Another day, another trip to the ER

[conuly]

Which makes twice in, what, two months? I need to make an emergency kit. It is SO BORING being there, and some of the kids stuck there could've used some entertainment as well, then they'd've hopefully shut up for a minute.

What should I put in there besides the obvious?

Comments

[adrian_turtle]

What's obvious for you? What do you usually carry when you're not going to the ER, but just planning to spend a few hours back and forth on subways?

I like reading aloud, so if I might need to entertain kids I try to have age-appropriate stories handy on my phone. Yours are well past picture book age, if I remember correctly. I just discovered the Libby app for phones and tablets, which makes it possible for me to check out ebooks from the library (I couldn't deal with the DRM before.)

Bring a phone charger. You might be there a while. And sweaters for everybody.

[conuly]

My nieces aren't going to the hospital with me unless they're the injured party. Fuck that shit. I'm not going to put them through that!

But we had to sit across from a succession of bored preschoolers, and while they - happily! - weren't too upset over their various injuries, they were all in that chatty stage and there's only so many times I want to hear "Mom! Mom! Tomorrow's my birthday! Mom! Mom! There's a baby! Did you see the baby, mom?" before I scream. I'm thinking some crayons and coloring pages. Then I can hear "Mom! Mom! This has Superman! Mom! I love Superman!" or whatever instead.