Getting out of the house

For us, getting out of the house is a total nightmare, and I need ideas!

Our routine (in my head)
1. Tell the boys well ahead of time where we're going, how long they have for breakfast/whatever activity they're doing and what I need them to do before they go
2. Lay out all the clothes well ahead of time, pack up bags etc
3. Somewhat orderly movement toward the door where they assist in getting appropriate winter gear on, or at least don't struggle.
4. Somewhat orderly movement toward the van/stroller/sidewalk without a complete meltdown.
5. Somewhat peaceful outing where Mommy doesn't look like a bonkers crazy pants.

What happens in real life
1. I tell the boys we are going somewhere and both start to whine and melt down.
2. Kids disrobe, get into something, unpack all of my carefully packed bags, decide to go to the potty, dump out a plant, spill milk everywhere, decide they need second breakfast, complain some more about not wanting to go anywhere, tantrum, yelling, time outs.
3. Finally get to door, where kids decide it's more fun to run around like crazy people, struggle against boots, jackets, decide they need 3rd breakfast. Run around some more. Take off boots, hats, jackets, more yelling and time outs.
4. One child will run toward the van, the other will stand at the top of the stairs and cry about the other one making it to the van first, not wanting to go out, needing 4th breakfast. In the van, one kid will have to climb into the front seat, turn on the hazard lights, switch on the interior lights so the battery dies when mommy doesn't notice, screw with the radio and cruise control. Dump out any coffee accidentally left in the van and eat whatever they find on the floor. All this happens in the same amount of time it takes for me to get one child strapped in.
5. Mommy looks like a beserkers crazy pants before we've even successfully made it out of the house.

HELP.

 

Boy, our kids could be employed as tornados... I shudder to think what a play date would look like.

Off the top of my head:

- pack diaper bags and put them in the van. Get them up, dressed and since they meltdown when you tell them, wait to tell them you are going out until you need to get jackets on.

- only allow one at a time in garage with you if possible. If not possible, herd them to carseats holding hands of each.

- give snack and drink when they get in carseat.

-find music they enjoy to play in car. The Imagination Movers, Laurie Berkner and Larry Groce are favorites here.

 

Four horsemen of the apocalypse? Nah, that sounds a bit tame.

 

You could try something like this.

Or

1. Don't tell them in advance. I don't deal with many meltdowns, but I'm asked 1,285,932 times when we're going. :gah:

2. As soon as they wake, get them dressed.

3. Try and pack before they wake and if possible, put the bags in the car so they can't mess with it.

4. EVERYONE goes to the car together. If either gets out of their car seat before they are strapped in, something of great importance will be taken away.

5. Allow them to take something with them to play with in the car. My boys have Innotabs that keep them busy. For long rides, I have a portable dvd player.

 

1. Don't tell them
2. Dress them the night before if its just casual sweat pants like clothes
3. Let them go outside without the gear on once, Hannah ran in the mall theothersay with a tank top on, she hasn't fought putting the coat on since (keeping it on is another story!)
4. Hold their hands and walk then to car or make it a race
5. Fill your coffe mug with alcohol
Oh and don't forget to bribe bribe bribe where you can!

 

1. I never tell my girls we are going anywhere until its time to walk out the door.
2. I also don't dress them until 10 minutes before we leave otherwise their clothes would be dirty or 'lost'.
3. Thanks to Diego coats aren't a problem because 'we need life jackets to be safe' yes every single time they put coats on they say 'we need life jackets to be safe' Shoes may wait until they are strapped in the carseats.
4. If they don't run right to the van and get in I yell 'There's a bear! Hurry get in your seat so we can buckle up and be safe!" (thanks again Dora and Diego for the 'seatbelts so we can be safe'
5. every mom thinks they look like bonkers crazy pants to themselves while all other moms are thinking I wish I was as organized as that mom.

6. My 5yr old will do the I'm starving thing and he'll ask 'Do you want me to die from starvation?' and at this point I say 'yes' its just quicker and easier, and then he does a whole big productions of 'dying' BUT we get out of the house on time and he makes a miraculous recovery by the time we get to where ever we are going.

 

Getting my boys ready to go somewhere takes FOREVER right now and it drives me crazy. They love to go out and get all excited about going somewhere, but heaven forbid they should do one simple step toward going out. They are capable of going potty by themselves, or finding their water cups, for example, but they just won't do it, and it drives me nuts. They don't have meltdowns, they just start goofing off, chasing each other, etc.

 

I am so on board with this. I'm not at the point that I'm trying to take out 2 toddlers but I know that it can sometimes be a pain to get my 1 out the door. When I was writing out instructions for my mom for while I was in the hospital (at her request, I thought she did fine by me *shrug*), I included a special section about ways to encourage Vivi to get out the door without a meltdown. I wish those ideas still worked.

Also, along the same lines of Dora & Diego, Vivi has gotten on a kick about having to go rescue people (probably from some Disney Jr show) so we have to get in the "Toon Van" (thank you Mickey Mouse) and go rescue prince daddy or princess mimi or whoever. I know that won't translate precisely to your boys but maybe you can find something that they do like from tv/books/whatever.

 

Have you tried making a visual chart with all the steps to leave? So for getting dressed you would have pictures of pants and shirts, then maybe pictures of socks and shoes, then pictures of winter coats, then kids waiting calmly by the door, then kids getting into their carseats...Whatever pictures work for you. I would keep it to no more than 5-6 simple clip arts, otherwise they will get overwhelmed, but sometimes physically seeing what they need to do can keep them focused.

 

Have you tried honest to god bribery? DH does mornings because well, I would drive the van off a cliff if I had to do them on a regular basis. His MO is to tell them "get in the car and you can have XX". XX is usually fruit loops, donuts, a muffin etc. Yes, it's crappy food but they L-O-V-E it. They get a sensible breakfast at daycare so this is just a snack to keep them quiet enough in the car until he has coffee and can function enough to play 10,000 questions. Also, we put clothes on them but stuff all the hats/jackets/gloves etc in a reusable shopping bag and drop the kids/bag off with the teachers. Sometimes, the shoes are in there also.