Tomorrow’s the big day! The D.C.’s been bracing itself for weeks for the crowds, but I’m not sure the folks who traveled to town were ready for the all the inauguration rules or the weather. If you’re a parent determined to witness the swearing in or the parade in person, here are a few tips.
The first challenge is that no strollers are allowed on the parade route or on the capitol grounds. The next challenge is bag restrictions: Backpacks aren’t allowed and bags must be smaller than 8 inches by 6 inches by 4 inches. There aren’t specific restrictions prohibiting child carriers, but if bags larger than paper lunch sacks can’t get through, taking one is a gamble. How can you carry baby gear and have hands available to hold kids?
The best option we know about is the DadVest Diaper Vest, which sells for $82. It looks like a basic vest, but features internal diaper pocket, a cell phone pocket, exterior bottle pockets, a wipes pocket and includes a changing pad that fits into a pocket on the back. You’d still be running in essentials-only mode, but at least you could carry those.
As far as beverages go, leave the glass or thermal bottles behind. They may be earth-friendly, but they won’t get past security. Opt for plastic, such as the MAM Ultivent bottles. They’re both made of “safe” plastic and cheap ($13.99 for a 3-pack of 9-ounce bottles), so if it gets lost, you won’t cry.
And yeah, it’s freezing cold, but at least it’s supposed to be sunny. Still, an ear and neck covering fleece hat is a good idea, such as the Stay-Put Fleece Hat. It’s available in multi-colors for baby sizes up to 5T for $9.95.
Even if you’re not braving the inauguration in person, you can bring Obama into your pad. Sandbox Threads has a wide selection of colors and styles of Obama T-shirts (including the image that kicks off this post) for $18 each for babies and kids. But perhaps as a new president takes office, it’s time to push your
issues instead of your candidate. I’m fond of this “Please Ensure I’m Insured” shirt, available
in for babies or kids for $16-$17 from Baby Politico.
