Archives for June 2016

5 Tips For A Better Family Vacation

carVacations are exciting, but also stressful. Here are 5 ways to help reduce stress for both parents and kids on your next family vacation:
1. Make a three-part checklist for the trip with items to do a week before, a day before, and an hour before leaving. Give a copy to everyone in the family and make them responsible for marking each item complete. Have everyone check each other’s lists.
2. Be ready with spontaneous family games that don’t require any props. You can play them in the car, the hotel room, anytime there’s a waiting period. You can find ebooks filled with these kinds of games…download one for the trip.
3. Be ready to play airport or destination scavenger hunt or bingo. Have the kids search for certain things, like “The first person to spot an Arrival Board” or “The first person to find a taxi.” At the end of a period, add the points and offer prizes.
4. Every day at dinner, go around the table and ask everyone what their favorite thing was that day. This is an amazing way to anchor positive memories.
5. Give everyone time apart, time to do nothing, time to be independent (as appropriate for each person’s age). This can be as little as a 15-minute break to play on your separate phones, read, nap, or take a walk alone.

And remember- don’t broadcast you are going to be away on vacation to your friends and family on social media. Post after you return with your favorite photos to make sure your home stays safe and has no uninvited guests.