Latest / Whys & Finds / Backpack for a 2-Year-Old Starting Daycare
Transcript
- Ben: She starts daycare soon. The daycare sent a list. Spare clothes, a water bottle, a snack. And she wants to carry it all in herself. So which backpack do you send? Ellie: Welcome to Whys & Finds. I'm Ellie. Ben: And I'm Ben. Ellie: Today: what backpack should a two-year-old take to daycare? Ellie: I'd start with what the bag has to do at daycare. She carries it from the car to the door. She hangs it up, or puts it in her cubby. And she opens it and finds her own things. So pick a bag she can do all three with, and one that holds what's on the list. Ben: That's a lot of jobs for a two-year-old. Ellie: It is. And she does them from the very first morning. That's why the size matters on day one. Ben: Then let me ask the obvious one. Why not a big school backpack? Lots of room for the list. Ellie: Room is the problem. A daycare list is short. In a big bag, the snack and the bottle drop to the bottom, and she has to dig for them with her whole arm. Ben: And then someone says, "Here, let me find it for you." Ellie: Right. And the point of her own bag is that she does it herself. Ben: Is there any outside advice on this, or is that just your view? Ellie: There's a page on backpacks from Nemours KidsHealth. That's the parents' site of Nemours, a children's health system. The page is written for school kids. It talks about textbooks, lockers and the school bus. So I won't turn it into a rule for a two-year-old. Ben: Then why bring it up? Ellie: Because one of its tips still fits a daycare bag. It says: "Make sure kids don't tote unnecessary items that can add extra pounds to a pack." Ben: For a two-year-old, that means what? Rocks from the playground? Ellie: Sometimes, yes. And a big bag has a lot of room for rocks. Ben: Fair enough. Ben: Okay. So I've got the daycare's list in my hand. What do I do with it? Ellie: Read it as a list of jobs for the bag. If there's a water bottle on it, the bag needs a place for the bottle. If the daycare wants a name on everything, the bag needs a place for her name. And the rest has to fit in the main part, so she can still zip it shut. Ben: So the list tells you what the bag needs, not just how big it is. Ellie: Right. A bottle that rolls around inside is a bottle she can't find. Ben: And the straps? She'll want one shoulder, like the big kids. Ellie: The Nemours page has a line for that too: "Make sure kids use both shoulder straps." Again, written for school kids. For a two-year-old, I'd add one thing. With both straps on, the bag stays in place, and both her hands are free for the door. Ben: Give me a real bag, then. Ellie: One practical option: Naturally KIDS makes a small backpack, the right size for a child's little shoulders. It's 10 by 8 by 3 inches, and it holds 4 liters. Padded, adjustable straps and an easy zipper small hands open on their own. And a handle on top. Ben: A handle helps with the hook. Ellie: It does. There's also a version of the small one with pockets. Same 10 by 8 by 3 inches, and the same handle on top. Side and inner pockets, a bottle holder, a reflective logo patch and a label for personalization inside. Ben: The label I like. If the daycare asks for a name on everything, that's one thing done. Ellie: And the water bottle has its own place, so it's not rolling around next to the snack. Ben: What about the animal on the front? Ellie: It's a removable plush. She can take it out for a hug and put it back. There are dinosaurs and unicorns, and a few other animals. Ben: Okay. The Naturally KIDS small one, and the one with pockets if there's a bottle on the list. And when it comes home after a week at daycare? Ellie: You can machine wash the backpack in cold water on a gentle cycle. Ben: Good to know. Ben: Can I push back on one thing, though? You said read the list as jobs for the bag. The list tells you what goes in. It doesn't tell her where it is. Ellie: Go on. Ben: So pack it with her, at home, before the first day. The snack goes in the same pocket every time. The bottle goes in the same side pocket. Then let her take the snack out on her own, a few times. By the first morning, she already knows where her things are. Ellie: You're right. I picked the bag by the list. You're making the bag hers. Same place for each thing, every day. That's better than what I said. Ben: I'll take the win. Ellie: You earned it. Ellie: Now, a few different situations. If she already has a bag she likes, use that one. Pack it with her the same way, with a place for each thing. Ben: And if she's into a different animal? Ellie: The small one also comes as a dog, a giraffe, a frog or a teddy bear. Ben: So her animal, her bag, the daycare's list. Ellie: In that order. Ben: Okay, let me see if I've got it. One: at daycare the bag has three jobs. She carries it in, hangs it up and opens it herself. Two: a big bag to grow into leaves her digging for her things. Nemours KidsHealth writes for school kids, but one tip carries over: don't pack things she doesn't need. Three: read the daycare's list as jobs for the bag. A bottle needs a place, and a name needs a label. Four: both shoulder straps. That's Nemours too. And five, my point: pack it with her at home, and give each thing the same place every day. Ellie: You've got it. Ellie: That's it for today. A reminder: the voices in this episode are AI-generated. Whys & Finds is made by Naturally KIDS. Ellie: That's today's why. See you at the next find.