Tips for Planning a Family Summer Vacation

Gone are the days when you and your partner could jump on a plane or get in the car with one bag in hand for a spontaneous vacation. Now that you are a parent, a working parent at that, family vacations have become another item on your to-do list. They require a great deal of planning ahead in the hopes that you can accommodate work schedules, camp schedules and the good ole fashioned need for relaxation and fun.

If you are looking to get ahead, May is the perfect month to start planning.

Here are tips to help make planning your family’s summer vacation a more pleasant, and dare we say —fun—  endeavor:

Formulate a Plan. There are key questions to be answered before diving into the sea of summer vacation planning. What is your budget? How long do you want to be gone? Who is going and what are their interests? Is the destination new or a return trip? If you start your research without these answers, you’ll be finishing your plan in 2019.

Have a Loose Itinerary. Traveling with young children and no agenda can be a recipe for disaster. Know what activities are available and schedule them into your trip, allowing for some flexibility, of course. You don’t want to waste time while on your vacation trying to research options, such as theme parks, horseback riding, bike rides, museums, etc. Set aside some down time or allow for family members to do separate activities as well.

Start a list. If you’re a natural list-maker, this will come easy to you. Making lists for everything from what to pack to a list of songs to listen to in the car, to a list of activities to do when you get there can really take the guesswork out of planning on the fly.

Keep it Documented. It’s already tough to juggle daily routines, work responsibilities, social plans and planning a vacation just adds more balls in the air. Get organized by keeping a list, or creating a calendar item on your smart phone, of all the “to dos,” such as making reservations, buying supplies, purchasing tickets or items to pack. Keep a folder of any receipts, print outs, tickets or schedules that will be needed on the trip for easy reference. Foreceipt Receipt Tracker App is a great app to track your receipts, bills and expenses.

A little smooth planning can lay the groundwork for some great anticipation before the big trip! Channel soothing, summery thoughts in the months leading up to this vacation.

Thank you for reading along, as we work together in raising the next generation of amazing kids!