Traveling with children and creating fun family memories is a wonderful experience. But, it often takes a bit of extra preparation and planning to avoid some common challenges. Kids are notorious for being forgetful and leaving items behind. Whether they forget to pack something important or leave behind their favorite teddy bear in a hotel room, one forgetful moment can completely change the tone of your trip.
There are more important things that are crucial to remember, too. Glasses, retainers, and other personal belongings can easily get left behind, causing you to think about how much money you’ve had to spend on those things only for them to get lost.
So, what can you do to help your kids stay organized throughout your travels as a family? A few simple tips can make a big difference, so your family doesn’t continue to leave things behind.
Help Them Understand
Depending on the age of your child, their forgetfulness could be the result of their development. You shouldn’t ever punish a young child who may not have the capacity to remember things as well as you.
If your child is old enough to remember their belongings, however, one of the best ways to stop forgetfulness is to talk to them about their belongings. Most kids won’t purposely lose things or leave them behind. Rather, it’s likely they just aren’t paying attention or giving those things much thought. Before you start traveling, sit down to have a conversation with them about the importance of taking care of their things.
Suggest to them that it’s a big responsibility to look after their belongings, but encourage them by showing your confidence in their ability to do so. You can also bring up that losing important things is costly, and some things may not be able to be replaced right away. When kids understand that something has value – either monetary or sentimental – they’re more likely to give it more attention.
Establish a Routine
Kids thrive on routine in nearly every aspect of life. That includes routines to help them remember their belongings.
Studies have shown that establishing regular routines at home can help kids with:
- Overcoming challenges
- Self-regulation
- Self-esteem
- A sense of security
Working routines into your child’s daily home life can create healthy habits and get them used to the idea of repetition and responsibilities. Once they’re comfortable with routines, you can establish one for traveling that will help to keep them organized.
What that routine looks like should be based on your child’s individual needs and how they best respond to things. But, it might include things like waking up on a travel day, using a checklist to make sure everything is packed, putting things away immediately, and making sure their personal belongings are all easily accessible. If your kid has a prescription for a retainer or glasses, part of the routine might be storing them away immediately after waking up so they don’t get lost.
The routine can continue even when you’ve reached a new destination. Have your child unpack certain things right when you get to a hotel and store them in a similar spot each time. That repetition will help them to look in the same place every time you’re ready to leave again, so they will be less likely to misplace things.
You can make the process easier on your child by labeling things for them. You can even label different areas of their suitcase to coincide with a checklist, so they know which items belong in each section. If that seems like “too much,” consider the fact that you’re teaching your kid the importance of organization, and how to do it. Eventually, they will be able to organize and store things using their own common sense. Until then, you can use the establishment of routine and organization as a learning experience for them.
Using Lost Items as a Lesson
Speaking of learning experiences …
If your child still loses something while traveling, use it as an opportunity to further your discussion.
First, don’t lose your cool. If your kid leaves something behind, chances are they’re already feeling bad about it. If it’s something of value to them or something that provides comfort, they might even feel anxious and overwhelmed. More than 7% of kids in the U.S. between the ages of 3-17 have been diagnosed with anxiety. If your child already struggles with it, something like losing an important item can be a trigger.
As a parent, your first job is to help them stay calm and reassure them. Model how to stay calm, and use relaxation exercises to help your child get back to a more neutral state.
Second, do what you can to recover the item. A good rule of thumb is to put a tag or business card on things that might get misplaced. Create your own family business card with your information on it. Then, someone can reach out to you if they find the item. That’s especially helpful for things that get left behind in hotel rooms. Be sure to include contact information like:
- Your family name
- An email address
- At least one phone number
- PO box or home address for the item to be shipped
By trying to get the belongings back, you’ll show your child another layer of responsibility, and how important it is to care for your things – even when it comes to retrieving them.
Unfortunately, not every item left behind will always be returned. While that can seem like a major blow to your family at the time, turning it into a life lesson is important for your kids. While you shouldn’t make your child feel guilty, you can reiterate the importance of their belongings. Losing something can jumpstart a new spark of responsibility.
Traveling with kids will always come with challenges, including the risk of things getting left behind. But, there are things to be learned from forgetfulness, even if it’s not easy. Keep these tips in mind to prepare yourself and your kids to be more organized while traveling, and to understand the importance of remembering your belongings.
