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How to Keep the Peace while Vacationing with Family

No vacation is worry-free. The weather can be bad, someone can get stung by a bee, luggage can be lost, etc., etc.  But, a few handy tips can mean a much more enjoyable family vacation for everyone.  Here are a few suggestions from an article in July’s edition of  Real Simple magazine.

• Someone may have to make sacrifices. Maybe one family member (let’s say your sister) loves canoeing, but you would much rather sit on the deck with a cool drink and watch the birds. Agreeing to the canoe outing is an investment in your personal relationship.  You may not love every minute of it, but you will enjoy the smiles on your sister’s face.
• Avoid eating out too often. When you eat out, everyone needs to come to some kind of consensus regarding which restaurant, what time to eat, and you may need reservations.  If you eat ‘in’, you can eat together, eat in groups, snack or cook a meal for everyone, depending on how the mood strikes you.
• Know the group’s limits. If you have a very young child or an elderly aunt, you will need to modify the ‘pace’ of any activities for that person.  This can be annoying for other family members, but it is also helps you all to ‘slow down’ and enjoy the activities without trying to do too much.
• Find time to ‘escape’ each other. It’s always a good idea to find some time to read a book by yourself, take a walk, or some other solo activity approximately every 4 hours or so.   This allows everyone to regroup and recharge.
• It’s a good idea to plan for late afternoon ‘overload’ when you travel with kids. It’s been a long day already and it’s not quite time for dinner. The kids are getting tired and grouchy.  If you plan an activity for this late afternoon ‘slump’, either an active one, like a scavenger hunt, or a more passive one, like group reading time or a card game, it will help the kids (and adults) maintain the vacation spirit through the rest of the day.