My kids all have big opinions on their clothes and accessories. Normally I don’t worry about it much, they get themselves dressed, and I am generally okay with their choices (within reason of course). That being said, traveling with kids who have so many opinions can get difficult.

I don’t know about you, but when I am on vacation I don’t like stressing out because my daughter can’t find the right bow to go with her shirt, or the perfect tights for her skirt.

So on my last vacation, to make sure everything went smoothly I had my kids help me pick out their outfits. They chose five outfits, with underwear, socks, and accessories to match. When each outfit was adequately chosen and assembled it went into its own zip top bag. When all was said and done we had five bags for each child. The bags got stacked into their suitcases. Luckily they did not add too much extra space being packed this way.

Throughout our trip all the kids had to do was grab a bag and everything they needed was inside. Plus their outfits stayed matched (which is always a problem for us. We will plan an outfit and my daughter changes her mind while we are away, leaving two miss-matched items.)

Rule of thumb: they are only allowed to grab one bag a day. Giving them the choice of the bag gives the kids a sense of control. Plus, the fact that they helped make their outfits while packing helps them feel like it was their choice and therefore they are happy with it. And of course, it is fantastic to have the coordinating hair bows right in the bag and ready to go! Or in my son’s case, he has the appropriate hat for his outfits. -Stephanie Wright