Getting Out of the House

You want to get out of the house

A day out with the kiddos

But one is hungry. One is tired. And the other poops right as your getting everyone into their car seats.

So how do you get out of the house without going insane?

Take deep breath and know it will take some time. 

It is totally possible to do. It is just going to take some planning.
  Knowing that it will take 15 minutes to get out the door, planning trip that won't squeeze into a nap time, or that driving time wont take longer than play time are all key factors in getting ready. 

There is no magic recipe for success here. Just two things that YOU as the Nanny have to do:
1. Have a Plan
2.  Be Flexible (with that Plan)

The first thing was figuring out their schedules. Answering questions like:

1. What is their morning/afternoon nap times? Are they consistent? How long do the naps last?

2. Will one or both need to be fed right before we leave?

3. What time is the next feeding?

4. Where can we go and how long can we be gone in our time frame?

Once you know those answers you can plan accordingly. Pack the diaper bag before hand, with snacks, diapers, bottle/formula, lunch if you need and water. Have the bag all set and ready before you even try to get the kids ready. 

Now I tend to be a minimalist - I hate diaper bags. So if I know it is going to be a 30 minute trip to the park, most likely there wont be a diaper bag. But if we are spending the day at the zoo we pack everything to last through lunch time. 

Then make a game out of getting out the door - who can get ready fastest.

Have the kid's shoes, hats, coats somewhere they can reach. As they grow into toddler ages they can get themselves ready and have fun doing it.

Then just go. Don't worry about what you forgot or what you might not have packed. Keep a stroller in your car so you don't have to lug it in and out every time you go anywhere. Leave your baby carrying device in the car, whether it's a Moby Wrap, Baby Bjorn, Ergo, or something else.

If you don't have time for a big day trip take a small walk around your neighborhood, you will be glad to just get out. Kids generally won't care if it is 10 minute walk around the block or a 2 hour trip. They are just happy for the change. Realizing this helped relieve so much stress. Thinking through the reality of time we had made everything go better. I stopped trying to plan day trips when we only had an hour. I was happier and the boys still had just as much fun.

Being flexible is also crazy important. The days where it seems impossible to get out of the house is generally my faulty thinking. Those are the days where I want to make a big trip, go do something for a couple hours. Or Bug slept longer than I planned. Or Bear is being "too fussy" for my liking.

In the end we don't go out because I wasn't being flexible and didn't carry out plan B, a simple walk.
ALWAYS go for Plan B. :-D

Go out of the house, enjoy the spring weather, and most important your kids.

CECONNER ©4.11.2014