A Day Out of the House

I'm sure that all of you know, but Stacey and I are gone A LOT from home.  We're usually gone for most of the day as we are either running errands in the car or cleaning houses.  I know that most of you don't do this as often, so maybe a couple of tips might help on how to survive being gone all day with little ones might help....


First of all, I usually try to prep her the night before and tell her what our schedule is (or failing that the morning of so that she knows what's going on and isn't surprised.).  Some days now she'll ask if she can just stay home and sometimes if someone is going to be home she does. 


The other days she's with me, we make sure we're prepared for an extended stay away from home.  First of all, we have found that a couple of "car toys," toys that are only used in the car, are pretty effective.  Her favorite one is her magna-doodle.  It lets her draw and play around without having to worry about dropping things and then crying because she can't reach whatever she dropped.  I also make sure to have something tucked in my purse that may be a quick snack or drink.


If we're going somewhere for the day, I let her get her suitcase packed.  We got her a little soft-sided suitcase for Christmas and that works really well for us, but any kind of a bag would do.  I allow her to pack (all the way full if she wants) several kinds of toys - whatever she wants to play with that day.  The items that she packs changes depending on her mood that day and I really let her have a say in it so that she feels like it's her pack.


I also make sure to pack plenty to eat for snacks and meals while we'll be gone.  If we're gone for 5-6 hours, I'll make sure to have a couple of snacks, drinks, and a meal for her to eat.  I try to pay attention to when she's getting whiny or upset and ask if she's hungry.  I try to tell her what I'm packing for lunch so she knows what to expect for the day.


I have also found that especially while in the car for long periods of time, switching things up helps too.  I try to have time where we listen to songs, some times when I'm just talking to her with no music on, some times when she's playing - either with the car toys or my phone, and some times when we're singing songs she's learning together.  I sometimes even just tell her stories. And the best times are when we're talking and just laughing together in the car.  She likes to "scare" me by roaring and I'll play along with her.  Switching things up in the car helps keep her (and me!) from getting too bored or antsy.


And finally, I try to make sure to keep her updated as to where we are in our errands/cleaning/time frame.  If we're chasing, I'll update her as to how many stops we have before we get to go home or what's coming up next.  I find that it helps a lot when she knows what's going on and isn't just "along for the ride."


I'm not sure if this will help anyone, but hopefully it'll help in some way!


Love,


Sara