Tis the season for Family Vacations! And although we look forward to them and they are a lot of fun, they are also stressful and a lot of work. As mothers and women, family vacations tend to feel less like a vacation and more like work, than play. Here are 11 tips to help take the stress out of your vacations and make them more enjoyable for everyone.
Take your time.
Rushing causes stress,and stress ruins vacations and raises tempers. Be prepared so you don’t have to rush to the airport. Give yourself enough time to get to new destinations in your travel city. Don’t over schedule your vacation time.
Be willing to take breaks.
Although it sounds good to drive all 14 hours non-stop, sometimes it is better to break up the travel. Let go of the notion that you have to do it all in one day. Too many hours in the car makes kids (and adults) a little crazy. Stop every few hours and let the kids stretch their legs, have a snack, and even play at the park for a half hour. It will be worth the rejuvenation.
Have reasonable expectations.
In our minds, family vacations are all roses and rainbows. We see it working out so perfectly. Making memories and taking pictures. Laughing and sharing time together. But… the reality is that most family vacations have arguments, crying babies, and lack of compromise. We need to have reasonable expectations. Just because we are on vacation doesn’t mean that all of a sudden every family member is going to turn into a perfect saint.
When possible, leave the work behind.
Try to get things in order so you, and even your spouse, can leave the work behind. That way, you can more fully enjoy your family’s time together. If you can’t leave the work behind, set aside scheduled time to handle it each day, so you can enjoy the rest of the vacation and experiences.
Be prepared.
It might mean that you have to pack a little more, prepare a little more, and prepare a little sooner, but take what you need. Don’t leave things behind if they are going to make your trip more enjoyable, or help you manage situations. If you think you need the extra wipes and diapers, take them. If you want the floating tubes in case you go to a pool, then pack the tubes.
Recognize your childrens limits.
It is easy to push our children too far on vacations, and then we wonder why they are acting up. Just like us, our children have limits. 10 museums in one day would push anyones limits. Mix in a park or something that your children choose to do. And, work to keep meals and even naps as regular as possible.
Make Time to exercise
There is something about just a few minutes to ourselves that is very rejuvenating. Schedule in a few minutes for you to exercise each day you are on vacation. It will help you take care of everyone else, and yourself.
Don’t be surprised.
You know your brother is going to make the silly joke about the guy you dated in high school. You also know that your uncle is only going to want to play golf the entire vacation. Instead of being surprised about how family vacations go, just accept it. Love your family and extended family anyway, and don’t be surprised by the situations that arise. They are most likely the exact same situations that have been happening for years.
Talk about expectations.
Everyone goes on vacation with expectations. My husband expects that we are all up early, out exploring. My expectations are that I might actually get more than 4 hours of sleep in the same night, and be able to relax for a few days. Our kids expect lots of running and playing. If you don’t talk about these expectations before hand, no one will be satisfied.
Remember it is worth it.
Regardless of the stress and work, family vacations are where our children learn values, build identity, learn to adapt and negotiate new situations, make memories, and that is just the beginning. The hard work, packing and patience is all worth it.
Have a say in the planning.
If you are going with other families or extended family, speak up. You know what is best for your family. And it is okay to voice that opinion. With a little planning, we can turn our family vacations into the wonderful experiences they were meant to be.
What is your very best tip for surviving family vacation? If you could go anywhere for a family vacation, where would you want to go?
You may also be interested in this Vacation Packing List and Travel games here.
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Marcie says
What timing! We are leaving tomorrow on a nine hour road trip to Grandma’s house. Thanks for the nice reminders. This post has got me thinking of where we could stop for a pit stop along the way. It’s a little tricky because five hours of the drive is desert with not a whole lot of options. But I will think of something! Thanks.
Heather Johnson says
Hi Marcie, Over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house? Sounds so fun! The desert is a little more tricky, but even a rest stop is a great place to let kids get out, stretch their legs and play a little tag. Have a great trip!
What a well thought out and written post! Tip: prepare little surprises in individual bags to be given to your children as ‘when the time is right’ on a long car trip (books, markers, candy, small toys, balloons, cookies, bubbles, water squirters, etc.). My children are young adults now but I find that they enjoy a special picnic lunch with special foods, tablecloth, etc. for stopping on the road.
Hi Karen, Thanks, that is really nice of your to say!
Love your suggestions for “little surprises”. Gives them something to look forward to, and helps them not get bored with everything as quickly. I bet your older kids love the special picnic lunch too. What fun ideas!
This is great advice that I’m most certainly going to take. My family and I are headed to the wonderful Costa Rica Resorts next week and I’m definitely going to need these tips to stay stress free. Thank you!
Oh Karen, Coast Rica, how fun! Have a great time. Glad the tips are going to help.
Thanks for these awesome tips! We’ve traveled a lot with my now 13 year old daughter since she was 5 months old because our family is scattered across the globe. Some things that worked for us: pre-packaged healthy and familiar snacks for journey and during vacation like raisin, goldfish, fruit etc. Also being well rested before a vacation is really helpful, although sometimes unrealistic for adults because you’re busy getting ready. But keeping my daughter rested and in a regular napping and sleeping routine in the weeks before the vacation, helped her cope with the inevitable late nights and missed naps.
Thanks Ali! Love your tip about being well rested. It is such a key part in making vacations, and every day for that matter, more successful. I know when I am tired, things are a lot more stressful. Only makes sense that that is the case for children also.
My husband and me with the three kids will go on a trip with our VW Camper for three weeks Destination? No idea, where the sun is… We did that already last year and we had our best family holidays! We drove around, stayed a little bit where we liked it and then continued our trip and changed our minds while driving.
If you go with a Camper, you spend a lot of time outside, in the nature. This is the most relaxing situation with kids. Driving? We drove a lot, 4’500km, but we drove a lot during evening and night time.
Wow Iren! 4,500 km? That is a serious road trip. What fun. Your kids are never going to forget all the things you saw and the memories you made.
Thank you so much for sharing these tips to us! This is really amazing! I find it really helpful! My favorite and probably the most important in my opinion is to really take your time. Try to slow down and relax. It’s really effective in keeping stress at bay. :)
These are great ideas! While family vacations are typically fun, it can sometimes become stressful travelling with little ones. I think these tips are really helpful for keeping the peace!
Thanks for the share! I recently booked a mini vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge and was wondering if you could give me some help. This is our first time taking our son (5 years old) to a amusement park and was wondering if you had any tips on do’s and don’ts for amusement parks. Thanks!
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