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Original poster

Who does the packin* for your holidays?

151 replies

BarrelOfOtters · 31/05/2023 07:27

Dh and I pack our own bags. No kids. I do have to endure the clothes parade first while he decides which of the 5 identical navy blue polos he is taking,

it seems thought that other people pack for their partners……

OP posts:
Lilacly · 31/05/2023 07:47

Once in an tight spot I considered whether it would help things if I packed for DH and realised I had paid woefully little attention to how he actually liked to dress. Was quite ashamed!

sausage767 · 31/05/2023 07:47

DH packs his own bag, but I do have a lot of input into what goes in it.

Otherwise he wouldn't pack the right items, and I do like to coordinate our fits when I can.

allthewoes · 31/05/2023 07:47

We pack our own but I confess I do have a sneaky look at what he's packing given that he's prone to being a bit useless.

He's gone away with no pants before and had to go pant shopping, and would pack thick flannel shirts for a summer holiday without thinking twice, just because they happen to be the first ones to hand.

Summerslimtime · 31/05/2023 07:48

I pack for me and the dc, dh does his.

Just after a tip for packing across all cases in case one gets lost- do you just have your own piles, then distribute a bit in each case?

JaninaDuszejko · 31/05/2023 07:50

Everyone (we have 3DC, 15, 13 and 10) looks out their own stuff they want to take but I like to mix everyone's clothes across cases when we are flying so I do the actual packing into the suitcases. I also do the laundry in the house (DH does the cooking) so I am the one that ends up doing extra washes the week before because the DC always forget to not wear clothes in the last 3-4 days before the holiday. DH is the worst at actually looking out his stuff so we usually have an argument about that, however he is assiduous about not wearing clothes he's taking on holiday before we go away so we are sublected to over a week of even more holey and bedraggled clothes than usual.

HadalyEve · 31/05/2023 07:51

We all pack all our own bags.
Since they were 6 the DC have packed themselves. DH and I used to do a check to ensure it wasn’t just toys and one pair PJs.
By 8-9 they had it down.
Now we can all pack ourselves in 15mins and usually leave it to the morning of.

I do catch up all the laundry though and they know if there’s anything they want to pack, get it in the basket 24hrs prior.

CrispsnDips · 31/05/2023 07:52

Husband packs his own but forgot to take any t.shirts last time!!! Had to buy a load when we were there!

The teenagers lay their stuff on the floor so that I can see what they’re packing in case they’ve forgotten anything or gone over the weight allowance

PatChaunceysFruitCake · 31/05/2023 07:53

MIL packs for FIL. They are in their 70's now though. MIL hasn't had a job since she got married so I guess it's fair enough she picked up some of the slack when she was home all day.

DH packs his stuff. I lay out mine and DC's stuff on the spare bed and DH puts it in the cases.

WolfFoxHare · 31/05/2023 07:54

I do the physical packing as it’s one of my skills - I can fit anything into anything - but he sorts out what he wants to take and fold it ready to be packed. I also supervise packing the car (he lifts the cases).

PaigeMatthews · 31/05/2023 07:55

I pack for myself, dh packs for himself, dc choose their items after being given numbers of x needed and i put them in the suitcase or it would all be creased.

JaninaDuszejko · 31/05/2023 07:55

Just after a tip for packing across all cases in case one gets lost- do you just have your own piles, then distribute a bit in each case?

I tend to make sure everyone has a couple of entire outfits they are happy with in each bag.

PaigeMatthews · 31/05/2023 07:56

CrispsnDips · 31/05/2023 07:52

Husband packs his own but forgot to take any t.shirts last time!!! Had to buy a load when we were there!

The teenagers lay their stuff on the floor so that I can see what they’re packing in case they’ve forgotten anything or gone over the weight allowance

My dh has done that twice. Once when we were on safari in Africa. That was an expensive packing error. How do you forget tshirts?!?!!!

Nottodaty · 31/05/2023 08:00

I pack for me & the kids used to get their stuff ready with what they want. Husband packs for himself (though may ask me 100 questions) He is an over packer drives me mad!

