How do you prepare to leave the house?

[joannqn]

Inevitably, my family is sitting in the car waiting for me (and giving me a hard time for taking so long) while I'm in the house locking the back door, turning off the lights in five different rooms, gathering coats for the littles if they don't wear them out, gathering up anything we are taking with us, etc.

 

So, how do you get out of the house, especially when you have a lot of stuff that's going with you?

 

 

Do you...

 

A) Do everything yourself

B) Assign tasks that each person does for every outing

C) Assign tasks to each person before each outing

D) Everyone pitches in without being asked

E) Other

Edited May 4, 2012 by joannqn

[Sarah CB]

I yell a lot. :tongue_smilie:

 

We're working on getting out more efficiently. I just put up a small whiteboard near the door that lists all of the items that need to be in the car for each day of the week (violin, music bag, lunch, Taekwon-do bag, etc.).

 

My littlest is 6 so everyone is responsible for getting all of their own things out the door including coats.

 

I am usually the last one out as well, but I just keep putting things on the front step and I expect the kids to come out of the car, get whatever I put out there and pack it in the car while I finish up inside.

 

I am really hoping that with a clear list by the door we'll get better at leaving the house without forgetting something important. I don't want to check that each person has everything he or she needs before leaving the house - seriously, they're old enough to gather their own belongings.

 

Oh, the other thing I've started doing is getting the kids to pack their school bags and music bags and put them by the door the night before. I usually only do this for times we have to leave early the next morning. It makes a world of difference in the morning when everything is already at the door (it means kids aren't running around searching for lost items when I'm trying to herd them all into the car).

[GAPeachie]

B.

 

I'm still the last one out. But my girls help the little boys get coats on and grab diaper bags.

 

But we keep coats together and make it a practice to turn lights off when we leave a room. We also keep the doors locked.

 

It still takes us quite a bit of time to get out of the door, but it is better than it used to be!

[Shellydon]

We require the lights to be off when a room is left and the door to be locked when you come in, so those things are done. I announce 5 minutes prior to leaving that everyone needs to go the the bathroom and get on shoes. I help the 3 yo do both things, gather my stuff and we walk out the door. I guess we don't have getting out the door problems.

[Mimm]

My husband is always the last one getting ready. I yell at the kids to turn off the lights while looking for my misplaced sunglasses, purse, cell phone and shoes. One of the kids calls my cell phone so I can find it. I find a pair of shoes, but not the ones I want. I put them on anyway. On my way out the door, I find the right ones. My husband is finished getting ready and he turns off all the lights we failed to turn off and locks the doors we failed to lock and makes sure the dogs are in the correct area of the house. We get into the car. Older Daughter gasps that she forgot something. I let her use my keys to unlock the door and get it. She forgets to close the screen door on her way back and has to be sent back to close it. Half way there, I realize I forgot my camera.

[MamaT]

I detest being late. It puts me in a really cranky mood. In order not to be late, I tend to get myself ready early. Then I have time to make sure we have gathered what we need, and get out the door. I have done this since my kids were little.

[violingirl]

We also require lights to be turned off when you leave the room and the door to be locked when you come in so that's not a worry before we leave. I also keep the diaper bag packed and ready to go so that all I have to do is grab it and leave.

 

About ten minutes before we leave I tell my boys (6.5 and almost 5) to gather whatever they need (awana bag, baseball glove, whatever) and they are responsible to get it and bring it. I do double check that they have it before heading out, but ultimately it's their job to bring it. They are also responsible for their own shoes/jacket. I take care of getting the baby ready and grabbing the diaper bag and if there is anything extra that has to come with us like library books or something I usually take care of that, but I try to have that sort of thing ready to go by the door before we actually have to leave.

[2squared]

C) Assign tasks to each person before each outing

 

If we are having an outing which requires taking stuff, I make a list of things to take the night before or morning of the outing. In the morning I pack my "van bag" with our outing stuff, and I refill my 1yo's little backpack diaper bag.

 

When it's time to leave, I give notice about 5 min before we leave that it's time to get ready to go. Everyone uses the restroom and puts on their shoes. As they get their shoes on, I assign tasks such as, "ABC, get your jacket and take the 1yo out to the van" or "XYZ, carry the van bag out to the van" and "123 and 456, make sure to bring your wrestling bags."

 

After everyone leaves the house, I pick up my stuff, shut off the lights, and leave the house. I don't check the lights upstairs, and we don't lock the door. Often I have to run in for toddler shoes or jackets or something quick like that, but only after everyone else is in the van.

 

It takes us about 15 min to get from the door to driving down the driveway, but I often underestimate the actual length of time.

