Who packs your kid's suitcase?

I ask this question because on our recent school trip I was amazed by how many of the youngsters said their mum had packed their bags. 

When I asked one girl why she was wearing slim jeans in a heat wave of over 40°C she replied that her mum hadn't put any shorts in the bag, she hadn't known until she opened the bag in the hotel. She wasn't the only one in this situation.

Now I'm not suggesting two year olds should be working out how many nappies and clean tee shirts they are going to need in a week but surely there comes a time where a little independence in the suitcase department is not a bad thing. 

And surely 15 is a good a time as any to start this, these kids might be living at university in two or three years, is mum going to back up for them when they go?

I found this all the more ironic because, upon my return, I found my twelve year old daughter had packed her own suitcase for our long weekend in Strasbourg with family.

Needless to say I had to pack for my husband and son, maybe it's a chromosome thing?

Comments

[fab40foibles]

Good idea, mine pack the toy box before we go on a camping car adventure ( & I sneak in the books, chess set & a couple of thinngs!!)

[Lizzie]

Hi chick. A good question. My son has been packing his bags for a few years now (he's 14now). He packs all his games and DVD's and then gives me all his clothes that he wants to take and then I put them in the case adn tahts'only because we usually share one and I need to make sure there's room for me. But I am quietly confident he'll be able to do it all himself when we havea our next holiday as he'll have to have his own suitcase with all his fashion items and size 10 feet!!!