The Fourth of July is over, but there still is a lot of summer left. Many of you still have trips planned: little road trip jaunts, camping trips, and some of you may even have epic once-in-a-life-time trips planned. And I am here to tell you that you should let your kids do their own packing. Even young children can pack their own bags and toys with a list and some instructions.
Vacations are awesome. And, if you’re a teacher like I am, summer is the best. Right? Freedom from work (and paychecks–they never glamorize that part) and other people’s kids. I get to spend a lot of time with my favorite people in my favorite place: our Adirondack cabin. However, that lead up to packing the truck and hitting the road can be stressful for Mommy. Really, I mean, Mommy has to shop for and pack the food, pack for herself and the kids. Stress should not be what vacations are about, even in the days and hours beforehand.
Last summer, we were doing a lot of four-day weekends at our cabin which meant a lot of packing and unpacking. All I did on Tuesday was laundry and all I did on Thursday was pack. Then it dawned on me, Sunshine is beginning to read. If she can read and count, she can pack.
Kids & Packing
I am a list maker. At some point, I will likely do a post on this, but for now, all you need to know is that I was making lists of items to pack for each trip anyway. So, this was a natural progression. Prior to creating the lists for the kids, I thought about creating a packing list for myself. We go to our cabin regularly throughout the summer, so there are standard items we take with us. A list that I print from the computer would be just the thing to make sure we have all the things we take each time. We still don’t have lists for the grown ups, but the kids have theirs and the kids do their own packing.
I started them packing for themselves toward the end of last summer. Sunshine was 7 and The Boy was 4. I created a list for each of them that I could print from the computer each trip. They could check things off as they added the item to the bin. (We travel by pick-up truck, so we pack in plastic bins with lids. If it rains, our stuff stays dry. If it is sunny, the bins are still easy to fill, move and load onto and off of the truck.)
As we were getting ready to go on our first big trip of the season, I told Sunshine that we would need to pack on Wednesday because we wouldn’t have any other time before we left on Saturday in the wee hours of the morning. Her response? Simply, “OK, can I have my list?” It was that simple because we have made it routine (just like chores).
Tips for Letting Your Kids Do Their Own Packing
Have a Plan
Before you call your child to do his or her own packing, you should have the list, what you want them to pack into and have decided whether he or she can bring more or less of items.
Start Small
We have been asking both kids to make decisions about and pack their own toys pretty much since they could walk and talk. Of course, we used to supervise and/or make sure the blanket and stuffy she can’t sleep without is in the bag. This also allows us to eliminate more toys than they need. Sunshine would bring her whole bedroom if we would let her. We issue each child a grocery bag (one of those reusable bags you get for a dollar at your local store) which he or she can fill but not exceed. The Boy does fine. The Girl always ends up trying to negotiate for extra space for all of her dolls!
Make a List
Create a list that is in chart form. The list should be easy to read, have clear expectations (like numbers, types of clothing, rain gear, etc.) and have a place to check off when the item is packed. If you are not quite sure how to start, here is a free download. (I left toiletries off of this list because we have a second set at the cabin, but even if we didn’t, I would still pack them myself because it is just as easy to grab 4 toothbrushes as it is to grab 1.)
Give Up Control
It is so hard sometimes to give up the control. I know that you can do it better and faster. In the long run, that is not in your interest or the interest of your kids. You are helping yourself (eventually) by getting that time back and you are teaching responsibility. If Sunshine gets to the cabin and says, “Mom, where is…?” I can say, “I don’t know, did you pack it?” And then she might have to suffer the consequence of not packing it (or, we might have to make a trip to Walmart, it’s a potential reality, but it hasn’t happened yet!)
Conclusion
I truly hope that you have a super vacation with your family. One that starts out with less stress because you were able to delegate a little. And friends, if you have tried letting your kids pack, share what works for you. I’m always looking for new ideas about how to streamline our lives.
