Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link.
The Moment I Realized We Needed A Family Binder
As a stay-at-home mom, I oversee my baby’s routines and almost every aspect of her day. Being in mommy land for the last 9 months, many things are second nature now, and I don’t even think about them. However, when my husband and I were preparing to go on a date and we asked my in-laws to watch E for the evening (for about 3 hours from 4:30 pm-7:30 pm) I realized that was a time of day that had a lot going on. And when they agreed to watch E but asked how they should warm up the bottle I knew they would need a baby refresher. So I put together a Family binder that gave them the rundown of daily schedules, playtime activities, and bedtime routine as well as emergency information heaven forbid they need it.
Essential Supplies for Building Your Binder
I am going to walk you through the information I added to this binder. Grab the free Family Binder Template below and follow along filling in your own information! By the end of this post you will be able to hand this binder to anyone and they will be able to become familiar with your household rhythms and help care for your family like you do!
The supplies I used for this project are very simple and you can really use any kind of binder/hole punch you already have at home! Here are the items I used:
- Amazon Basic Laminator
- Matte Laminating Pouches
- 1-inch 3 Ring Binder
- Clear sheet protectors
- Sticky Notes
Key Categories to Include in Your Family Binder
Here are the Categories I added to the binder:
- Title Page (on the cover of the binder)
- Content Page
- Home Address
- Contact Information
- Child Information
- Emergency Information
- Current Stats
- Infant Rescue: Choking First Aid & CPR
- Approximate Schedule
- Favorite Playtime Activities
- Bedtime Routine
- Tips, Tricks & Other Things You Should Know
To start, the title page includes our name and home address. This is important because, in the event of an emergency, if a caregiver is calling 911 they likely won’t know your address off the top of their head so this is an easy-to-see place if needed.
Following each category there is a table with relevant information like the below:
How to Keep Caregivers Informed on Baby’s Current Stats
For the “Current Stats” section, I left a spot for a sticky note. Because babies are always growing and changing, I want the caregivers to have updated information from their most recent wellness check. So, I printed the following information on a sticky note. I will create a guide to show you how to do this. It is so simple and can be done on any home printer! Check out my Instagram flip-through for what this looks like in my binder!
Infant Safety: Choking First Aid & CPR Resource
After the Current Stats section I printed out this FREE Solid Starts Infant Rescue: Choking First Aid & CPR resource. This is helpful for people who aren’t familiar with babies can get a quick refresher on what to do if they start choking. I find that Solid Starts is a great resource for all things babies starting solids!
Keeping Your Baby’s Schedule Up-to-Date
The approximate schedule is something that will change based on the time of day or length of time a caregiver is watching your child. Potentially highlight this section so it catches your eye when flipping through your binder to remember to go back to it and update it.
Expanding the Binder to Include Pet Care
If you want to take your Family Binder to the next level you can even include your pets! I created a Care Guide for our puppy Bailey when we went out of town and he stayed with my Aunt for the week. Here are the categories I included for him:
- Microchip Information (provider & number)
- Veterinarian Information (provider, phone, address, notes)
- Current Medications (dose & purpose)
- Current food and feeding instructions
- Enrichment Activities
- Treats
- Physical Activities
- Commands that they know
Get Your Free Family Binder Template
You can get your FREE Family Binder Template below! I have included both the children and pet sections! Let me know what information you would add to your binder!
***Family Binder Template***
Check out a flip-through of my family binder here over on Instagram!