July 30, 2024

How to Successfully Leave the House With a Baby and a Preschooler

By Jessica Rapp Irwin, OTR/L

Founder of Rooted in Routine and mom of two

If you are the parent of two (or more) little ones, you know that getting ready to leave the house can be a feat in itself! There are SO many things that you have to help each child do (get dressed, sit on the potty, put on socks and shoes, etc), and navigating all of these steps, plus packing your bag and getting YOURSELF ready can feel like a lot.

Add in any (normal and common) toddler or preschooler resistance or behaviors, and it can feel extra difficult!

One of the reasons that leaving the house can be so overwhelming is that you are helping your child(ren) through a major transition. They are going from one thing (playing, hanging out, eating, etc) to another (going potty, getting shoes on, getting into their car seat, etc).

Transitions are notoriously difficult for young kids, so if your child is struggling, you are not alone! Most children do not like to stop one thing and go to the next, especially when they are doing something they really enjoy.

The best thing you can do to help mitigate the struggle is to warn them in advance that a transition is coming up and then follow a consistent routine for how you get out of the house.

Here is a sample routine for leaving the house with a baby and a preschooler:

1. Get yourself all ready and pack your bag while your kids play. This ensures that YOU are all ready and you can focus all of your attention on them when it’s time to leave, instead of trying to multi-task and switch back and forth.

2. Have your preschooler help you set the Time Timer MOD for 5 minutes. Tell your preschooler that they can play until the timer goes off, and then it’s time to go to the potty and get their shoes on.

3. While your preschooler is playing, get the baby ready. Change their diaper, put on their socks and shoes, etc.

4. When the timer goes off, have your preschooler put the timer up on the counter and transition to the bathroom to use the potty. *Bonus: have them walk like an animal to make the transition fun!

5. Grab your diaper bag and pick up the baby. Everything should be all packed beforehand and ready to go.

6. Help your preschooler put their shoes on while the baby sits nearby. This exact step may vary depending on the layout of your home and whether your baby is mobile or not, but it can be helpful to place your preschooler’s shoes in a designated area where you can also keep an eye on your baby while helping them.

7. Get your baby into their car seat while the preschooler waits in a designated, safe place. Again, the exact scenario depends on your home layout. Your preschooler may wait inside the house or outside right by the car.

8. Help your preschool into their car seat. They may even be able to start climbing in themselves while you are strapping the baby in.

9. Get into the car and take a deep breath - you did it! 🙂

Making the steps of this routine predictable (ie. it happens the same way over time) is key. I love using a visual timer to help your preschooler count down until they have to transition to the steps to leave the house. This helps them “see” how much time they have left to play as well as provide a clear transition point between the steps, which leads to fewer transition-related meltdowns and protests.

As always, individualize the above routine to fit your unique child(ren) and family’s needs and home layout. And remember - it can take time to see changes in how smoothly transitions go. Be consistent with implementing new tactics and don’t give up!

Looking for more guidance on how to structure your child’s daily routine? Struggling with specific parts of the day like bedtime, picky eating during meals, or tantrums? Check out my COMPREHENSIVE DAILY ROUTINE GUIDES. These multi-page digital download guides will teach you exactly how to structure your baby or child’s routine with simple and realistic tips and strategies that work!

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Jessica Headshot

Jessica Rapp Irwin, OTR/L, is a pediatric occupational therapist, childhood routine expert, and lover of all things child development. She is the founder of Rooted in Routine, an online parenting education community and platform, to help parents learn simple, easy to implement routines for optimal child development for babies and young kids. She is passionate about educating parents on NORMAL, HEALTHY development, which is often simpler than we think. Jessica’s approach is largely rooted in going back to the basics to help you establish solid, age-appropriate routines for your child for things like eating, play, and sleep. She believes this is the most important foundation you can provide for your child - and she wants to help you do just that!

Learn more about Jessica here and follow her on Instagram to connect.