The Cool, Young & Hip Family:
By Brittany Claire [Brittany is Mom of six kids and wife to (she says) a smokin’ hottie. Their blog is fresh, creative and fun. Brit is going to write something for our younger (or young at heart) families! Hope you enjoy. ~ BR] Getting out the door with kids is fun. Getting out the door with six kids, five whom are in car seats, is an all out party! If I have you whistling the tune of the seven dwarfs in your head, then you are right on pace with our party. Can you picture the whistling, marching to the beat, and single filing out the door with a pack over your shoulder? There is an uncanny correlation with my family of eight getting out the door and the seven dwarfs heading out to work. It’s no wonder I’ve adopted their song as our get out the door theme song. Like the gun shot signaling the beginning of the race, when I open my mouth and let out those four little words -- "Hi! Ho! Let’s Go!" the race DOES begin. I can hear it now, the scampering feet coming from all directions and the chorus of whistlers. The adventure has officially begun. As I sing and whistle and sometimes clap my hands if they need an extra boost, I find myself chanting "socks, shoes, coat, hat, gloves." At this point I’m not sure they need the reminder, but then something ends up lost or forgotten in the rush to get on with the show. On occasion I’ll catch one of them singing, whistling or chanting to themselves; I can almost hear them doing the same as they lead my future grandkids out the door to the beat of our old family tunes. Off to school is a bit different than the trip out to the store or park. Simply add "backpack & lunch!" to the chant, and it’s out the door with ease -- that is if we have packed backpacks and lunches the night before! We don’t hear very many "I can’t find my..." when everyone has their own spot for their things.
Bringing the kids alone obviously equals full hands, so extras end up being added on a ‘need to have’ basis; if the kids want to bring along a book, toy, blankie or their ‘own’ bottle of water, it’s all on them. We had to pass the "you can’t bring it unless it fits in your lap" rule after a few attempts at bringing along a large tractor or duffle bag full of spy gear. WIth eight of us bursting at the seams and filling every seat in our van, covering the floor with bags or toys is not an option.
I usually have the van stocked with most of our "necessary on every trip" type items such as diapers and wipes, extra clothes, a glass jug of water, dried fruit and nuts, hand towel, park blanket, and a pocket of books for each of the family readers. Unless we’re going somewhere that I know we’ll need more, getting the kids and myself is all I have to focus on.
Once the flurry of socks, shoes, coats, hats and any other ‘bring-a-longs’ have found their proper place upon our four wild little boys and the girls are snuggly cuddled in their infant seats, it is time to follow the leader out the door -- single file with our blue eyed eight year old taking the lead and mom and dad bringing up the rear with all ‘in-betweeners’ marching steadily... in-between.
The three back row boys hop in their seats first -- giving our youngest boy a boost into his 5-point along the way. They settle into each of their window seat boosters to buckle themselves in while mom or dad secure little blond Z in his toddler seat.
Now we’re three down, three to go. Our oldest can now take his seat in the middle of the second row -- nicely placed in the center of it all. Isn’t that where the oldest always wants to be anyway!? Next it’s the girls’ turn -- click, click and their infant seats are secure in their places. Hop in, shut the doors, double check the list in my head, and we’re off to work (or play)!
Whew! That was a job! Can you imagine if we hadn’t followed the plan? We’ve strayed from the routine a few too many times. Trust me, it’s not pretty! On occasion when someone isn’t sticking to the beat -- wanting to hurry to the car or stop to smell flowers -- it can turn into a nice display of complete chaos.
For example, if the girls are clicked in first, the boys have to climb or be hauled over the seats to get to their spots. This does not make for very happy parents or children if they get knocked in the head by a stray foot. The lessons have been learned: routine, order, communication and a few little tricks make getting out the door with eight not so bad! Now all you have to do is get there, unload, and then eventually do it all over again.
We all have to work together with a fully packed van. It’s everyone’s job to help his/her seat neighbor with a dropped blankie, toy, book, needed drink, stuck buckle or simply wanting to read with a friend. And with six kids, the need WILL arise.
When all goes right we work together like a well-oiled machine -- quite an impressive site. But if not, we’ll get to do it again tomorrow.
Hi Ho - out the door you go with these 7 tips:
Use a song or signal to make getting out the door fun and orderly
Use a chant as a checklist that makes it fun (momma drill cadence…)
Create a special spot for each child’s coat [with hats and gloves tucked in the sleeve], backpack and shoes
Bring it in your lap rule
Stock the van
Have a designated order of getting in and out of the vehicle
Help your car seat neighbor
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By Brittany Claire
