Tips for leaving the house

[Wendi]

Wondering if we could start a thread here sharing tips on what has worked for you in regards to getting out of the house. Grocery stores, the mall, etc. How did you manage irish twins out and about!

[amy]

I carry a big diaper bag and a smaller one inside. That way I don't have to carry two bags but the boys can each have one when we get to our destination. It used to be that Andrew got the big bag since he had more gear being the baby, but now Erik needs extra clothes in case of accidents so he usually gets the big bag. The little one is really a lunch bag that can hold wipes and dipes.

[jesspond]

I carry two bags, too, but one small and one large. In the larger one I take stuff we MIGHT need...extra diapers, used to carry extra clothes, extra drinks, food, etc....and in the small one we take their cups, two diapers (they can wear the same size in a pinch), and bribes-er-food. That way we can all fit nicely in a booth or someplace in a restaraunt. And we don't have to carry tons of stuff but we still have what we need.

We used to use a wrap for our son when he was very small when we would go out...because while our daughter was also too young to sit in a cart or something while shopping, two baby seats meant no room for groceries!

We leave the house a lot--but I try not to leave the house with both of them SOLO. It's just too much now that they can run in different directions. We go to restaraunts or shopping mostly, or on vacations. I think getting OUT with them has made them more flexible and able to handle different situations, really.

Of course, we had a lot of times when I spent meals eating in the car, but you win some you lose some!

[Wendi]

I love this piece of advice! I was thinking, I could keep a diaper bag in the car all the time with the "non-essentials" (burp cloths, clothes, medicine, etc.) and then just pack the quick things. I LOVE THIS!

[jesspond]

Wendi, BabySac makes a nice smaller diaper bag that has two cupholders on the outside. FYI!

[Wendi]

I think I have one that will work but thanks! I am going to work on this today!

[sarah]

I love reading this conversation! I have been thinking a lot about what to do in terms of a diaper bag and if I should have one or two. I like the idea of keeping a bigger one with lesser used items in the car. I am thinking having two kids that need carried will definitely make me want to carry less stuff!

[Wendi]

I did it! I put a bigger bag in my van and now am just packing 1-2 smaller bags depending on where we are going!

[kellyb]

Love these ideas about the diaper bag. Anyone have any creative solutions to grocery shopping?? I really hate to wait until my husband comes home because that interrupts our time. So usually whenever I go out I just make smaller trips. So far I've put my 18 month old in the front part of the cart and 10 month old in her carseat in the back basket. Then I usually have to stuff groceries in the side of the cart or use the bottom of the grocery cart. My daughter is getting too big for her carseat so I'm wondering what to do once she is out of it (other than wearing her)??
One thing I've found helpful is the "Mommy hook" it is this huge hook that you can use on carts or stollers, it hold us to 150 pounds so I've been using that to hook my diaper bag on for more space in the cart.

[jesspond]

Oh I'm game for solutions to shopping (or really, managing them in a real way out) alone with both kids, too.

My best idea at those ages is still going to be a sling. We did use one for our son for a while even when together so that we could fit more in the cart (or, anything in the cart) with our daughter in the seat, as opposed to having one in the seat and one in the carseat in the cart, which means you can put approx 3 things in there! Now that the kids are bigger we put one in the seat and one in the cart until the cart is too full and then my husband carries her or she walks (the kids are 2 and 2.5). We don't take the diaper bag into the store anymore at all...but we used to have a hook like that that we used on the strollers.

Wendi, I'm totally always going "I can't believe she goes OUT to the STORES with both the kids" so what DO you do? People start to lose their crap for me and I feel like if I'm alone there's no way I could shop, let alone check OUT!

[Wendi]

Jess ... I don't go to the stores that often. I really don't.

When one is still a baby and can't sit up, I really don't have any advice unless you wear one (and I just didn't get into that). I would put baby in cart, bigger in seat, and get us as much as I could.

One idea, that I never did was to fill up the cart and leave it in the front and switch carts. I'm sure that would technically work.

As for me, when I do go out, I only go to places that I can use a double cart (publix has them). I really can't do Target unless I take the stroller in. I either go to a place with double carts or use a stroller. That's my rule. If they don't have those, I just don't go.

[stacy]

I have another question about getting out...when they were younger, what did you do to occupy the kids while you were getting things ready to go out (pack diaper bag, get snacks, possibly even put on make up and brush your teeth)? Other than movies/tv, I don't know how to occupy my little guy - he only plays independently for about 3 minutes. And it seems to take us 2 hours to get everyone dressed, fed and out the door.

Please tell me it gets easier

[Wendi]

How old is he?

I try to get myself completely ready before they get up. Or, I will bring my make-up out to the living room and sit at the dining room table and put it on. (If I do it on the sofa then they think it is time for me to read books to them.) I try to have the bags already ready to go before hand.

Otherwise, if I can't do this, I will put my little Elijah in his high chair with some snacks ... I'll even put his shoes and socks on in the high chair.

This is a great question! Anyone else?!

[jesspond]

It does get easier....ish. At some point you can just ignore the screaming and the fighting until it's time to pack it up and head out (or is the screaming just at my house? Is that scary to those of you who have under 2's?). Mother of the year, right here!

What can I say, my standards are low.

I try to pack bags the night before, and get as ready as I can before the kids are up (not a big problem here because we have late sleepers). I even sometimes get their clothes and shoes gathered and then all I/we have to do is clothe them and throw coats on and run out the door. It totally is chaos, but that part of it, the dealing with chaos, gets much better the longer you do it!!