Why you should never, ever pack your kids' suitcases for them

Trust me: They will always complain about your packing job, no matter what

Packing
(Image credit: (iStock))

I used to mistakenly pack my kids' suitcases with all the wrong stuff. I would then spend my vacation explaining why I chose to pack the T-shirt with the too-tight sleeves, the bathing suit with the grabby liner, and the book that my son finished two weeks ago. Or answering questions like, "You didn't bring my headphones? Who goes on vacation without headphones?" I don't know. Me? Henry David Thoreau?

Whoever coined the phrase "no good deed goes unpunished" must have certainly been up all night with a whiny child who couldn't sleep because his mother packed the scratchy pajamas.

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Annabel Monaghan is a lifestyle columnist at The Week and the author of Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big? (2016), a collection of essays for moms and other tired people. She is also the author of two novels for young adults, A Girl Named Digit (2012) and Double Digit (2014), and the co-author of Click! The Girls Guide to Knowing What You Want and Making it Happen (2007). She lives in Rye, New York, with her husband and three sons. Visit her at www.annabelmonaghan.com.