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Life with AuDHD, a toddler, and a dog means that spontaneity doesn’t come naturally, it’s a survival skill. While structure helps, sometimes the best memories come from saying “yes” to an unexpected adventure, even if the house is chaos and someone (or everyone including the dog) is overstimulated.
Over time, I’ve built a few systems that make getting out the door less stressful and more doable. If you’re also navigating the juggle, here are my four lifesavers for embracing last-minute adventures.
1. Grab and Go Bags
Thank goodness for my grab and go bags. They’re always pre-packed with the essentials so I don’t have to run round the house for 30 mins getting everyone organised.
The changing bag is stocked with bits for our toddler and usually stays in the car during the adventure unless we’ll be away from the car for more than an hour or it wont be quick/easy to double back to it.
- Uv Sun hat
- Sun cream – I like the mini’s from Aldi for convenience
- Meds like calpol neurofen piriton and anbesol
- Nappies
- Wipes
- Antibac wipes
- Spare clothes, socks and shoes in a waterproof bag
- Packable Regatta puddle suit – perfect for suddens downpours or the wonderful British summer. If its looking grim we’ll chuck this into the rucksack when we get there.
- Emergancy Snack Pouch: crisps, fruit filled biscuits, yog coated fruit, shelf-stable yog pouch… essentailly anything that can buy me 10 mins to find a shop to buy something more nutritious.
Next, the rucksack. We have a 30L rucksack which we carry with us at all times on the adventure and has bits for everyone.
- Water bottles
- First aid kit & emergancy ice pack, including 1 piriton tablet.
- Travel tissues (or sometimes a loo roll in a food bag if we’re going somewhere all day)
- Dog essentials,: collapsable dog bowl, dog treats, dog towel, dog poo bags, tick twister, spare slip dog lead (cos yes, I’ve forgotten to pack the normal one before)
- A fleece blanket: to wrap up a cold toddler or to sit down on
- A microfiber towel: compact but powerful
- Travel baby powder: for sand removal, and I can top this up from the larger bottle that lives in the boot or the house if needed.
- Emergancy nappy changing bits: 1 nappy, baby wipes and a puppy pad for a changing station, 1 full outfit and light shoes. My toddler loves sitting down in the sea fully clothed, can you tell?!
By keeping these ready to go at all times, I remove one of the biggest ADHD barriers: decision paralysis. No more running around the house trying to remember if I’ve packed wipes or wondering where I last saw the dog lead. It’s all there, waiting, so we can literally grab and go.
2. Boot Box
Another game-changer has been my boot box. It’s just a simple Large curver storage container (with handles) in the car, but it’s filled with the things I might need on a whim:
- Pram accessories like the UV umbrella.
- The baby carriers and reins: for when the toddler refuses to walk or the travel pram won’t be suitable.
- Spare clothes for everyone (yes, even the adults!)
- Emergancy changing essentials: Nappies, wipes, antibac, nappy bags and a full size changing mat! (Are you seeing a theme here, of being caught out before?)
- Dog essentials: water bowl, collar and leader, poo bags, the long line dog lead.
- Food essentials: Picnic blankets, toddler plate cup and cutlery, napkins, a pack of zip seal food bags.
- Emergancy toys: Think busy books, water books, LED tablet – all great for pub entertainment.
- Emergancy 2L water bottle
This means if we decide mid-walk to stop at the beach, or if the toddler falls over and gets scruffy, we’re not caught out. It also saves me from the ADHD spiral of “what if we forgot something?” because I know the car box ALWAYS has my back.
3. Packing Lists
Now there are some non-negotiable things I never leave the house without like bottles of water, or the dog towels and the dog shower that live at the door, which we grab as we leave like a ritual (usually alongside a washing bucket for all the dirty stuff).
For everything else, there’s a packing list! This one is my absolute sanity-savers. I created a standard day trip packing list template which I’ve printed and completed for different types of adventures; park trips, beach days, hikes, road trip… and we use them… Every. Single. Time.
They live in a binder in the utility so they’re quick to grab and can be ticked off with a whiteboard pen and wiped back down when we get home.
When the toddler is screaming cos its 3pm and she’s refused to nap all day, the dog is crying with excitement because he realises we’re off out, and my husband is spending 10 years getting himself ready… its so easy to be overstimulated. The checklists bring me instant structure and calm. Instead of relying on frazzled memory or lack of focus, I just tick things off. Its been so helpful to download some of the mental load, and it means Dan can help out without having to ask too, and my Autistic brain got a dopamine kick writing them too, win-win.
👉 You can download my free packing list template here.
It’s helped me cut through the chaos and feel more confident heading out the door.
4. Just Do It
At the end of the day, the biggest mindset shift has been learning to just go for it. What’s the worst that can happen?
Maybe you forgot something and have to pop into a shop…
Maybe the toddler comes home in nothing but a nappy and blanket, with the heating cranked up…
Maybe the dog gets an extra shower when he gets home because he found the only muddy puddle in a 10 mile radius after 985 days without rain…
So what? You still made memories. The adventure happened. And often, those slightly chaotic moments are the ones you’ll laugh about the most later.
Because here’s the truth: your toddler doesn’t care if you forgot the perfect snack, your dog doesn’t mind if you forgot the fancy lead, and you’ll remember the fun—not the forgotten wet wipes.
Remember why, and have fun!
ADHD brains thrive on novelty and excitement, but overwhelm can make us freeze instead of move. By setting up systems like grab-and-go bags, a car boot box, and structured packing lists, last-minute adventures ARE possible, even joyful.
So next time you feel the pull of an adventure, don’t overthink it, just do it! You’ll thank yourself when you’re making core memories with your family, instead of staying home wishing you had.
Life is always better and parenting is always easier, outdoors.
Love, Jo-Anne x
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