If your child is old enough to recognize numbers but can’t yet read a packing list, today’s hint is for you. It’s a way to simplify the packing process, because as we all know, when you’re a parent, gone are the days when going on a trip just meant packing for one.
Packing is often a big ordeal – for me, it had long involved figuring out what to bring for three people (myself, my son and my daughter) until I hit on this hint.
The trick: Make your child a packing list with pictures of the clothing-item types your little one needs to bring, along with numbers specifying how many of each clothing item to bring. Then, explain the list to your child and encourage him or her to gather all the specified items together.
Here’s an example of this sort of list, which I made for my 4-year-old daughter earlier this summer before a trip.
I admit my pictures aren’t perfect (the last image is of socks, not a banana), but they seemed to work well enough. When I came back into my daughter’s room after packing for my 2-year-old son, my daughter had gathered nearly all of the items together, saving me some time.
Looking for more packing hacks? Check out these three helpful strategies for packing little outfits.
What’s your best packing tip?
