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10 Tips For Making Your Family Vacation The Best Ever
by Thomas Haller and Chick Moorman
Summer is fast approaching and school is coming to an end. Soon it will
be time to load the family in the car and head down the road on a vacation
you hope will be more than fun for all.
Perhaps you're thinking of vacationing somewhere new this year and taking
in the sights of our beautiful country. Or maybe you're planning on spending
some much needed R & R around a campfire at your favorite campground.
Whether you plan to vacation for a full week or a few long weekends, how
you prepare the family can make or break this year's vacation. The 10
tips below can help you make this year's family vacation the best ever.
#1 ESTABLISH A MUTUAL PLAN - Allow every member in the
family to have input on the type of vacation and/or activities they would
like to experience. Pick a destination together. Reach consensus on what
type of vacation you want to create. Then brainstorm all the possible
sites to visit and potential activities. Build a list of things you want
to do, making sure that each family member has a top priority on the list.
When everyone has a say, you built commitment and lower resistance towards
the activities.
If your children are younger, establish the destination with your spouse
and present the various options to the children for discussion. As your
children become older, increase their input on decisions.
By allowing every family member to have input, ownership is established.
Each family member can now look forward to the specific part they desired
while allowing other family members to enjoy different aspects of the
vacation. Each person can enjoy the part they wanted as well as tolerate
the choices of others.
#2 VACATION WITHIN YOUR FINANCIAL MEANS - Plan a vacation
that you know you can afford. Stress builds as the money dwindles. Only
do what you can afford to do. If you cannot afford to do the vacation
the way you would like, plan to do that vacation at a later date and get
everyone involved in building the funds to do so. Agree that for now we
will vacation within the limits of what the family can afford. This models
fiscal responsibility for your children and teaches them to work and save
for something desirable.
#3 STICK TO THE CHILDREN'S REGULAR DAILY SCHEDULE/ROUTINE
- The younger the child the more important it is to stick to your regular
schedule. While on vacation, children under the age of 10 need to go to
bed, get up, and eat at the same time they normally do. Young children's
bodies are not able to adjust quickly to time changes and schedule adjustments.
The more adjustments in their traditional schedule your child is called
upon to make the more mood swings and irritability you are likely to encounter.
For less stress and a relaxed vacation, keep the changes in schedule to
a minimum.
#4 BE FLEXIBLE - No matter what the plan, be willing
and able to adjust it. No matter how well you planned before hand, surprises
and unexpected events will occur. Flexibility allows you to bring variability
and energy to your vacation plan. Stubbornly insisting that the plan be
precisely followed when roadblocks occur, can create unwelcome stress
and tension. Relax and roll with the punches.
#5 DON'T ATTEMPT TO DO IT ALL - Slow down. The more
you and your family members attempt to "fit it all in," the
greater the chance that irritability and frustration will occur. Set a
steady pace that attempts to accomplish a little bit of the plan at a
time. Do not push to accomplish everything on your list. Remember, a vacation
is about enjoying and savoring the time away from the hustle and bustle
of everyday life.
#6 REMEMBER BOREDOM IS A CHOICE - When traveling (especially
by car) take a variety of games, toys, books and videos to occupy time.
Be creative. The words, "I'm bored," or "This is boring"
are a cue to make a different choice and change to another activity. Perhaps
it is time to get out of the car and run around. It could be time to stop
at a new restaurant. A travel center could provide treasures of trinkets,
books, and brochures to rekindle interest.
#7 DON'T ATTEMPT TO DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER AS A FAMILY
- It is OK to split up. You don't have to do everything together as a
family all the time. Different people have different interests. Allow
for opportunities to explore these different interests without those people
who are less interested and prone to "grumble and moan" through
the activity. Seek opportunities to have one-on-one time with each of
your children. The experiences of the individual will add life and energy
to the family as they are shared and talked about later.
#8 FOLLOW A HIGH VOLUME DAY WITH A LOW VOLUME DAY -
Give yourself and your children the opportunity to recuperate and reenergize.
Mix a day of rest and low activity in with the fast paced, high energy
days. The entire family will be able to enjoy the high volume day when
everyone's energy is strong. Your family will only be as energetic as
the least energetic person.
#9 EAT HEALTHY WHENEVER POSSIBLE - So many vacations
are riddled with fast food and high sugar drinks. As your vacation progresses
the body's ability to manage stress challenges the immune system. Eating
healthy and drinking water instead of soft drinks increases the body's
ability to adjust and cope with change. No one wants to be sick while
on vacation. Eating healthy increases your chances of staying healthy
and full of energy.
#10 MAKE A "BE" CHOICE - Discuss and choose
how you are going to "BE" at various parts of the vacation.
Decide to "BE" playful at times, serious at other times. Talk
about the various choices in mood and temperament that are available to
everyone during a specific activity. If a trip is planned where waiting
in line is likely, some choices are to "BE" observant, friendly,
patient, frustrated, curious, or talkative. Help one another make choices
that enable the vacation to be enjoyable for the entire family. Support
one another in making a helpful "BE" choice and in BEING that
choice.
Once your vacation is complete, come together as a family and discuss
how it went. View pictures together and reflect on what each person remembers
about that moment. Debrief and evaluate what worked and what did not.
Consider adjustments that would make the next family vacation smoother
and more enjoyable. Begin to plan the next trip, keeping in mind the highs
and lows of the trip that just passed. Do so and you will be on your way
to making your next family vacation the best vacation ever.
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