Packing Woes

I hate packing! It's bad enough to pack for myself, but having to think of everything the kids might need can be exhausting. It's definitely gotten easier as the kids get older - I no longer have to figure out how many diapers to bring, remember to pack porta crib sheets, etc. Yet still there are too many items on my list. I'm trying to decide at what age the kids can pack for themselves, and whether I am ready to suffer the consequences if they forget something important (rain jacket...underwear...). I have a friend who started making a list for her kids when they were around eight, and they are now 11 and 13 and pretty much do all of their own packing with very little input from Mom. So maybe I'll try that with my daughter. Of course, my husband couldn't even handle packing for the kids by himself....so I'm not really sure how it will go with an 8 year old . . . but I guess there's only one way to find out . . .