Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Ashley Willis

Home
Family, Parenting and Religion
4 Ways to Survive (and Possibly Thrive) on a Summer Vacation with Kids

4 Ways to Survive (and Possibly Thrive) on a Summer Vacation with Kids

Last updated on: June 9, 2016 at 9:32 am by Ashley Willis

4 Ways to Survive (and Possibly Thrive) on a Summer Vacation with Kids 2016-06-09T09:32:07-04:00 Ashley Willis

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

13406831_10210279651697855_4901369392641581829_n

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!

http://sixseeds.patheos.com/ashleywillis/to-the-mom-who-avoids-putting-on-a-swimsuit/

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.

http://sixseeds.patheos.com/ashleywillis/10-reasons-why-you-and-your-spouse-need-to-have-a-regular-date-night/

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!

Previous Post

June 3, 2016

The Key to Raising a Kid with GOOD CHARACTER

Next Post

June 14, 2016 Husbands: Please NEVER STOP Doing THIS...

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Parenting Uncategorized

Select a Month January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Moses" mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Gifted Drawn Out (of water) Rescued Born Amid Trouble

Books by This Author Books by Ashley Willis

See All Titles »