s/o Informing the kids... paper chains?

[RebeccaMA]

I've heard that doing a paper chain is a good idea to help the little ones with the countdown to the trip. When did you start it? We are about 37 days away now, and I haven't told dd yet. She is 2. Today I bought a card that has Mickey Mouse on it. I am going to write something like "Hey! You're invited to my house. Get on the plane and come on down in September with your mommy and daddy" or something like that, and then make it seem like it came in the mail.
I don't know if I should just go ahead and give it to her right away or if I should wait another week, until we are a month away from departure, and do it then.

Ideas?

 

[danpam1024]

The card idea is really cute. Our paper chain has 115 links left :sohappy::lol:.

 

[happymom52003]

With a two year old, I think I'd wait until closer to your trip.

Love the card idea! My dad and step mom were in WDW about 3 months before our last trip, and they sent a postcard to my son from Mickey. He is old enough now to notice the post mark, so I can't get away with doing that myself without help from someone who will be in Florida!

Another cool thing they did (which obviously can only be done when you know someone who is going to be in WDW before you!) is they waited in line to meet Peter Pan (one of my son's favorite characters) and they asked him and Wendy to record a special message for my son telling him they were looking forward to seeing him in January, then my Dad emailed us the video. It was so cool!

 

[coltow]

DS 4 understood where the date was on the Calendar. He knew once we got to Ariel page is was close. Once we turned the page, each morning we cross off the day. He knows we leave on #12, but he had a hard time unstanding the how many days left. Best example is that on 8/1 we had 11 days left, but he just kept saying "but we go on 12." Once we thought to cross them off, then he counts the remaining days.

 

[Nemo14]

A month to a 2 year-old is an awfully long time. I think I'd wait 'til maybe the 10 day mark or something.

 

[Coree]

I have to agree about waiting a bit longer for a two-year-old. My daughter was two for our last trip and we told her more than a month in advance and she just couldn't grasp the time concept and every morning asked if we were going to Disney today. Now we didn't do the chain thing and that may have helped.

 

[mouselvrmom]

I have to agree about waiting a bit longer for a two-year-old. My daughter was two for our last trip and we told her more than a month in advance and she just couldn't grasp the time concept and every morning asked if we were going to Disney today. Now we didn't do the chain thing and that may have helped.

:lol:

My four year old still asks every day if today is the day she's going to disneyworld. :lol: Try explaining October to a child when it's January. I told her she had to wait until trick or treat time, well she thinks it could be that time tomorrow. :lol:

I think the card is a great idea! If only I could keep a secret like that until we were a month away. :lol:

 

[KC82271]

I agree with the other posters, 2 is too young to tell this early. Maybe a week before. Been there, done that! Mine is now 3 and we were there in April and going back in November. She's already trying to pack her suitcase. She knows we go for the Christmas parties, so there is no hiding it from her now!

 

[RebeccaMA]

Okay, okay... I'll keep it a surprise still. We have lots of little surprises for her between now and then anyway. LOL!
We did try to prep her a little by staying in a hotel for a night over the weekend, just to remind her what it's like. That went okay. I still want to try to help prepare her for the plane trip though. In the meantime I'm trying to get her hyped up about Pooh and Mickey characters.