[regentrude]

Mostly A, but maybe E, other

 

When the kids were little, they were obviously not in charge of anything. I would load the car with all the stuff we needed to take before putting the kids in. Now with bigger kids, they have to remember to take whatever they will need.

 

I prepare anything that has to come (coats, food, drink, hiking gear etc) before we get ready to leave the house.

I am still the last out of the house, checking door and kitchen. I prefer to do this while everybody is out and in the car, but it only takes a minute.

 

I found that a routine helps tremendously. When my kids still attended school, we had to leave the house on the dot at 7:53 to walk to school. the morning routine was planned to the minute. We were never late, and we never forgot anything. It is much harder if the kids are not used to leaving the house on time every day.

[Ellie]

We require the lights to be off when a room is left and the door to be locked when you come in, so those things are done. I announce 5 minutes prior to leaving that everyone needs to go the the bathroom and get on shoes. I help the 3 yo do both things, gather my stuff and we walk out the door. I guess we don't have getting out the door problems.

That about sums it up for us, too.

[Farrar]

My kids get themselves ready without too much fuss, but it requires my executive functioning for them - get this, don't forget that, put your shoes on, etc. etc. I don't have to nag, but if I didn't tell them, they wouldn't do it.

 

But it's also not usually a big affair to get out of the house here. All I need is my bag, my keys, and a bottle of water and we're usually good.

[ThisIsTheDay]

There's usually nothing to be done before we leave, and my kids are big so I don't have to worry about them. Sometimes I'll ask one of my kids to let the dog in.

 

I grab my purse, which is always in the same place and has my keys. I grab my phone from the counter in the kitchen.

 

I assume the back door is locked, but I don't think much about it. If someone wanted to get in, they won't be stopped by the lock. The front door is always locked.

 

Dh is usually the last one out the door. "It only takes me five minutes to get ready." Except that it takes him 15. We are usually waiting in the car for him. :D

[justasque]

We have bags for everything - dance bag, co-op bag, roller skating bag, etc., so we don't have to re-pack all the time. If we're leaving early, and/or need a lot of stuff, I try to pack whatever I can into the car the night before, or at least group it in the kitchen. I keep certain things in the car all the time, like rain jackets, so I don't have so much to think about. I make lists and check them off if there's a lot of stuff needed. Everyone's responsible for their own water bottle.

[Guest]

We require the lights to be off when a room is left and the door to be locked when you come in, so those things are done. I announce 5 minutes prior to leaving that everyone needs to go the the bathroom and get on shoes. I help the 3 yo do both things, gather my stuff and we walk out the door. I guess we don't have getting out the door problems.

 

My kids are always excited to leave so we don't have problems, either. I do the same as quoted and kids are responsible for what they need.

[Karen in CO]

Inevitably, my family is sitting in the car waiting for me (and giving me a hard time for taking so long) while I'm in the house locking the back door, turning off the lights in five different rooms, gathering coats for the littles if they don't wear them out, gathering up anything we are taking with us, etc.

 

So, how do you get out of the house, especially when you have a lot of stuff that's going with you?

 

 

Do you...

 

A) Do everything yourself

B) Assign tasks that each person does for every outing

C) Assign tasks to each person before each outing

D) Everyone pitches in without being asked

E) Other

 

Here is what we do differently:

keep the back doors locked during the day.

turn off lights when we leave rooms or find lights left on

keep the bedroom doors closed

keep the proper jacket for the weather on a hook by the door for each person

keep the shoes by the front door

each person gets her own jacket and shoes because if you choose to not take a jacket and get cold, you learn your lesson quickly and shoes can be carried to the truck if I'm in a hurry.

 

When we leave, I stand by the door while they exit so I can lock as I go out. Once I get to the truck, I remember I forgot my wallet or coffee or phone and go back inside. Every single time I leave the house I forget something and have to return, but getting everyone else out is down to a smooth science - assuming you don't count that it takes my youngest longer than any human to walk from the bathroom to the front door.

[gardening momma]

Do you...

 

A) Do everything yourself

B) Assign tasks that each person does for every outing

C) Assign tasks to each person before each outing

D) Everyone pitches in without being asked

E) Other

Mostly C--assign tasks each time as we're preparing to go out. We don't walk out the door until we're all ready. I often get them going quite a bit before it's time to walk out the door. So I can be on the forums or playing a game online while I instruct them to do certain things--get your shoes on, brush your teeth, get a jacket, get a water bottle, etc... It can be done sort of leisurely at times. At other times, there's a bit of panicked yelling going on while I rush around trying to get us all ready. We still all leave at the same time.

