What do you keep in the house 'just in case'

[NearlyHeadlessNick]

My kids are 3 and 6 so we're an early-ish bedtime routine household and I'm stepping into single parenthood.

I'm trying to get organised in thinking of the things I might need i.e. what should I keep in the house as a just in case? If I can't leave if my two kids are in bed for example?

My list so far:
Paracetamol
Calpol
Piriton (allergy child)
Chocolate and bubble bath (for me)
Potatoes/pasta/tuna/bread/eggs for quick teas.

What else can't you do without? What makes your life easier?

I'm so used to knowing that I can nip out or send STBEX out to pick stuff up...

I also eventually acquired a small safe that is bolted down to a tall shelf surface, that contains emergency cash, passports, NHS & birth certificates, valuables etc.

It meant that my Ex (who sadly turned out to have rather an unpleasant character during the divorce) couldn't just barge in and help himself. He had to ask properly, on the record. (His classic type of CF request was, 'you need to get the DC's passports renewed because I'm taking them on holiday.' And no, he didn't expect to pay for the passports, and he didn't feel like telling me where they were going or when.)

I just bought a key safe - they arnt v expensive

OTC medicines:
Aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol (US), Claritin, allergy eyedrops, benadryl (allergies), cold med (similar to lemsip), imodium, aloe for sunburn.
Plasters, toothpaste, spare toothbrushes, mouthwash, sunscreen, antibiotic ointment, povidone iodine, rubbing alcohol.
Cotton balls.
Oyster crackers/ saltiness, and sports drink powder.

Old towels for lining beds and pillows during D&V illness.

Pantry:
Pasta (various sorts), flour, baking soda and baking powder, dried milk, eggs, honey, jam, butter, rice, frozen chicken stock, chicken and beef cubes, Ramen noodles, frozen pack of bacon, frozen fish filets, frozen pound of mince, tinned crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, dried herbs (basil and oregano), spices (mixed spice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves), frozen peas and green beans, tins of black beans and cannelini beans, chili beans in chili sauce. Dried soups.

Cleaning:
White vinegar, ammonia, bleach, dish soap.

Misc:
Spare loo paper and boxes of tissues stashed away.
Antiperspirant and soap.

Also - teabags and coffee, and an emergency tin or two of sardines for Dcat.

I have a small fireproof case for documents and precious items.

A stash of pound coins for school dress down days/tooth fairy emergencies

Good call.

Also, I never run out of cooking oil.

Spare light bulbs.
Screwdrivers, ratchet screwdriver, small hammer, crowbar, wrench, wire cutter, carpet knife, spirit level, paint scraper, rechargeable power tool/drill and bits, paintbrush and roller, paint tray.

Step ladder.

Bin bags.

Gold coin for the tooth fairy.

Hammer
Nails
Batteries of many many sizes
Screwdrivers of all sizes
All kinds of sticky tape
Plasters
Torch (and a little one cos if I've got one, child wants one)
I bulk buy laundry detergent for the year (eBay, professional stuff) after running out in the middle of us both having gastroenteritis
Spare toothpaste and brushes cos I only ever remember I need more at bloody bedtime.

Oh and a lot of biros, well hidden, because in a house full of felt tips there's never a pen to write with!

Candles for power outages. Can use scented candles for this. Matches.
Batteries (keep them in your fridge and they'll last longer).

A plug in electric ring or frying pan in case your hob or oven stop working.

DUCT TAPE!!!

A proper snow shovel, and a small container of cat box litter in your car for traction of you get stuck somewhere icy. Also rock salt to melt ice on your driveway/ steps.

💯% coins for the tooth fairy! Fell foul if that one once and felt awful!

I generally felt prepared if had a well stocked first aid kit and a loaf of bread and a pint of milk in the freezer. Other than that it’s a case of keeping on top of things so toilet roll etc and store cupboard essentials never fully run out. I did an online weekly shop for this (saves dragging DC out too).

Good luck with it all x

Milk
Bread
Nappies

You can get grocery deliveries from UberEats, Deliveroo now if you are really stuck, it's expensive but worth it if you are sick and stuck at home

Would be a good idea to befriend a neighbour or two in case of emergencies as well.

Bottles of bottled water! I recently had water cut off for 4 days whilst DD had a tummy bug at home. Horrendous. Well stocked on bottled water now

Oh this is a great idea!

Deliveroo/Uber Eats/Gorillas/Go Puff/Whoosh/Chop Chop/Co op/Amazon Fresh apps! There isn’t much that you can’t get delivered in a few hours (food and OTC meds) if you have any of those services nearby.

A portable heater in case the central heating breaks down out of hours.

A week’s worth of store cupboard recipes and ingredients and/or frozen meals. Don’t just stock up on store cupboard ingredients, have a plan for what you would make with them so you aren’t trying to figure out what to make with a tonne of pasta, 20 tins of tomatoes and a solitary can of tuna when you have been struck down by flu! It’s also handy to always have something that can be cooked in the microwave or air fryer or with just a kettle (whatever you have) in case the oven/hob break down.

Our water company delivers bottled water if the supply is cut off to households that cannot access alternative water supplies ie go to the shops. They have a register of those households that are vulnerable and need water delivering urgently eg the housebound or people who are on dialysis but they will also deliver to households that are without water and temporarily unable to get alternative water supplies eg the household has noro or the only adult has a broken leg etc.

Get yourself some tools! I invested in a power drill, spirit level, electric sander, pliers etc. It’s the worst sitting waiting for someone to come and help just to put up shelves for your kids books or put up new curtains. Doing it yourself is really liberating, and guess what- it’s not hard.

Much like mowing the lawn and taking the bins out it’s one of the plum easy jobs most men are quick to lay claim to so they don’t get stuck with the grind of childcare, dishes etc. 10 minutes mowing a lovely sunny garden without a child in sight and you’d think they’d just put a shift in in the trenches and are ready for their Victoria Cross. I was shocked to discover how easy and rewarding those jobs are (apart from the bins)

Spare keys either in a safe place or with a trusted neighbour.
Paracetamol/ Calpol

An emergency sick bucket! Including rubber gloves and old towel and kitchen roll.

Dettol fluid.
puppy pads for bedtime sickness emergencies.

Cake box mix
tins of fruit
ready to make Jelly
(emergency puddings)

a drawer full of ice lollies for bribery and a tub of emergency grown up ice cream.

stash of birthday cards, wrapping paper and simple gifts.

As soon as the window cleaner has been paid I put another £25 in the envelope for the following fortnight so I've always got the correct cash.

This is brilliant, thank you everyone. So helpful.

I've been a single parent since my DC were 2, 4 & 6. No immediate help.

I've never really thought of this. Not saying they aren't useful ideas but I've managed fine without necessarily thinking of any of these.

I do agree having cash to hand is helpful as I'm almost always phone-only & kids often need cash for school which they'll only tell you about on the day!

Diatomaceous earth. Bought a big bag this year thinking it might sell out 😁