Vacationing For Kids, Vacationing For You

When it comes to taking a vacation, parents often find themselves in a dilemma. Are you going to choose a vacation destination that’s ideal for the kids, or are you going to find a destination that’s ideal for you?

Kids and parents tend to have very different tastes, though they can overlap in important ways that will make a vacation meaningful for both parties. Having a fun vacation and having children don’t have to be mutually exclusive activities. Here’s how to make the best of it for both, creating a restful and exciting experience that works for everybody.

 

• You Don’t Have to Do the Big Parks. Some parents love to take their kids to exciting theme parks they went to as children, staying at timeshares they got through DVC Resales. If that’s your thing, go for it. But if you don’t relish the idea of standing in the sun for hours, in hour+ waits for a single ride, don’t be pressured to do so. Having a vacation is all about the needs of the family. So cross this off your vacation destination possibility list. Instead, consider places that you’d like to go yourself, like the beach, another country, a cultural center, or other great idea. It’s possible to find kid-friendly activities anywhere you go, and who knows, experiencing something that you also enjoy could be a great experience for them.

 

1. • Compromise on Activities. Another great way for both parents and children to get something out of the experience of a shared vacation is to each let the other choose activities that are tailor made for them. For instance, you could take your youngest kids gem mining or go see a concert they want to see. That evening, you could take them to the stage production you most want to see. Try to create a culture where you’re both trying to help the other group have fun, and you and your kids could end up having a ball the whole time.

 

• Let the Older Kids Help Out/Do Their Own Thing. Parents need time to themselves on vacation. If you have children that are older, consider letting them have time to go off by themselves and do what they want to do. If you have older children and younger ones, have the older ones watch the little ones for an hour or two, here are there. This can give you the chance to have some adult time without having to worry about the kiddos.
• Share Vacations With Other Families. Families who schedule holidays together are often able to “bundle” the kids on certain days, to give the other parent or parents a chance to do something not directly child-related. This is an ideal way to help and be helped by your other friends with kids, because they’re going through exactly the same thing you’re going through.

 

There are loads of ways to create a vacation that’s ideal for parents and children, without having to create a compromise that no one really loves. Try these methods and think of your own. Your next family vacation will be extraordinary.