~Family Vacations- Don't Be So Stressed~

Vacations are supposed to be fun, relaxing, and as close to perfect as possible. Then why do so many families spend their vacation fighting, upset, or grumpy over the littlest things? People when they are taking a vacation are over worked and stressed out already. The added pressure of trying to plan a vacation can really get to some people. They seem to be mad at their spouse, children, or people they don’t even know for any reason they can think of.


Plan where you are going. This is the first step to relieving vacation tension. Planning where you go is crucial; don’t pick somewhere that the weather has been extremely hot/cold or dry/rainy. Check the weather, I keep on harping about it, but it is important to know what the weather has been doing. Do you plan on going to California during the dry season and there is a high possibility of a forest fire? Then it probably isn’t a good idea to go camping in any forest in California. Don’t let something like the weather ruin your vacation.


Another step to relieving vacation tension is plan on how you are going to pack. If you have a family consisting of two parents and two children and you are taking the family car, think about how much room you really have. There’s trunk space, and that’s about it, unless you get an extra storage unit for the top of the car. Limit how much everyone can take and stick to it. Also, if everyone packs a carry on that they keep with them in the car; make sure that it won’t take up too much room. A carry on should only have things that will keep the carrier busy or what they have to have, like medicine. Not their entire room in a backpack. For children allow each child to bring their two favorite and maybe their favorite game/ game system. When you set rules and everyone should follow the rules, including yourself, then the system is fair and no one will be too upset.


Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, so don’t stress over the little things. Getting stressed out before you leave isn’t a good way to start a vacation and usually ruins the vacation for everyone. Taking care of children can be stressful when they are at home, and more so on vacation. Just remember that they are not adults and don’t always know that shouting out obscene comments in a restaurant isn’t the best idea. Usually they don’t think about the consequences beforehand. So, allow yourself a few minor freak outs, but don’t let those ruin your vacation. If you set guidelines, that everyone can understand and aren’t extreme, then everyone will have a much better time. Everyone will know what is acceptable and inappropriate and they won’t have to learn the hard way. I say this a lot, but it’s YOUR vacations, so YOU should enjoy it.