If we flying somewhere we then spread all out clothes across 2 or 3 suitcases just in case one goes missing.

SiobahnRoy · 31/05/2023 08:02

We all do our own, but if H and I are sharing a case I usually put the stuff in (he’s already packed it into packing cubes). We rarely fly so don’t need to worry about losing cases, but I’d use packing cubes for this if we did.

Finding this scenario rather controlling! Otherwise he wouldn't pack the right items, and I do like to coordinate our fits when I can.

barneywarneywoo · 31/05/2023 08:04

I seem to be well in the minority here and pack for both of us. This is down to a combination of me being the most organised out of the 2 and DH working away a lot of the time. He lets me know anything he definately wants to take or needs new and I just iron and pack everything, we tend to take 1 case between us so it is easier to do it all at the same time.
Helping my hardworking husband be ready for well deserved holiday doesnt make me akin to a 1950s housewife.
I also carry all passports, documents and money!

WashAsDelicates · 31/05/2023 08:06

We all pack our own stuff and discuss who packs what communal stuff. Once we've packed, dh and I tend to ask each other "What have I forgotten?", which is a cue to ask things like "Sunscreen? Meds? Charger? Host gift?"

If we're travelling together, dh always sorts out documents and money. Of course I could do it, but if he doesn't do it himself he gets very stressed and anxious, so I just let him get on with it. And then I ask about it in the "What have I forgotten?" It's not that he doesn't trust me. Even though he's done it himself, he will check 3-4 times before leaving the house.

We got our dc to start packing for themselves from an age. We would tell them to go and lay out on their beds the things they thought they would need for x nights away. As they got better at retaining info we would add comments like "Remember, we will be swimming and it's going to be hot in the day but cold at night." Then we would go through the stuff on the bed with them and coach them as to what needed to be added/left behind. Once we stopped needing to make any changes, we left it to them. We do the "What have you forgotten?" routine with them if it's the sort of journey where forgetting something could be important.

Summerishereagain · 31/05/2023 08:18

Summerslimtime · 31/05/2023 07:48

I pack for me and the dc, dh does his.

Just after a tip for packing across all cases in case one gets lost- do you just have your own piles, then distribute a bit in each case?

We use packing cubes. I organise it all into cubes by person just to keep piles tidy and then I will swap half over so we have two packing cube which are half my bikinis and half DH swimming stuff and so on.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 31/05/2023 08:31

He gets out what he's taking and I pack as I'm better at it. Plus if we are flying I cross pack so if a case goes missing we all have something to wear.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 31/05/2023 08:37

DH does mine. I leave it in a pile and he packs it

MelonsOnSaleAgain · 31/05/2023 08:38

I pack for me. He packs for him. We take a
kid each. And have a shared list for the accessories and other bits. 50/50 split

countrygirl99 · 31/05/2023 08:38

When DC were young I packed for them and myself. DH packs his. DH has a tendency to not plan what to take but I think he learned his lesson when he packed 3 fleeces and several thick jumpersb but only 1 pair of shorts and 3 t-shirts for 2 weeks in Thailand and the weather was in the 20s at night.

MorrisZapp · 31/05/2023 08:40

I once had a drink with a man whose MOTHER packed his bag for business trips.

'she knows what I'll need better than I do' he said.

Also he was wearing one of those t shirts with wolves howling on it.

Justlovedogs · 31/05/2023 08:42

Seems I'm in the minority, but I pack everything. DH leaves a pile out of what he wants to take, although I occasionally swap out the odd t-shirt for a different one, and I fill cases or bags as I'm better at getting everything in.

Meerkitkat · 31/05/2023 08:43

I pack for me and the kids. Dh packs for himself. Then dh repacks what I've packed because I just shove stuff in, he's neater 😬

shivawn · 31/05/2023 08:43

I don't know anyone who packs for their partners. Actually, among people I know its the men that are usually a lot more organised and are packed days before the women.

We both pack our own bags and I usually pack my son's clothes but my husband sorts all the other equipment for our son like the hiking back carrier, blackout blinds, few toys and books etc.