Teaching Kids to be Responsible Packers before Vacation

Teaching Kids to be Responsible Packers
It is hard enough for a mom to organize everything of her own let alone pack for all her kids, too. As a mom, I know the challenge of being the one responsible for all the packing. That is why it is important to start teaching kids as early as possible to start being responsible for themselves. Not only is it less stress on mom, but it provides great life skills for your children. Here are a few things I do to teach my kids to be responsible packers:

Buy luggage that is fun!
The image above is of my luggage from my Fathom Cruise Line trip on the Adonia. I can’t help, but be a fan of Tourister Luggage. They make amazing luggage that is sturdy enough to withstand my kids (they are hard on everything!), and that is saying a lot. If your kid’s don’t have their own luggage bag, they won’t fully understand the responsibility of packing their own stuff. Not only is it good for them to have their own, but American Tourister has such a unique design that makes packing easy for kids to do. I love the zipper compartments on the Captain America Luggage (see image above)

Make a Checklist for them!
I like to make a checklist for my kids. Of course, it takes a little bit of time to create this checklist, but if you save it on your computer, you can just print it off each time you travel. Here is a brief list to get you started or see my Walt Disney World Packing Check list here:

• Toothbrush, toothbrush
• 1 outfit for each day (shorts, socks, underwear, shirt)
• Extra socks and underwear (2-3 extra pairs)
• Belt
• 1 Pair of tennis shoes/sneakers
• 1 pair of sandals
• 1 pillow
• 1 blanket
• 1 stuffed animal of choice (if they still need it)
• Hairbrush/supplies
• Deodorant (if age appropriate)
• Swimsuit (whether you go to the beach or not most hotels have a pool)

Teach them to Roll Outfits
One of the best things I have learned to do is roll my kids outfits together. As a mom, I pass my master packing skills on to my kids. Once my kids have gathered everything on their checklist, they then have to put 1 pair of shorts, a shirt, socks, and underwear in a pile, and roll them up. They place their rolled outfits (one for each day we will be gone) into rows in their American Tourister Luggage (which fit perfectly).

Show them Other Essentials of Packing
It is, also, important to teach kids to line their luggage with belts or use them to divide their clothes from other items. My daughter’s luggage was lost in the shuffle one day. We were lucky we taught her to pack essential items into her carry-on such as an extra set of clothes and her toothbrush. The back up plan worked perfectly until her luggage arrived!

A big thanks to American Tourister for the fabulous pieces of luggage. The thoughts and opinions of the luggage are 100% mine.