It’s that time of year, when we can’t wait to take a trip with the kids. At last, spring break is just around the corner; now is the time to plan your family vacation carefully. Just winging it with kids is a recipe for disaster. Even if you’re only heading out for a long weekend, research and preparation are key to designing a successful family get-away.
My family recently went to Disney World. We had an absolute blast, although I probably wouldn’t call it a vacation. It was exhilarating and exhausting, especially with a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old in tow. While you might not be planning such an adventurous trip, here are some vacation tips you might find useful:
- First, carefully research your hotel. Know the surrounding area, as well as your family's special needs. I fully investigated the amenities at the hotel and services available. For instance, knowing that my 1-year-old eats snacks all day long, I wanted to know what I could find in the gift shop and dining room. I then packed my “snack bag” accordingly.
- Second, plan your budget. If you don’t work this out in advance, you’ll spend far more during your trip than you intended. Once our trip was booked, we started saving change and spare dollars in a “vacation fund” jar, which we kept in our kitchen. We actually had fun filling it up. Right before we left, we rolled all the change, cashed it at the bank and bought a Disney Gift Card. You could also buy travelers checks or prepaid credit cards to use while you're away. This really helped control our spending.
- Third, consult guide books and websites and loosely plan activities for each day. Yes, my husband laughs while I write this—I actually plan the entire day, everyday. In most cases, however, it may not be a good idea to have an exact agenda. You don’t want to be rigid or inflexible if you get a late start one day, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, or if you decide to have some extra pool time. But, having a rough idea of what you want to accomplish can actually save time. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself at breakfast saying, “So, what are we going to do today?”
- Finally, prepare your kids. Many children have difficulty adjusting to a different time zone, flying on airplanes, sleeping in hotel rooms and getting off their regular schedule. I spent a lot of time with my boy looking at websites, reading books and even did a paper chain countdown to get him ready for the trip. The more you talk about what it’s going to be like, the more prepared and excited your kids will be when you get there.
For my family, this was the first big vacation we’ve ever done, and when we booked the trip, I certainly didn’t realize the amount of planning that I would need to do to make sure our vacation was a success. Still, I am glad I made the effort, because we had a wonderful time.
