When Nolan started walking, it was all he wanted to do, no matter where we were. The second his feet hit the ground, he’s off to the races, so I found myself having to dash after him and snag him up just before he walked into the street/in front of a car/picked random food off the ground often.
Now that he’s older and doesn’t require as much stuff to leave the house, I was able to graduate to using an actual purse instead of a diaper bag. Before kids, I loved handbags. Some people like shoes, but I always loved a beautiful handbag. After kids, it just didn’t make sense to me to have a diaper bag and a bag dedicated to my stuff. Really all I was using in there was my wallet, so I just add my wallet to the diaper bag and carried that.
I was so excited to use a purse again because it felt like I was regaining a little bit of my life back, but every time I would go to swoop him up, the purse would slide down my arm and more than a few times it knocked him in the face or my stuff would fall out.
With two kids under 3 walking in opposite directions, I knew a backpack was the most logical decision. I really, really didn’t want to have to do a backpack. I already have to drive a minivan. This just felt like salt in the wound. How many different ways do I have to sacrifice form over function for these kids?
Outings with my wildlings these days are so chaotic, frantic and exhausting. I have to keep my head on a swivel the whole time counting heads, spotting Nolan while he performs his latest Evil Kenevil trick and trying to help Isla navigate social situations. Honestly, it’s enough to make me wonder why we don’t just become shut ins, especially because most of the time I’m solo. Even when I’m with friends I can rely on to help lighten the load, it’s still stressful and anything that can alleviate some of the stress, including a dorky backpack, is worth it.
My biggest lesson I’ve learned in motherhood with 2 under 3 (especially my wild two) is that I’m not in control and all I can do is manage the chaos. This is just a season of life where 99% of our decisions revolve around the kids. From the mundane things like what bag to carry all the way up to the heavy stuff like choosing the right ABA therapy revolves around them. There will be a time again when the decisions can be more selfish, but right now it’s about putting in the hard work to get them to independence.
Luckily, backpacks are on trend right now and there are a million cute options! I actually had a hard time choosing one, but ended up with this one. I knew I didn’t want to invest that much into something dedicated to hauling kid crap, so this was the perfect price point. I have to say I’m impressed with it. It’s durable and easy to clean, which is definitely a must! And it’s so cute!
The best part of a backpack is that I can be totally hands free. Nolan is on the go all the time, so being able to have both hands free to snatch him up at any second is key. I can actually reach most things without even taking the backpack off, which is really convenient, but not as dorky looking as a fanny pack (which are also coming back, God help us.).
And, of course, room for all the snacks. So. Many. Snacks.
It’s so much easier to have everything in one dedicated bag and my hands free and still be somewhat on trend. One day I can have nice things again, but it’s definitely not in the near future.
So if you’re thinking of hopping on this trend, DO IT! There are so many different options out right now that it’s so easy to find one to match your style and needs.
