Saturday, June 26, 2021

Eight Brilliant Parent Hacks for Your Next Family Vacation

I love a good vacation, and it has long been a goal of mine to make our family trips more of a vacation for us all. This summer we headed north for a few weeks in the great state of Utah. The mountain ski towns on Utah are only about 10 hours from the Phoenix area and the drive is beautiful. As I was unpacking from our 11 day trip yesterday (both figuratively and literally), it realized we have developed some parenting hacks worthy of sharing. Whether you are going away for a weekend stay-cation, or a jaunt across Europe, these 8-tips will help keep everyone smiling. 

1) Let your kids pack.  Make a packing list with each child, and then give them ONE small suitcase. Have them cross off each item when they put it in the bag. Double check as age requires. If it doesn't fit in the bag it doesn't go. Plan to do laundry if you are gone for more than a week. 

2) Give them a small travel bag.  Give your child a small back pack for their extra items (toothbrush, books, sketch pad, sticker books (I love the Ultimate ones), charging cords, water bottle, gum etc.) and anything else they need to keep quiet and happy for hours while traveling. 

3) Kids carry their own stuff. When our youngest was little we bought a scooter suitcase similar to this one by another brand  (click here) for our Europe trip and it was awesome. Small but functional and it helped the little one keep up with us as we walked the airports. Once the big kids realize they will have to carry their own gear, they get pretty good at packing light. The one linked with my affiliate is heavy duty enough for any age traveler. 

4) Build in down-time everyday - Even after your kids are through with the naps! It is really great to relax on vacation. Resist the urge to be on-the-go 100% of the time. Target one special thing a day and then chill time or just explore a little. I will never forget my oldest whining a few years ago about having to see "one more old thing". I had overpacked the schedule when they just needed a pool, park, a playground or a big kid nap. 

5) Don't spend your whole time in restaurants. If you figure 1 hour per meal, 3 x a day, that is a lot of time (and money). Grab deli-meat and bread and make sandwiches for lunch on the go, or cereal and milk with some plastic bowls for a quick breakfast or pre-bedtime snack. Eating out it part of the travel experience, but it is pricey and the kids don't appreciate it in the same way we adults do. Plan ahead a little for some quick, easy dinners that require little prep and few ingredients. We made both shrimp scampi and lemon chicken piccata on this recent trip and those dinners were better than any of the food we ate out. Pastas and rice are super simple and cheep to make in any kitchen. 

6) Don't spend your whole time in the kitchen. We usually stay in rental houses when we travel which gives us the benefit of a kitchen, but I want a break too! This summer we hit the perfect balance. Breakfast at home and then either lunch out and dinner at home, or we packed lunch and had dinner in restaurant.

7) Find the Free Stuff. Part of a great vacation is experiencing life in a new place. Play at the parks, go on hikes, look up times for farmers markets, flea markets, or free admission days at the museums, and talk to the locals. As budget permits do some extra stuff, but find a balance. One of my favorite memories of Spain is walking the open flea market in Madrid. It was awesome. 

8) Do laundry before you come home. I remember years ago feeling a sense of dread as I drove home after a little family road trip. I love my home, but re-entry and all that goes with it can be a challenge. I was dreading the mountains of laundry, the grocery shopping that needed to be done, and the bickering that I knew was coming as we tried to mobilize all hands to help unpack. So we started doing a few loads of laundry at the end of the vacation. For this most recent trip, all the kids came home with clean clothes in their suitcases, able to unpack their folded clothes and put them away directly. 

I admit after almost 2 weeks away, I am happy to be home (although not so happy with the heat here during the Arizona Summer!). I hope you get a chance for a little or big get away this summer as well, and if so these 8 tips will help your trip seem more like a vacation. 

For more on traveling with children read some of my archived posts: 

RoadTrip Survival Guide

Vacations vs Family Trips

Journeying with Friends

For more photos and thoughts from our trip check out my Instagram here. 

Safe Travels and thanks for stopping by!



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