[happypamama]

I generally get most of the things ready, preferably the night before if I can, and then I have the kids get themselves ready. They're generally responsible for their own water bottles and stuff to do in the car, but I will remind them, and I'll fill their water bottles if I have time. I do sometimes have the big kids help the little ones -- tie the 3yo's shoes, put the baby in his seat, etc., or I'll have the big kids make sandwiches, but that's not every time, and it's not a routine thing, just that I'll delegate to whomever seems to be available, whether that's me or one of the kids.

[lynn]

I am good at planning a head and organizing as much as I can the night before. My kids always know where their shoes are and have their room lights on. However, my darn ocd has me checking and rechecking faucets, lights, stove, and locks. :glare:

[A.Balaban]

Process to get out of the house. In thirteen steps.

 

1.) Wrangle kids into clothing, putting back on anything they've taken off, and getting socks on.

 

2.) Locate shoes. Try to enlist DS 3 with helping find shoes. This can take up to 15-20 minutes.

 

3.) Repeat step 1.

 

4.) Put shoes on.

 

5.) Determine if my kids need coats. If yes, go dig in closets for appropriate matching/weather appropriate coat.

 

6.) Return.

 

7.) Put shoes back on.

 

8.) Tell kids to "stand by door" and I go around and a.) turn lights off, b.) Make sure i have any mail, papers, packages, library books, shopping bags, garbage that I need.

 

9.) Go back to kitchen and grab the one item I forgot.

 

10.) Put my shoes on, grab my purse and realize my keys are missing from the hook.

 

11.) Spend 10 minutes looking for my keys. At last, I find them usually in a drawer of toys or hiding in the play kitchen.

 

12.) Repeat step 7.

 

13.) At last, head for door. Packages, purse, and kids in hand.

 

I try to put shoes/coats by the door at the coat rack, outgoing mail has its own space, and I have a separate place for library books by the door as well. When my DH is home, he will help me get out the door with the kids.

[joannqn]

The thing that bugs me is that I'm running around doing everything by myself while everyone else sits around waiting for me and comments on having to wait for me.

[AK_Mom4]

The thing that bugs me is that I'm running around doing everything by myself while everyone else sits around waiting for me and comments on having to wait for me.

 

Delegate.

 

Send the oldest off to turn off all the lights. The next oldest grabs coats for your two little ones and the diaper bag.

 

Mine are all older now, but when they were young, everyone had something they were responsible for when we headed out the door. My job was to remind everyone what was needed and get myself ready.

[Mom25girls]

We have bags for everything - dance bag, co-op bag, roller skating bag, etc., so we don't have to re-pack all the time. If we're leaving early, and/or need a lot of stuff, I try to pack whatever I can into the car the night before, or at least group it in the kitchen. I keep certain things in the car all the time, like rain jackets, so I don't have so much to think about. I make lists and check them off if there's a lot of stuff needed. Everyone's responsible for their own water bottle.

:iagree: This is exactly what I do. When my girls were really young (we had three under the age of three for awhile), I used to pack their shoes in an LL Bean bag and bring it to the car the night before. Before we left the house, I'd dress the girls to their socks, carry them to the car and pop their shoes on after I buckled them into their seats. It tamed the "HELP! We're leaving and I can't find a shoe" monster.

[justasque]

The thing that bugs me is that I'm running around doing everything by myself while everyone else sits around waiting for me and comments on having to wait for me.

 

With the ages of your kids, you might try a buddy system. Oldest helps the youngest, next oldest helps the next youngest. You do lunches, door locks, keys, and general stuff (library books, etc.).

 

If your stuff is taking longer than theirs, then I agree with PP's, delegate. Or, if you've delegated all you can, then start earlier than you expect them to start so you finish at more or less the same time.

 

When we have big tasks (big trips, big projects, big gatherings, big holiday stuff, etc.) I will often brainstorm with everyone what needs to be done, and write the list on a whiteboard. Then I'll ask everyone to choose something on the list, and let me know when it's finished so we can check it off. That way, they can see the scope of the project (and thus why I need their help), they can choose the task(s) they like best, I'm not ordering them around, and when all is crossed off they can see what we've been able to do together. It's not an endless unconnected series of seemingly random orders given out by mom, it's a project we work on together, chipping away until it's done. They see the process ~ things like deciding we don't have time for something so reshuffling priorities or brainstorming a quicker solution, etc. I can't say it creates perfection, but it does seem to help.

 

Some of my family members (kids and adults) are faster than others at getting ready to go somewhere. Some need more reminding, more time, more monitoring. It's a personality thing, mostly, and partially related to how much stuff each person feels may be needed on the outing ~ prepared for every possibility vs. easy-going, get in the car and go types. I just remind myself that we are blessed to have both kinds of folks, as together we are usually better off than any of us would be individually. ;)