Encourage Independence With A Packing Checklist for Kids {free printable}

This packing checklist for kids shop has been compensated.  All opinions are mine alone.

Our boys are six and four and LOVE the idea of going to stay the night at their grandparents’ houses.  They love their grandparents, but they still get a bit anxious when being away from home without us.  They do have each other, thank goodness, because I do not think they would actually stay at Grandma’s house otherwise.  I want them to be comfortable when sleeping away from home and the first step to being comfortable is to take things that they are familiar with that provide comfort.  I also like to encourage independence by making a packing checklist for them to think about what they need, what the weather will be like, and what will make them feel most comfortable and enjoy the night at Grandma’s.  (Click the image below for a free printable to download.)

D is four and has been potty trained since he was two and a half.  He potty trained pretty easily, but we soon learned that night time was a whole different ball game!  We learned that bedwetting really has nothing to do with daytime potty training.  Many parents don’t realize that bedwetting is a fairly common, developmental condition and they can’t “train” their child out of it.  We did a lot of things like try to limit drinks after a certain time (yeah right!  If  my child is thirsty, I want him to drink!)  We also used different motivators to get him to want to wake up and use the restroom in the middle of the night but the truth is…he is a very deep sleeper, which is EXCELLENT for every thing except the issue of bedwetting.  The poor guy would wake up completely soaked and sometimes…he will not even wake at all!  I have checked on them multiple times at 4 or 5 AM and D is wet and snoozing away.  So yeah, it is definitely not something that we can train him not to do.  (According to a GoodNites® brand study, it’s estimated that 1 in 6 children between the ages of 4-12 in the United States suffer from nocturnal enuresis, more commonly known as bedwetting.)

So the next step was to accept it and not make a big deal out of it.  That’s where GoodNites® disposable underwear come in.  We keep a stash in his underwear/sock drawer, he wears them under his pajamas and he stays dry all night long.  If it’s wet in the morning, no big deal.  He will grow out of bedwetting eventually.  

GoodNites® products are easy to find at Kroger and it lessens the embarrassment for him when I am able to just throw them in the cart hurriedly and then go find new and fun fruits in the produce section!

Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that psychologically, children who wet the bed do not want to participate in fun activities, such as sleepovers, because of their fear and embarrassment.  D is able to enjoy his trip to Grandma’s without worrying about wetting her bed because of GoodNites® disposable underwear.  That’s why it is at the first of his packing checklist, because it’s so important to make a fun, enjoyable, comfortable experience where the boys can enjoy their time with Grandma!

I have shared with you what makes me feel comfortable sending my kids to an overnight stay at Grandma’s.  What items do you make sure never to let your children forget?