This week, my family is on vacation. We have been having a great time, and Dylan has been doing very well as far as behaving appropriately and listening to us – much of the time. I think that there are a couple of reasons why things are going smoothly for us, even though our days have been much busier and exciting than they are at home.
The first thing that I think is helping us to have a great vacation is to keep our expectations realistic. By choosing restaurants where we do not have to wait too long for a table and loading the diaper bag with plenty of nutritious snacks, dining out has gone much better than I had anticipated. For the beach, we have chosen to forego crowded beaches with steep parking prices in favor of smaller beaches with free parking. The crowds are smaller, and we do not stay for more than an hour or two – plenty of time for a little swimming and some fun in the sand without the sunburn and fatigue that a whole day at the beach could bring. For other entertainment, we have kept things pretty low key, going to a couple of baseball games and playing at the playground and pool at the hotel.
The other thing which I think has made for a successful vacation is the adult to child ratio. Dylan is accustomed to being with me all day, every day. When we are at home, I am outnumbered two to one by Dylan and his baby brother Blake. It can be tough to meet both of their needs all of the time. This week, the adult to child ratio is three to two. The boys have me, my husband, and my dad looking after them. It sure has been a lot easier for me, and I think that Dylan is enjoying spending time with not just one but three people that he loves.
With realistic and age appropriate expectations and a favorable adult to child ratio, I am really enjoying our family vacation. What kinds of things have you found helpful for keeping family vacations fun?