I have received information and materials from JOHNSON & JOHNSON CONSUMER, Inc., McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division, LLC. The opinions stated are my own. This post has been sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. #PositivelyPrepared #BacktoSchool #CollectiveBias

As a busy, active family whose members suffer several months each year from migraines and seasonal allergies, we are never without a secret stash of drugs in a variety of inconspicuous locations. (By that, of course, I mean safe and effective pain relief and first aid supplies in medicine cabinets and in each of our cars. We aren’t that kind of exciting…). Throw in our reckless, fearless, four-year-old boy who adds a bump, bruise, or cut to his collection just about every hour he’s awake, and we were a perfect fit for an opportunity to work with Johnson & Johnson and McNeill Consumer Health during this often chaotic time of year.

The transition from carefree summer days to busy, structured school days can be utterly exhausting, can’t it?! My kids started school today, and as I organized my own thoughts and began to put my family’s systems into place, I wanted to share a quick and easy checklist to help you make your very own “survival kit”, so you’re never caught unprepared.

Lest you think I am remotely ready for the beginning of the school year, let me tell you a little secret. I offer this list (and made it to begin with) because I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve had to run into Target or a drugstore for bandages, over-the-counter medicines, a hairbrush, deodorant, and anything else I’ve needed when too far from home. And usually already running late.

Selection of TYLENOL and MOTRIN products at Target. When I shopped I was even lucky enough to find a $1.00 MOTRIN coupon on the Children’s MOTRIN products!

Back-to-School Carpool Survival Kit Checklist

• antihistamine
• bandages
• chapped lip relief/lip gloss
• Children’s TYLENOL® (for children ages 2-11, the #1 Pediatrician Recommended Brand for Pain & Fever and used by Moms for Over 60 years; Children’s TYLENOL® works differently than than other pain and fever medicine. It also won’t upset little stomachs.)
• Children’s MOTRIN® (for children ages 2-11; Help your kids bounce back by relieving their pain or fever with Children’s MOTRIN®. For high fever nothing works faster or lasts longer among over-the-counter brands.)
• chocolate (because, you know, some days you need it. But save this for the winter if you’re in a warmer climate!)
• coins (to feed parking meters)
• deodorant
• dry shampoo spray
• fabric spray
• gas card (seriously, if you’re like me there’s been at least a time (or 20) that you literally didn’t have a single penny or credit card on you. If not, then you clearly don’t have ADHD. :))
• gum and/or mints
• hair ties and/or clips
• hairbrush (This one is absolutely our favorite for all kinds of situations, including post-swimming)
• hand sanitizer
• lip gloss, mascara, and a quick-to-apply foundation for those times you have to run into the school unexpectedly!
• lotion
• MOTRIN® IB (for parents of kids ages 12 and older; temporarily relieves minor aches and pains due to: the common cold, headache, backache, minor pain of arthritis, toothache, muscular aches, premenstrual and menstrual cramps. So very helpful since moms almost never get sick days, right?!)
• nail file
• note cards or post-its (for those last-minute notes to the teacher)
• pen and pencil
• petroleum jelly
• phone charger (and don’t forget an audiobook or e-book app to get some reading done while waiting in the carpool lane!)
• tampons
• travel toothbrushes
• tweezers (for the occasional splinter, but also because you know darn well the sunlight is the best light for noticing a stray brow hair…)
• stain removal wipes
• socks (for indoor playgrounds)
• umbrella
• wet wipes

My console is currently organized with these plastic containers, but we’ve used the Packing Envelopes when we travel, and they may earn a spot in the car as well for their size and easy-t0-clean lining.

Sending the kids back to school can bring lots of headaches, and ushers in cold and flu season. Make sure you’re prepared for the first fever of the year – and any aches and pains your kids or you have along the way – with the right pain relief products from Johnson & Johnson and McNeill Consumer Healthcare.

Here’s hoping this supply stash will save us all even a little bit of time or money, and allow us to be prepared for whatever comes our way as we get back into new (and once-familiar) routines!

Get positively prepared with the right pain relief for you and your family at Target!