When I travel, I try to leave my husband with not much to do for the kiddos except get them ready for daycare in the morning, have fun with them after pick up and do dinner/bath time duties.
Don’t get me wrong, if he weren’t a very hands on dad, this operation would sink, and sink fast. So I alleviate all the “little things” that add up quickly. 2 under 2 is hard with 2 hands on parents, much less 1!
I mean, this house still has to also function with the captain MIA for a short time.
So I make lists- I use the good ol’ Notes section of my iPhone with its nifty checklist feature! Super simple and no additional app to download or paper to print.
Here’s what’s on my checklist before leaving on any overnight or extended business trip.
◦ List out every single item that gets packed in the lunchboxes, per child (this is hung on the fridge in plain sight on a magnetic dry erase note pad:
◦ Pack their lunches the night before my trip
◦ Wash and put away all the kids’ laundry
◦ Pick out entire outfits (shoes and accessories included) and lay them down in the order of days being worn
◦ Restock changing supplies in diaper caddy; I.e. diapers, wipes, lotions, aquaphor etc
◦ Inventory kids items that we’re running low on
◦ grocery shopping to stock up on everything for the house and kids
◦ cook a big dinner with enough leftovers for 2 days
◦ bought prepackaged meal kits with a 10-20 minute cook time
◦ Fill up the gas tank in my mom-wagon
◦ Update calendars with any daycare activities upcoming while I’m gone
◦ Update joint calendars with flight times
◦ Leave little sticky “love notes” for my hubs
I may be a bit more over the top than some moms, but lists are my way of life. Without them, I’d be lost and my thoughts in complete disarray…or I’d definitely forget something. When you’re constantly traveling, things can slip very easily- so my method works for us. Hopefully something on this “short” list can help you guys too!
See below for a peak of one of my “lists” and stay tuned for easy list templates/guides and links coming soon!
Russell Mom On The Road 
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