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5 Ways To Survive Family Vacations

By Michelle Myers 17 Comments

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5 Ways To Survive Family Vacations

Do you typically have an ideal image of what a family vacation is going to look like only to have the reality turn out to be a disappointment? First, we have to understand the difference between a vacation and a family trip. Then we need to prepared for as many family trip pitfalls as possible so we can actually have fun and create those memories we imagine. 5 Ways to Survive a Family Vacation. SunshineandHurricanes.com

On a family vacation a couple years ago, I texted a friend the following question:

Have you ever contemplated coming home early from a family vacation
or have you actually ever done it?

I couldn’t believe I was feeling this way, but truly by the end of  the second day into our little escape, my husband and I were LOSING OUR MINDS!!!! Our children usually get along shockingly well (please don’t hate me for admitting that), but for whatever reason, from the moment we left the house they just couldn’t stop annoying the heck out of each other, and us for that matter. The weather turned crummy, my allergies were bothering me, and we were all biting each others heads off.  Overall – it felt like one big epic fail. While we did stick it out and stayed almost the fully planned on amount of  time, we were more than ready to load up and come home.

As we were driving back though, I began to realize that things really hadn’t been as bad as they seemed. We did actually have some fun in-between the fights and the complaints.  In the end, I would bet the memories that my children have about this trip will be good ones. Maybe someday we will even look back and have a few laughs about it all. In the meantime, the experience also helped remind me about a few very important lessons that will come in handy when we undertake the next family trip.

5 Ways To Survive Family Vacations

1. A Family Trip Is NOT A Vacation

When my friend replied back to my text above, she so wisely reminded me that I was not on a V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N. No, what I was actually taking part in was a Family Trip.  These are two very different things, with two very different sets of expectations and experiences. A vacation is what you need when you get back from a family trip or what you do once the kids go to college. Vacations are occasions to be pampered and selfish, none of which is happening in a minivan full of kids trying to melt fruit snacks on the window ledges of the third row.

2.  Be Prepared

I’ve heard numerous people use the term “HANGRY” (Hungry + Angry), which is basically what happens to kids and parents when hunger sets it. Even if you just ate ten minutes ago, it doesn’t matter, as soon as someone gets into a full on “hangry” mode, good luck salvaging the rest of the day. So, be sure to start off in the morning with a solid breakfast, don’t try to push off other meal times too long and throw in some granola bars or a few small packs of raisins for emergencies.

Also realize that everything seems to take longer than you anticipated. The GPS says 7 hours until destination arrival? Just remember that doesn’t count the bathroom, gas, and food breaks or the number of times you have to slow down to deliver a lecture on the dangers of launching a paper airplane attack on the minivan driver.

How To Survive Family Vacations

3. Too Much Togetherness is Just Too Much

As a family of 6, that frequently travels with extended family (add another 5 people for my sister’s family), we’re a party of 11. There are NO hotel rooms for my family much less 11 of us. Wyndham Vacation Rentals have been the absolute best thing in enhancing our experiences over the years. With access to fully equipped kitchens, extra bedrooms, and space, we all enjoy ourselves so much more.

Having our own kitchen means we can save a TON of money on eating out expenses and we can actually prepare healthier “home cooked” meals that take far less time then going to a restaurant. It can also saved additional stress, because waiting 45 minutes at a crowded, touristy restaurant for a table with 7 kids is no one’s idea of fun!

Another reason we like Wyndham Vacation Rentals is they have more of a warm and inviting “home” feeling with living rooms that give adults and children the chance to spread out and relax.  Plus, multiple bedrooms help ensure the little ones get those daily naps and that at night the adults can still enjoy some grown-up time while putting the kids to bed at a reasonable hour.

Oh, and let’s not forget one of the most important added bonuses of a vacation rental – NOT having 11 people fighting for bathroom time!

5 Ways To Survive Family Vacations

4. Schedule in Downtime

There is the temptation on a family trip to try and cram in seeing and doing everything, especially if you are on one of those once in a lifetime getaways.  However, I’m sure we’ve all seen (and most likely been) one of those families where the parents are screaming at each other while the kids are splayed out tantrum style on the pavement of some amusement park or attraction parking lot to know what happens if you go, go,go. As much as our kids can seem to have endless amounts of energy, if we skip naps or put them in a situation where they are over-stimulated from dawn to dusk, it just isn’t going to end well.

This is another reason I really like Wyndham Vacation Rentals. With hotel like amenities, it isn’t hard to convince everyone to take a break and enjoy splashing in the themed pool for an afternoon, instead of embarking on yet another sight seeing adventure.  There are also housekeeping services, which means I get a break from cleaning up after this crew!  The advantages of a vacation rental plus the resort style services really are a bonus!

