Friday Bag
For the past couple of years when we have gone on vacation, I have brought ‘gift bags’ labeled with each day of the week. I put gift bag in quotes because I don’t buy anything new for the bags and hence, they don’t really contain gifts.
I fill each bag with a sticker puzzle, an activity book, a color-by-numbers page, a lego set or a puzzle, and some small toys. These are all things I collect from our basement playroom shelves. They give Mikey a focus for the day. The last time Dave and I went away for the weekend, we left the babysitter with Friday, Saturday and Sunday bags for home to help make her life easier.
Of course, I color coordinate the toys with the color of the bag because I love a good organizational strategy. It goes without saying that this is totally unnecessary. When I pack, the bags are all flat on the bottom of the suitcase, and the contents are packed wherever I can fit them. It took me a long time to come up with this strategy as a mom, but I wanted to share it in case it can help you.
Share This Post
About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
Let's Connect
Subscribe to our newsletter for more updates