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How to Compile an “Essentials Binder” for your Toddler

INTRO

As a new parent you might be overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork and information you’re expected to keep track of. An essentials binder makes it easy to keep track of important paperwork and information and even store some memorable keepsakes.

You can make your binder however you want, and the idea is to make a personalised book for you and your child. But, here are some tips to help you get started. Be sure to store the binder in a safe place where you can get to it easily.

GATHER ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS

Start by gathering all the essential documents that have been piling up on your desk or are scattered around your house. When you compile all these things in one place and make them easy to find, you can quickly access documents and information. 

Some essentials you may want to include are birth certificates, vaccine records, hospital paperwork, medical documents, IDs, passports and any other important documents relating to your toddler and her health. Of course, you don’t have to stop with your toddler. You should also include these important documents for each member of your family. You can make the binder even more useful by including things like you toddler’s preschool schedule, a calendar for play dates, grocery lists and even a budget.

It’s up to you to personalise the binder, so include anything you think would be helpful. Some family documents you may want to include are marriage license, property titles, car titles, insurance information, wills and medical directives.

MAKE VITAL INFORMATION PAGES

Now you need to add vital information that isn’t included in the paperwork you’ve already gathered. Add some pages that include information that you would need during an emergency or that you may need to look up in a moment’s notice.

 

Some things to add to these pages include:

Birth Dates

Head Shots

Doctor’s Phone Number

Dentist’s Phone Number

CONT.

Hospital Phone Number

Family Phone Numbers

Emergency Contact Information

Allergies

Medications and Dosages

Heights and Weights

All of this information should be updated at least once a year or more often if possible. When you have details like this you will have things you need during a medical emergency or if your child were to get lost. 

Don’t hesitate to add what you consider “obvious” information. In an emergency, it can be hard to remember simple things like which of your children is allergic to a medication. When you are in a hurry or panicked, the last thing you want to do is hesitate over basic information. With these pages, you’ll have everything you need and you can provide your doctor or officials with all the information they need to help you.

CREATE AN ORGANISATION SYSTEM

The whole idea behind an essentials binder for your toddler is to make everything easy to find. Now that you have gathered everything together, don’t just throw it in the binder and forget about it. Use dividers and folders inside the binder to organise things. You can either divide information by family member or by type of information. For example, you could have one section just for you toddler and include all the information relating to him so it’s easy to find. Or, you could label each section according to category, like “Health,” “Insurance,” or “Financial.”

In most cases, you will need to use a combination of these approaches. For example, include family information about insurance and emergency contact information in the front of the binder under appropriate labels. Then, add a section for each family member to organise his picture, medical information and personal paperwork.

Don’t forge that you can also include a zippered pouch to include things like passports, cards, spare car keys and other items you need to keep safe and organised.

ADD KEEPSAKES

This binder can also be the perfect place to store keepsakes. As a mum, you want to keep everything from your child’s earliest scribbles and artwork to a card with her footprints.

Create another section in the binder for keepsakes and add some transparent sheet protectors so you can keep these things safe and organised. You’ll love being able to go back and look at these things and when your toddler is older, he’ll love seeing all the things you saved.

 

The best way to make this system work is to continually add to the binder. Instead of letting things pile up or get lost, put artwork, preschool certificates, school picture and other keepsakes in the binder right away.

 

LEAVE ROOM FOR JOURNALING

After the keepsakes section, leave some room for journaling. There are lots of approaches you can take, but the idea is to record important events in your toddler’s life and keep memories alive. You can do a more casual journal, just adding notes once a month or so or you can be more formal and include entries for big events like the day your toddler learns to walk or pictures from her first haircut.

The format you use for the journal section is entirely up to you. Make things simple and just add some blank pages or turn it into a scrapbook with coloured paper and lots of pictures. The idea is to leave plenty of room to add to the journal as your child grows. If you want, you can expand the binder idea into something bigger, using a filing cabinet, boxes, photo albums, baby books and journals to keep records of your child’s life. Your toddler is only little once and someday you will want to look back and cherish all those memories.

An essentials binder is the perfect way to keep important documents, vital information, keepsakes and notes about all your toddler’s achievements and growth all in one place. Keep the binder somewhere safe, especially since it contains priceless information, but put it in a place where you can easily get to it in an emergency.

FURTHER INFORMATION

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