tweezers. Of course, you must be careful to keep it away from tiny hands, and to leave it behind if you’re going to be passing through heavy arena security, like when you’re going to meet up with your dad crew to see theHarlem Globetrottersat the Barclays Center.

Before becoming a dad, I was against cargos. Too utilitarian. I saw a comedian perform an outdoor show wearing a pair of cargo shorts and thought,Wow, he must really not care about this gig!Now, I get it, because when I became a dad, my desire for bottoms with cargo pockets became ahunger. Like a city person longing for those suburban basements and yards, I craved more storage, more space. In an essay inWomen in Clothes, Amy Fusselman writes about how her giant mom coat turned her into a minivan, “a shroud with pockets.” Cargo pants (and, in warmer weather,cargo shorts) are like that for me. I love having a pocket for awater bottleor small toy, and another pocket that I can reservejust for trash— wrappers, popsicle sticks, vending-machine eggs, bandage backing.

Pockets are important, and a good key clip will free up another one for you. I kept seeing keys hanging from waists, but at first I was resistant to the idea for some reason. Then I thought,Why not? That could be me!And now it is. I like the action of removing the keys froma belt loop; it makes me feel smooth. When I’m standing at the door and a kid is crying, or it’sraining, those few seconds where I don’t have to dig around in various pockets to find my keys is key. In a pinch, clips like this can also make for distracting entertainment because kids like to fiddle with them. Andas a fidgeter, I like to repeatedly flick the spring-operated clip myself. If you want to be a real dad-hero, get this inexpensive 25-pack and pass some out at the playground like you’re Oprah: “Andyouget a belt-loop key clip! Andyouget a belt-loop key clip!”

An analog, water-resistantwatch(important for baths and water features at playgrounds) that you won’t mind a kid playing with is also an important dad accessory. Somebooksfor babies and toddlers, like Helen Oxenbury’sI Hear, refer to wristwatches as a fundamental kind of object, so it’s nice to have a similar one that ticktocks so kids can experience what they’ve “read” about. It’s important to get one with a second hand, so when there’s a playground argument over a toy, it can serve as an independent authority to divvy up sharing time: “Okay, when the second hand gets back to the 12, it’ll be Lucas’s turn to use the stick!” My Swatch has lasted through various pools, oceans, and drops. It may not be a foreverwatch, but it’s also not a huge investment if you lose one or it breaks. If you don’t like the style of this Swatch watch, the Strategist has founddozens of other affordable, nice-looking options.

Morestorage! I use these almost daily for something or other. Hit the road with some berries or cut grapes or Goldfish crackers or pretzels in them (these things will otherwise get crushed if they’re in abag). Or keep nonfood items like an army of tiny ninjas, dolls, orother toysinside. The screw-top is more satisfying and secure than snap-top lids.

If you’re in charge of regular meals, arice cookeris the one kitchen accessory I’m always exhorting people to get (dad or not). I know there areInstant Pot cultists, but to me that thing just does too much; I would feel like I was letting it down by not using all the features. This reasonably priced (and sized) device, however, is as functional as I need it to be: It cooks white and brown rice, as well as grains like quinoa and freekeh, without requiring any guesswork and monitoring. There’s a handy 15-hour timer, so you can fill it in the morning and have rice ready for lunch or dinner. Add that to some steamed broccoli (which you could also make in the rice cooker’s tray!), or canned black beans that you’ve warmed up with some garlic and cumin, and you’ve got a meal for everyone, kids and adults.

This is a funny, observant novel about a group of middle-aged men, mostly dads, who meet at a hotel every year to meticulously reenact the Monday Night Football play on which Joe Theismann had his leg gruesomely broken. Reading it really made me feel like part of a community, and now I press it on other dads or ask if they know it. There are lots of cool descriptions ofhotelparking lots, lobby fountains, hallways, and vending-machine alcoves — in addition to insightful moments about getting old, marriage, and parenthood: “They began to miss their own children … they did not actually want to be with their children. They had fond thoughts, and were grateful for the distance that generated those thoughts,” writes author Chris Batchelder in one poignant passage. You definitely don’t have to know or like football to appreciate the book, and it has one of my favorite qualities of any novel: It’s less than 225 pages.

Aden + Anais swaddles are soft and versatile; I have used them a lot, and yet never as an actualswaddle. They are good, lightstrolleror carblankets. They are luxecleaning cloths. Snot rags. Puke wipes. They can also be used to pinch-hit astowels, and if you’re at the playground really early in the morning, they are great for wiping dew off slides. Needless to say, they’ve become one of my go-to gifts forpeople with new babies.