Family Vacation Advice: How to Ensure Your Vacation With Loved Ones is Actually Relaxing

Family vacations are a great way to have fun, gain new experiences, and make memories to last a lifetime. But are they relaxing? Yeah, not so much. If you ask around, many people will tell you that they often return from their family vacation well in need of another vacation to recover. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. Just use the following tips to truly relax on your next trip.

Ditch the Expectations

Since life is far too often a messy, wondrous journey, high expectations are the killer of joy and happiness. Whether you expect to hit all the attractions in one trip or just have a chill meal with the family at the end of the day, it’s likely real life will get in the way of realizing those dreams.

So, create a loose plan and aim to fly by the seat of your pants to see what happens. By leaving your expectations at the door, you can just enjoy what comes your way instead of trying to fit everything into your vision of what should be.

Get Connected Rooms

Even after having the best day ever, everyone needs some solo time to recharge and get ready for the fun ahead. If you’re all piled in one hotel room, however, then that’s just not going to happen. The kids will keep bouncing off the walls well past their vacay bedtimes, while the adults scramble to find a quiet corner to decompress.

So, to give each person their own space to unwind, consider getting a hotel suite with connected rooms. Or you can go all out and rent a cabin, cottage, or beach house instead. Either way, bring along the baby monitor if you have little ones, so you can rest up and sleep easy without getting up every five minutes.

Take Lots of Breaks

Although it’s tempting to try to see and do everything your vacation destination has to offer, it’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, pick a handful of structured activities and separate them with a ton of relaxing breaks. You can go to the aquarium, for example, and then spend a couple hours on the beach to recharge.

By separating the activities in this way, you allow for plenty of time to get the wiggles out, so your kids don’t have to hold it together for so long. You can then avoid meltdowns and simply enjoy your time together.

Also, keep your planned activities to a minimum to allow for impromptu stops along the way. If your kids spot a fun playground on your way through town, you’ll want to stop by for at least a little bit of playtime – or plan to hear about it for the rest of your trip.

By taking the smart approach to planning your family vacation, you can keep it low-key and utterly enjoyable for all. You’ll return home feeling well rested and ready to return to your gig worker activities.

About the Author: Marie Abendroth is a skilled content strategist and SEO copywriter who has been a proud part of the gig economy for over 10 years. In her articles, she aims to provide up-to-date info that can help everyone achieve their goals as an independent worker. You can find her on WriterAccess.