Ashley Willis
Taking a vacation with our kids is a blessing, but it also comes with A LOT of adjustments. Sometimes, I feel more exhausted on a vacation than I would ever be at home. So, is vacation with the kids even worth the time, expense, and effort?
Yes!
But, we have to keep a few things in mind to get the most out of the vacation experience. So, here’s 4 ways to survive–and maybe even thrive–on a vacation with the kids:
- Adjust your expectations.
A vacation with kids is completely different from a vacation with adults only. So, we can’t have the same expectations for our trip. Depending on what we do, our kids will require our full attention, so our time of relaxation will be very different and most likely less. But, that’s not a bad thing. We just have to go into the vacation knowing that we aren’t going for relaxation;we are going to make amazing memories with our kids, and if we happen to get a little extra sleep, then what a nice surprise that will be!
2. Know your limits, but don’t be afraid to try new things.
This is a big one, and it all depends on the ages of our kids and circumstances of our family. For example, if we have very young children, then we probably don’t want to go to a water park where there is very little to do for their age. So, we must do our homework first. We need to research the places we’d like to go before we get there, so we won’t be frustrated after we pay a bunch of money and our kids have nothing to do.
My husband and I learned this the hard way at Universal Studios Florida a few years ago. Our boys were ages 7 and 9, so we assumed they would be able to ride most of the “good” rides.
Wrong.
We spent the whole day going from ride to ride, being measured, and then turned away. It was a complete bust and waste of money. We always check height requirements now. If they are able to ride most of the rides, we go. If not, we find another place.
We must know our limits, but at the same time, we can’t be so focused on them that we don’t try new things. Sure, there will most likely be stressful moments on vacation due to the change in environment, but it’s important that we introduce our kids to new, exciting, age-appropriate experiences when we can.
3. Establish a flexible routine.
This has been a game-changer for us. Vacation is a time to let loose, but children thrive on a routine–and adults usually do too. When we establish a flexible routine, everyone tends to have better behavior, and we get more sleep.
So, what does this look like? Well, it will be a little different for each family based on the kids’ ages and the kind of vacation you are having.
On our recent beach vacation, the kids would wake up, have breakfast, watch a little television, swim in the pool a little, and the littles would have their morning nap while the big kids continued to swim. Then, all of us would go to the beach in the early afternoon. After the beach, we would go home, take showers, and get ready for dinner. After dinner, we’d hang out for a bit and then the kids would go to bed at a reasonable time–still allowing the adults a little time to themselves.
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4. Push through the stressful moments to get to the best times.
I’ve found this one to be true over and over again. Every vacation we’ve taken has had stressful moments, but we would have missed out on so much if we had allowed those crazy times to get us down and force us to go home. Instead, we pushed through them and experienced glimpses of childhood magic. The short-term stress on the way there was totally worth it.
More than anything, we need to remind ourselves that vacation is special. We are making awesome memories that will last our lifetimes. So, when you have the chance–take it! You won’t regret it.
Thanks so much for reading, sharing, and responding! I’d love to connect with you on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Be blessed!
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