With summer in full swing, many families are planning vacations with their kids. With so many destinations to choose from such as the beach, amusement park, or camping, it is important to plan ahead and choose appropriate activities. Being prepared on a vacation will give you more freedom to fully enjoy your time with your children. Here are some tips to help make the most of your summer vacation with your kids:
Ask for Your Child’s Input
Making kids part of the process when it comes to planning a vacation during the summer will help kids feel that they are important enough for their ideas to be taken into consideration. Have your kids make a list of all the places that appeal to them, even if they are silly. If you make your children part of the planning, it will teach them how to compromise on various suggestions such as going to the beach, camping, overseas, or even taking a day trip.
Plan Activities in Advance
Things will go a lot smoother if you make reservations ahead of time because they fill up fast. Search websites (like Macaroni Kid), newspapers, and advertisements for discounts on vacation spots to help cut down the costs. When scheduling a trip with kids, it is important to research the requirements of various activities. For example, amusement parks may have height or age restrictions on certain rides.
Be Flexible
If parents learn to be flexible when it comes to summer vacations, it will lower stress and anxiety for the kids. It is vital to plant the seed with your kids that sometimes scheduled activities may not go as planned ... and that is okay. Teach your children to be flexible during summer vacation may reduce disappointment when you can't attend a certain event. Have a back-up plan in case the weather does not cooperate with certain events. When traveling with smaller children on extended vacations, consider building in time on your agenda for breaks and low-key activities. Toddlers and preschoolers can not be expected to be at their best with a packed itinerary.
Encourage Proper Social Etiquette
A summer get-away is a wonderful opportunity to practice social etiquette with your kids. You can practice to saying "Thank you" when someone brings food to the table at a restaurant, guides a tour at certain facilities, or gives your family directions. It also an opportunity to teach them how to wait patiently in line at the zoo, for an amusement park ride, or at the airport.
Keep a Vacation Journal
If you have not kept a vacation journal with your kids in the past, it might be fun to start one this summer. Vacations are all about making memories with families. Have your kids write about one positive thing that happened every day on your trip. It can be a funny story, an activity they really enjoyed, or something they are looking forward on the trip. If the trip includes visiting state/national parks, consider purchasing a passport stamp book. They are an inexpensive way to document family excursions through US state and national parks. Sometimes, kids like to add photos in the journal to help them remember their wonderful vacation with their families!
Have a wonderful summer!
Barron Whited is a College Admission Specialist, Bullying Prevention Specialist, and School Counselor Leadership Specialist. He has a Masters Degree in Education and is K-12 School Counselor Certified.