5 Ways To Survive Family Vacations

5.  Despite What Disney Tries to Tell Us, All Trips as a Family will not be “Magical”

All those great tourism commercials on TV and most people’s Facebook posts try to convince you that family trips are filled with nothing but picture perfect moments of smiling kids and exuberant parents enjoying every second of their time together. Let’s remember that those commercials feature actors who are NOT related to each other, and those FB posts are most likely a split second of calm in an otherwise tear filled fest of yelling, screaming, and meltdowns. It’s okay for things not to be perfect the whole time, because remember you are on a family trip, not a vacation. 😉

Have you ever used a vacation rental? To find any of Wyndham’s fabulous locations, be sure to visit WyndhamVacationRentals.com

Wyndham Vacation Rentals is celebrating the vacation rental journey all month long with its Road to Happiness Sweepstakes! Join in on 33 days of giveaways and the chance to win the grand prize: your own road trip getaway. Enter now and learn how to play at Road2HappySweeps.com!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Family Travel, family vacation accomodations, family vacation rentals, hotel alternatives for families, road trip, travel, Travel with Kids, vacation rental, Wyndham Vacation Rentals

About Michelle Myers

Michelle Myers is mom to four kiddos ranging from elementary thru high school, each with strong opinions and a flair for the dramatic. In other words, they're a lot like her. Former educator and lover of learning, she divides her time between carpool and Starbucks by reading voraciously and giving TED talks to herself at red lights. A Floridian for almost 40 years, Michelle loves the beach, making people laugh, and date nights with her hubby of 25 years...and yeas, they clearly married at age 7.
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Comments

  1. Joanne T Ferguson says

    July 25, 2015 at 2:47 am

    Scheduling in down time is just as important as planning activities! There is only so much one can take in regardless of their age!

    Reply
  2. Katie Sparks says

    July 22, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    I cracked up when I read the “family trip is different than a vacation.” I’ve never thought of it that way but it’s so true! I can remember all of the family trips we had as kids and it always seemed like something was a huge disaster. Looking back on it now though, some of those “disasters” ended up being the best (and often most humorous!) memories.

    I enjoyed this post and loved your photos. You have a beautiful family! Thanks for sharing these tips with us all! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Danielle S says

    July 22, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    I definitely had to remind myself that we were not on vacation, but a family trip a few times during our recent road trip. Family trips always make me feel like I need an actual vacation afterwards.

    Reply
  4. Laura Martin says

    July 22, 2015 at 11:55 am

    Love this! A completely agree that a vacation is different from a family trip – I will most definitely change my mindset on this the next time we travel.

    Reply
  5. Karen Patten says

    July 22, 2015 at 10:17 am

    #4 is a must for us. Ours usually go pretty well – but the devil is always in the details. Planning, planning, planning. It can help avoid Hangry and save those in need of downtime. #1 is SO true!

    Reply
  6. Tiffany (In Honor Of Family) says

    July 22, 2015 at 9:30 am

    You are so right, and I never realized this until reading your post. A family trip is in no way a vacation. This explains why I always need a vacation after a family trip.

    Reply
  7. Paris (My Big Fat Happy Life) says

    July 22, 2015 at 9:23 am

    I agree….feeding your children meals and putting them to bed at their regular time will save you. I’ve also learned that trying to drive past my daughter’s bedtime never works because she won’t sleep in the car.

    Reply
  8. Tammy says

    July 22, 2015 at 9:11 am

    Oh my. Were you at my family vacation a couple years ago? LOL You are so right about too much family can get to you at a point and down time is a must.

    Reply
  9. Stephanie of The TipToe Fairy says

    July 21, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    I definitely agree there is a huge difference between a family trip and a vacation. My husband and I recently went on a vacation and it was wonderful. Then, this summer we went on a family trip, not so relaxing, lol.

    Reply
  10. Katie Pierce says

    July 21, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    You raised such a great point. There is a huge difference between a family trip and a vacation! It is easy to forget that when your trip is approaching and you are trying to focus on fun. My husband and I are going on a family trip (definitely not a vacation 😉 ) with his family, parents, sisters, niece & nephew, cousins, their kids in a few weeks, so I need to remind myself that this is family time, and our real vacation won’t be until January! If we go in without high expectations of having a stress-free trip, and remembering that this is an opportunity for us to spend time with one another, we will be less disappointed in the end. Thank you for the reminder!

    Reply
  11. Meagan says

    July 21, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    I love this! It is so true too. So many vacations are still very busy and can be stressful. I love planning the downtime. I think it is definitely needed to unwind, especially if you are on vacations where you are still making meals. There are always times where you get on each other’s nerves, but they always make the best memories. I’ll definitely have to share with our parents and students.

    Reply
  12. jamie says

    July 21, 2015 at 9:36 am

    Were heading out in a couple of weeks, I’ll be saving this for later!

    Reply
  13. Debra says

    July 21, 2015 at 12:20 am

    I so agree that family trips are not vacations! Vacations are trips with just your spouse!

    Reply
  14. Melanie says

    July 20, 2015 at 10:54 pm

    YES! A family trip and a vacation are not the same thing!

    Reply
  15. LydiaF says

    July 20, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    Totally agree with your friend! I think I was about 50/50 with my kids on trips. One in particular stood out as the trip from hell, but the rest were ok and a couple were really fun!

    Reply
  16. Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says

    July 20, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    Oh I have learned a family trip is not a vacation. But it still looks like fun was had.

    Reply
  17. Margaret says

    July 20, 2015 at 3:28 pm

    We just got back for vacation….. a family trip. Yes, Yes to the be prepared and be sure to stop for real food and meal times. Snacks will not always get you through and you will pay for it the next day.

    Reply

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