Are Family Vacations Worth It?
One of the most important parts of every kid's childhood is how their parents decide to spend their leisure time. These small parts of life have the unique ability to make BIG memories. Just think back to your own childhood. What are your favorite memories with your family? I bet at least one of them was on a vacation.
What kind of trip qualifies as a family vacation? For me, it is anytime we leave the house for the night and leave our jobs at home. It can be spent at a beautiful resort, an economy hotel near your favorite football stadium, a backcountry camp spot, or sleeping in the cluttered guest room of a family member out of town. It is definitely not about the amount of money spent. For our family, it is about stepping out of our normal life and changing of our way of thinking. We focus on sharing an adventure together.
What makes for a bad vacation? There is a risk of every vacation to go a little sideways. One memory that springs to mind for me was a 7 am wakeup call at Disney World for us to make it to a breakfast dining reservation. The night before had been a blast spent enjoying Extra Magic Hours and riding roller coasters into the night. We had arrived back at the hotel at 2:30 am. Now the phone was ringing with a wake up call for a pre-paid breakfast with characters. I thought we would be fine, but this was day three of scrambling the kids sleep schedule. None of us were happy and there were many tears trying to pull the family together and get across 'the World' for breakfast. I can still look at those pictures and laugh because it was only one morning of an awesome trip, but can you imagine if the whole trip had suffered from that poor of planning.
What make for a great family vacation? Think about your family. What are the best times that your family has experienced together? Not just on trips or holidays, but what are your best days? What pace does your family really enjoy? Some families wake up early head out for adventure, and keep a steady pace all day barely stopping to grab a quick lunch. Our family more akin to a group of hobbits who enjoy sleeping late, stopping for periodic snacks and meals, taking an afternoon nap, and enjoying parties at night. Whatever pace of life you dream to live your life by should be the pace to set for your family vacation. It is a little different for everyone, but pushing your family out of a comfortable pace will cause stress. And that stress will be amplified by your kids being in a strange place, eating different food, and on a different sleep schedule. Happy kids feel comfortable and well rested, and happy kids don't stress their parents out.
My family is big on learning while on vacation. Experience is the ultimate teacher, and there is something to learn on every trip. Why is the beach in California golden brown while in the Florida panhandle it is sugar white? Why do clouds over the Sierra Nevada mountains look so different from the haze around the Great Smoky Mountains? How do you draw Mickey Mouse and get his ears right?
So what makes a family vacation worth it to you?
What kind of trip qualifies as a family vacation? For me, it is anytime we leave the house for the night and leave our jobs at home. It can be spent at a beautiful resort, an economy hotel near your favorite football stadium, a backcountry camp spot, or sleeping in the cluttered guest room of a family member out of town. It is definitely not about the amount of money spent. For our family, it is about stepping out of our normal life and changing of our way of thinking. We focus on sharing an adventure together.
What makes for a bad vacation? There is a risk of every vacation to go a little sideways. One memory that springs to mind for me was a 7 am wakeup call at Disney World for us to make it to a breakfast dining reservation. The night before had been a blast spent enjoying Extra Magic Hours and riding roller coasters into the night. We had arrived back at the hotel at 2:30 am. Now the phone was ringing with a wake up call for a pre-paid breakfast with characters. I thought we would be fine, but this was day three of scrambling the kids sleep schedule. None of us were happy and there were many tears trying to pull the family together and get across 'the World' for breakfast. I can still look at those pictures and laugh because it was only one morning of an awesome trip, but can you imagine if the whole trip had suffered from that poor of planning.
What make for a great family vacation? Think about your family. What are the best times that your family has experienced together? Not just on trips or holidays, but what are your best days? What pace does your family really enjoy? Some families wake up early head out for adventure, and keep a steady pace all day barely stopping to grab a quick lunch. Our family more akin to a group of hobbits who enjoy sleeping late, stopping for periodic snacks and meals, taking an afternoon nap, and enjoying parties at night. Whatever pace of life you dream to live your life by should be the pace to set for your family vacation. It is a little different for everyone, but pushing your family out of a comfortable pace will cause stress. And that stress will be amplified by your kids being in a strange place, eating different food, and on a different sleep schedule. Happy kids feel comfortable and well rested, and happy kids don't stress their parents out.
My family is big on learning while on vacation. Experience is the ultimate teacher, and there is something to learn on every trip. Why is the beach in California golden brown while in the Florida panhandle it is sugar white? Why do clouds over the Sierra Nevada mountains look so different from the haze around the Great Smoky Mountains? How do you draw Mickey Mouse and get his ears right?
So what makes a family vacation worth it to you?
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