Family Vacation Time? How to ensure it is a maturing opportunity for your child and a rewarding experience for the whole family.

August is the favorite month for family travel and can be a daunting experience for parents. They are trying to figure out how to have everyone enjoy the experience and return feeling successful and rewarded.

Firstly you need to plan ahead, especially in terms of how this experience will impact your child and the family experience.

For Infants

Suggestions

If your child is under the age of one, your challenge is to try and keep them on their feeding and sleep schedule as much as possible. This is particularly true if you are travelling to different time zones. Many parents have achieved their greatest success by keeping infants on their home time schedule regardless of where they are. This will probably create some inconvenience for you, but the feedback seems to indicate the positive results outweigh any inconveniences.

Make sure they have enough toys and books etc. so they are occupied during their awake time.

Do not get in the habit of carrying them around all the time or expecting them to be quiet all the time.

Make sure they have stimulating activity and adequate floor time.

Hopefully you are vacationing in a child friendly environment that can be comfortable for everyone.

If your child is older, you want them to take some responsibility and be more included in the process.

Suggestions

Make sure they have their own backpack. This should contain a few of their favorite books, some new books, small activities that they may be able to handle on their own in an airplane or car and a small sketch or doodle item.

They should be responsible for their backpack and its contents and carry it themselves at all times.

Inform them each day what the planned activities are. This should include names of all locations, what they can expect, as much information about the purpose of each activity, and what you expect from them. A review of their knowledge at the end of each day is always a good wrap up.

Outline their responsibilities for each day and what you expect. This may become a discussion. If so, listen and accommodate them when possible. If that is not an option, tell them why and be firm.

Under no circumstances should they be sharing your bed. Arrange for air beds, cots etc. We have often seen any maturing process lost when they are not respected as individuals where sleep space is concerned.

Do Not OVERBOOK! Exhaustion can ruin the best plans and also create misbehavior.

Try to remain on a schedule that is as close to normal as possible.

If they are returning to an organized environment upon their return, then allow them enough transition time to readjust.

Remember to acknowledge their positive behavior and great listening skills at the end of each day.

We have consistently witnessed more mature behavior when a child returns to our daycare after a well planned vacation.

Good luck!