4 lessons I learned about parenting at Disney World

Last updated on: June 22, 2015 at 11:11 am by Dave Willis

4 lessons I learned about parenting at Disney World 2015-06-22T11:11:09-05:00 Dave 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.

My family just got home from a trip to Disney World. This picture from The Magic Kingdom is of my wife Ashley, our four young sons and my amazing parents who were brave enough to make the journey with us and help us keep track of the kids. As you can see from the picture, we wore bright, matching tee shirts which might seem tacky, but they actually helped us keep track of each other quite a bit in the crowded parks. Besides, we’re all a little bit redneck, so “tacky” is sort of a family tradition!

In the aftermath of the trip, I’m a little sunburned, financially strapped (considering the price of everything, I think Mickey Mouse might actually work for the Mafia) and physically exhausted, but we also made some great memories and learned some important lessons. The volume and frequency of our toddler screaming may have also given me a mild case of PTSD. Ironically, “The Happiest Place on Earth” had our kids screaming and crying quite a bit, but thankfully, there were some beautiful moments as well.

Here are four unexpected parenting lessons we learned on the trip. Considering the price of Disney World, these parenting lessons were VERY expensive, but I’m passing them onto you for free!

These principles don’t just apply at theme parks, but are usually true in all other parts of life:

1. The waiting often produces better memories than the main attraction.

I hate waiting in lines, but I had to do it a LOT this week. Lines at Disney are long and hot (and I found out the hard way that not everyone wears deodorant), but some of the best conversations I had all week came in those times of waiting. In parenting, we tend to focus so much on the “destination” that we’re prone to miss out on the beautiful moments that happen in the mundane times of waiting. Look for moments all along the way to bond and laugh and learn while you’re waiting. The “main attraction” you’re waiting for is really just the icing on the cake.

2. Instead of getting stressed, you sometimes need to “Let it Go” (sorry, I couldn’t resist)!

Yes, the iconic song from Frozen has some truth. I had a well-planned out itinerary mapping out each day of the trip, and almost none of my actual plans came to pass. I tend to get really frustrated when I make plans and then life happens and my plans get interrupted, but if we’re too rigid in our itineraries, we will miss out on the beautiful moments that “Plan B” can bring. There’s no fun without flexibility. Instead of getting all bent out of shape, sometimes we need to “let it go”.

3. More stuff doesn’t make kids happier.

My kids asked for lots of stuff this week, and even though we said “no” with regularity, they still got an awful lot of overpriced ice cream and souvenirs. Those trinkets brought very temporary happiness, but almost immediately, they were looking to the next thing. Teaching our kids the joy of contentment isn’t the result of giving them more stuff, but rather, in modeling for power of thankfulness with what we already have. An attitude of gratitude goes a long way, and the greatest gifts we can give them don’t have a price tag.

4. “Magical” memories are made in unexpected ways.

Your kids are making memories, but they rarely happen how or when you would expect. Keep laughing together, loving them and creating memorable moments along the way, and don’t beat yourself up when things don’t go perfectly. Kids aren’t looking for perfection; they’re just looking for more of us. Our kids don’t need more of our “presents,” they need more of our “presence.”

For more ways to create lasting memories with your kids, check out my popular post on “The 5 things your kids will remember about you” by clicking here.

If this post encouraged you, please share it using the links below so we can encourage other families too.

Family and Parenthood

Previous Post

June 14, 2015

4 Things Every Military Marriage Needs

Next Post

June 22, 2015 5 ways to keep your sanity when your kids are young

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Study Family and Parenthood General Inspiration and Encouragement Life Tools Marriage Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month August 2022 May 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 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

“The Lord is my light and my _______ — whom shall I fear?"

Select your answer to see how you score.

Leader Lamp Salvation Hope

Books by This Author Books by Dave Willis

See All Titles »