Our family just got back from a week-long vacation over to Disneyland, Legoland and Wild Animal Park in San Diego. Although it was a long drive, we enjoyed the time spent with each other and with my in-laws. Our kids were delighted with all the new things they got to see, since it was their first time at all of these places.
Here are 5 simple things I learned to make vacationing with family more enjoyable:
1. Pack lightly. What I learned about this I learned from my dear husband, who is an expert packer. Sometimes it’s hard to pack lightly, especially if you have children, but figure out for example what clothing you can wear for several days so you can bring less of it. Also, travel-size bottles of toiletries are great for this purpose. The key is to plan ahead and think about what you will be using and what you will not be using.
2. Get all your dishes and laundry done before departing for vacation.
3. Plan for some down time upon your return – a ‘vacation from your vacation’.
4. Pray for harmony & endurance – then expect to have fun! That’s what vacations are for, even in the midst of friction with family members from being together for so many days.
5. Prep talk your kids for the road. We learned this from one of my business trainers. Let them know you’ll be in the car for X many hours. We packed snacks like Pretz sticks, fruit snacks & juice. We treated them to one DVD movie – Cars. We also gave them 3 rules as we entered the theme parks (any rules that are important to you and your family will do). Our rules were: 1) no whining, if you want or need something, ask nicely. 2) stay close to mommy & daddy, make sure you can see us. 3) respect other people, treat them like you want them to treat you. For most of the trip, they did really well so we are proud of them.
Some simple tips that can make a big difference. It did for us. Enjoy your vacation!
