Planning, lists help make vacations go smoothly | THE MOM STOP

There are two types of people — those who wait until the last minute to pack before a vacation, and then often wait days longer before unpacking upon return.

And then there are those perfectionist personalities who pack days or even a week or more in advance of a trip, and unpack immediately upon return.

I’d like to think that I’m a laid-back person. But I’m fooling myself, because when it comes to things such as a family vacation, my true self comes out in force as a first-born child, eldest daughter, type A personality.

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As much as I’d love to “go with the flow,” I live by lists and marking things off on them. I’m a planner at heart.

So it’s not surprising that a week before a family vacation, I’ll pull the suitcases down and start packing. As I fold laundry, it goes in the suitcases. As the departure date gets closer, I text myself reminders and keep a running shopping list of last-minute items I need to buy. I type out a list of toiletries or items I need to pack the morning of our departure.

When it comes to packing my minivan, I consider it a sport. Suitcases, beach bags, folding chairs or umbrellas quickly become pieces in the jigsaw puzzle that is the back of my van. It may not seem like it can all fit, but give me 20 minutes and I’ll fit every last piece of luggage, the cooler and even the terrarium and our pet Australian tree frog in the back of that van with room to spare.

When it comes to unpacking, I’m just as bad. Regardless if I’ve taken a cross-country flight or driven seven hours home from my in-laws, I can’t sit down, not until all the suitcases are unpacked and the laundry has been started. It’s not until the suitcases are finally put away again that I can rest.

Still, even the best-laid plans go awry. There was the time I forgot to pack any underwear for one of my kids when they were in preschool. And there was the time that we got a good two hours away from home when we realized that our oldest daughter, who was in elementary school at the time, had hopped in the car without shoes and I hadn’t thought to pack any extras. We pulled over at a Dollar General in the middle of no where to buy her some flip-flops.

When the kids were much younger, I’d so often forget toothbrushes that my mom kept an extra set of the kids’ toothbrushes at her house for when we’d visit. And I hate to think of the times I’ve had to use my finger to brush my teeth when I’ve forgotten my own toothbrush on a business trip.

Luckily, with a little preparation, even the most forgetful of us can be successful at packing —almost everything.

Here are a few tips to help packing, whether it’s for a child going to summer camp or the entire family going on a summer vacation:

• Start a running list of everything you need to pack, well ahead of your trip. Keep it somewhere handy since there will be items you’ll think to add as you go. Mark things off as you pack.

• Don’t overpack. If kids are young enough and you can share a suitcase, then do so. Less is more, especially if you also have to juggle things like strollers or car seats in an airport.

• Keep a permanent “toiletry bag” of travel-sized toiletries and extra toothbrushes that you can throw in a suitcase easily.

• Don’t forget travel documents. Boarding passes may be on your phone, but if a phone dies, it’s best to have the flight numbers, itineraries and other details printed out and easily accessible, just in case.

• Don’t expect perfection. Planning can help things go smoother. But something will always happen. If possible, pack extra snacks or entertainment for the kids in case of travel delays.

Lydia Seabol Avant writes The Mom Stop for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Going on vacation? Here's some planning tips | THE MOM STOP