How to take the stress out of packing for a family holiday

Packing for a family holiday is stressful.

The burden for many falls on one person (yes, it’s you). And that person likely has 100 other things to do. It’s also very different to packing for yourself, or for a weekend away with friends.

So finding ways to remove some of that stress is 100% worth it.

Prep for success

The single best way to improve packing for a group is to make a list.

You’re juggling the needs of a whole group of people and different activities in (very likely) a different climate. So you need to prepare differently. And the first step to knowing what you’ll need is to create a plan.

But not all plans are created equal.

More than just a checklist

A one-size fits all checklist just won’t cut it.

For stress-free packing, you need to plan what you need need day-by-day according to your activities. It takes a little more time up front, but it’s worth it. Itemise the activities for each person, then list what’s needed for each day.

Preparing like this will help you consider every part of your holiday and make sure you don’t forget anything.

The secret formula

A good plan + time in advance = stress-free packing

A good checklist, completed a week or so before you leave will jog your memory. Then you can take a quick look in drawers and cupboards to itemise what you need to buy or replace. If the kids have grown out of their swimsuits and you’ve lost the arm bands, there’s time to do something about it.

Now you’re not second guessing yourself – if it’s not on the plan, you can forget about it until you get home.

Make it even easier, just press print

We’re Organisers and we love this stuff.

With a young family and a busy job, I know how little time there is to think up new ways of doing things. Even when it will save time, it’s hard to get out from underneath the juggle of family life. Which is exactly why we’ve done the thinking for you!

Just print out our tried and tested packing checklist template and use it to pack for your family without the stress this summer.

Happy travels!

Laura x