Summertime, with our kids home all day, is reminding us of the early days of Baby Bunching. Where getting out and about with water bottles, changes of clothing, extra gear and snacks seems to dominate our days. Nevermind the fact that, for the most part, our kids aren't napping anymore so we're challenged with filling extra long days with hungry, tired or filthy kids. (Ok, that is a side effect to summer.) Believe us, it does get easier even at this point. But we're realizing some of the strategies we learned from getting out with our Bunch and home again in one piece still applies even for the older kids.
We remember feeling that while home may be the safest place for moms of two (heck, it still can seem that way today), getting out can be a sanity saver. For everyone. You may recall that getting out with one baby used to take half the day, but getting out with two requires strategizing comparable to that of a major military operation.
In all our reminiscing of these early outings we have outlined a battle plan for you to use for the early Baby Bunching days, but like the rest of us, you will make mistakes. You will forget the appropriate gear, push your kids too close to naptime, or take them somewhere inappropriate such as Costco, an art museum or the Department of Motor Vehicles. But within a few months, you will develop the sixth sense all Baby Bunching moms eventually fine-tune, and you will be able to spot a bad outing idea a mile away and know how to abandon ship, cut your losses and just go home. There are tips for making these outings easier and places everywhere that are win-win for moms with kids of all ages and age ranges and we’re going to fill you in on them.
Running a quick errand doesn’t mean the same thing it did a few months ago when you only had one child to contend with. There are serious logistics to think about even if you are just running to the grocery store with both kids (which, by the way, we strongly recommend you DO NOT do if you can avoid it). Getting everyone out and about in that narrow window in between their various nap and food schedules is a challenge. So many factors are crucial to a successful trip and your definition of “success” will quickly change. For you newbies, after years of Baby Bunching experience, here’s how we define it:
Definition of a Successful Outing: An excursion outside the realm of one’s abode—whether a walk down the street or a trip across town on the subway—where no child is in tears, hurt, hungry, left behind or locked in car; where mom is not in tears, hurt or needing a drink; where at least one of the outing’s goals is “accomplished;” and at least two of members of the family come home smiling.
This may seem like a tall order to fill. Or you may be thinking that you don’t know what the hell is wrong with our disorganized asses, but all of YOUR outings will be successful. Either way, we promise that you need the advice we are about to provide.
The three most important skills for planning and executing successful outings are:
1) Developing your plan. Developing a plan of attack requires making a mental map of your destination and your route and assessing what it will take to overcome any obstacles that will arise. A few questions to consider:
• Mode of transportation. Are you walking, driving, or taking public transportation? This will determine what kind of stroller you should take.
• Ease of navigation. Will it be crowded? Will there be ramps for your stroller? Will you have to walk a long distance across a busy parking lot? Again, all factors that determine what kind of “wheels”, slings, or baby carriers you should bring.
• Proximity to food. Can you buy age-appropriate (bonus points for nutritious) food for all parties if someone starts to break down or do you need to bring your own? And never, EVER assume that you will be able to complete an outing without food. Always, always, always have a healthy, yummy snack for all children on hand – you never know when you will have to buy time with a handful of animal crackers (yeah, yeah – we all said we never do it – get over it.) If your outing will encompass a meal time, be sure you have plenty of food on hand, plus one extra snack beyond what you think you will need. Don’t forget sippy cups/bottles for all!
• Amount of waiting time or being still involved. Baby Bunches hate long waits and small, crowded waiting areas. If your outing requires either one of these, be prepared to bring out the Big Guns – the hardest-core food and toy distractions you have in your arsenal.
• Quality of destination’s baby-proofedness. Whether you are going over to a childless friend’s house for dinner or to the mall, think realistically about what you will need to keep your little ones not only entertained, but safe. We recommend always having some way to either strap all parties into a chair/seat of some sort or wear them on your body, in case you get desperate.
2) Having a Backup Plan. Now that you’ve packed your 63-piece luggage set with everything you need to make a “quick” trip to the drugstore, be sure you have a backup plan. What will you do if you get there and it’s too crowded and your kids wig out or you can’t keep track of them? Or if somebody woke up too early that morning and are so tired by the middle of the outing that they are acting like hellacious beasts? Or if somebody has to peepee and the available potty is so filthy that your eyes need a shower from just looking at it? Or the all time worst – you get there and they don’t have whatever it was you came for and you have to make a second stop. You gotta be prepared for all these scenarios because you will encounter one or more of them at some point. You need to be flexible in case things don’t go according to plan (and they frequently don’t). This may mean accepting a substitute – product, outing location, whatever. Or it may mean scoping out the nearest exit. Which brings us to….
3) Recognizing When to Cut Your Losses. Sometimes it’s just not worth it. If your kid(s) is so tired/hungry/bored that he is a fussy nightmare and no one is having any fun or getting anything accomplished, do yourself a favor and go home. Who cares if you drove across town to treat your kids to the children’s museum – if they’re not having any fun, it’s not worth it anyway. If you’re at Target and you’re only three items into your list, get only the most critical things you need (i.e. the diapers and the laundry detergent) and come back for the rest another time. Which reminds us – with any outing, always, always do the most important thing that you came for very first, so that if things go awry and you have to bail, you at least got the most important thing accomplished.
I'm so glad I found your blog! I'm having number 2 in 2 weeks and they will be 20 months apart. Ready now with the battle plan. Thanks!
Posted by: CrazyLovesCompany | Jul 14, 2010 at 10:19 PM