Guide to a Tween Survival Pack

As a mother of a tween and teen, I think it’s a great idea to send them out of the house fully prepared always. A teenager girl should always be prepared for light disaster situations. And by that I mean periods, chapped lips, etc. We’ve developed pre-teen kits where we essentially put their “survival gear” in a pouch or small backpack for them to keep on them at school or while running to after school activities. Having everything in one place for your teenage years is a good idea. For everyone curious on where to begin, I’ve put together 12 items for this premade survival backpack to get through the school year.

Pouch

Firstly, it all starts with a good pouch. This can even be a larger pencil case, but it needs to be able to hold the kit items. My kids have a bunch of fun activities after school, so there are some extra items that we keep in a backpack, but a pouch is the perfect size for 12-16 year olds. Not only are these somewhat comfort items, but it teaches life skills to always be prepared and responsible for bringing everything you need out of the home. Stoney Clover Lane is a long time favorite brand of ours, but these days you can find identical dupes on Amazon if you want to stick to a budget.

Necessities

Secondly this is the most essential category and it all begins with hygiene products and feminine products. The older children should have a period product on them at all times just in case they need it. Disaster circumstances can strike when girls are starting their time of the month, so you can never be too prepared. Moreover, paying attention to the needs of a child is important. If they feel like they need specific items for stress relief, listen to them and help them get organized. This can include additional supplies like hand sanitizer, energy bars, pocket tissue packs, acne patches or water items like a reusable bottle.

For those kids that have outdoor activities, these are all useful items for an emergency situation. As a mother, we can have specific ideas like feminine and sanitizing products at the top of our list, but our kids are the ones that are out and about and need their comfort items on them. So they will be the ones to decide what’s essential!

Extras

Finally, we have the more fun category that includes things some may not think a teenage girl needs. High school and middle school can be tough, especially living in a large city. A few items your girls might like are a nail file, mascara, specific phone case, headphones or lip gloss. My girls have been loving Sephora lately, so we go for the natural looking items. I highly recommend Glossier for anyone with girls beginning to wear makeup. Everything they make is fairly natural looking and super easy to toss into a pouch. Think of this like first aid items, but for daily use and obviously no emergency! It’s a starter pack, essentially.