A small card posted at eye height on the exit door: BAG / SHOES / COAT. Child reads it and confirms each item before the door opens. The list becomes the authority. Not the parent. Children who resist reminders will often follow a checklist they trust.

What you need

paper and marker for the checklist (posted on door)

How to do it

1Write three items on a small card — BAG / SHOES / COAT — post it at the child's eye height on the exit door, then make it routine: 'Before we go, read your list.'
2Child reads and confirms each item — touching it, saying yes, whatever works.
3The list is the authority now. Your only job is the initial prompt.

Variations

If they ignore the list: point at it silently instead of repeating the reminder yourself — 'What does your list say?' — the card, not you, becomes the one nagging.
How it ends: 'List's clear, we're good' closes it and opens the door in the same breath — no pause for praise, straight into leaving.

💡 Parent tip

Don't add more than 3 items. More than 3 becomes a document, not a check. Add a 4th item later if genuinely needed. Start with 3. This is a prevention system that needs to already be posted and known. If you're mid-crisis with no list up, use a physical/sensory reset instead.

What your child develops

Functional literacy — a real-world use of reading that matters immediately
Self-management — child takes responsibility for their own departure readiness
Habit anchoring — the physical location of the list creates an automatic check before exit