5 simple tips to planning the perfect family vacation
Family vacations are the rite of passage for American during the
summer. Do they always go right? Nope, but they can get to the levels of
perfection by just following a few simple guidelines.
1. Location, location, location
The flight or car drive can go great, but that won’t mean a
thing if the vacation destination doesn’t make everyone happy. Make sure you to
get input from everyone in the family planning your trip. Yes, the kids get a
say too. Find a place that’s going to have something for everyone in the group.
You don’t want see your kids kicking dirt while you sample merlot during a wine
tasting, do you?
2. Pack light and smart
We all want to be prepared for anything when it comes to our
vacations, but do you really need to bring the entire house with you? This is
the age of 24-hour Wal-Mart, so you can probably afford to not take some things
from home. Try to limit things to three or four outfits for everyone, then just
do a load of laundry when needed.
3. Keep a routine for the kids
We want the little ones to have a great time on vacation, but
all in moderation. Make sure to keep the kids on a routine that’s as close to
what they get at home, so meals and bedtime should be around the same time each
day. This one isn’t so much for the trip, but making sure the transition back
to daily life is a smooth one for all involved.
4. Keep those kids happy
You’re keeping the kids on a vacation schedule, so you’ve got to
find a way to keep them from tearing things apart. Let each child bring a bag
with their favorite things – toys, books, tablet – so they have something to
keep them entertained during the car ride or flight.
5. You’ve got to be flexible
Your daily life is slave to a schedule, so why do that during a
vacation? There will be times when scheduling things is necessary, like if
you’re going to a Broadway show or on a tour. The rest of the time can be set
up by just asking everyone what they’d like to do on a particular day, making
it a point to have one or two goals for that day. And don’t worry if you can’t
complete a certain goal for a day – that’s why you have two.
