The importance of family vacations is huge in my books. Not just for kids, but for parents too. From making memories, going on adventures, and relaxing – every family needs a vacation. I firmly believe that at least once a year you should pull your family away from the hustle and bustle of life to refuel and reconnect. These are the times that I look forward to most.
As a family, we are a team. We all work hard, every day. Rushing around, working together to complete so many tasks, day in and day out. Work, school, errands, homework, bake sales… the list never ends! It is downright exhausting.
Once we reach that point of exhaustion, our enthusiasm dwindles, attitudes take a dive, and our efforts start to lose their momentum. What is the old saying… work hard, play hard? Now that everyone has been working hard, it is time to play hard.
Some of my favourite memories from my childhood are during family travel. Camping, visiting relative afar were engaging activities that drew my whole family together. We learned so much about each other. Even when we encountered a problem, we leaned on each other. If someone fell, they were helped up. Trust grew right along with our bonds.
Using family vacations as an opportunity to teach your children how to be there for one another is golden. When your family experiences this regularly, it allows them gain the tools they need to live a happy and healthy life. They learn how to problem solve as a team and think of other’s needs.
If you do not have the means to take a vacation away from home, plan a staycation instead. The perfect family vacation is within your reach. You do not need to spend a pretty penny for the experience. All you need is your family and time. Plan a few days away from work, school, daycare, and chores.
Having some down time will give everyone an opportunity to reconnect with each other. Simply pack a picnic and take your family to the neighbourhood pool for a day full of sun and water. Have the entire family contribute by preparing the meal and packing up everything they need.
Unplugging from work, activities, and the daily grind will give everyone in your family an opportunity to unwind and recharge. A vacation should be an opportunity to explore, learn, and create. It is a time to spark adventure and make memories. Gaining an experience with your family strengthens everyone’s relationship.
If you have been putting your vacation off, take a moment to think of the importance of family vacations so you can regenerate and reconnect with your loved ones.
When is the last time you took a family vacation?
Melanie B says
07/14/2015 at 3:34 pmWe havent taken a big family vacation for a while.. but my dad recently bought a trailer so we are going to all start camping lots!
Amy says
07/14/2015 at 4:52 pmWe took a family vacation last month. It was fun but hectic to prepare for it and catch up later.
Jeanette says
07/14/2015 at 6:02 pmWe love family vacations! It is a time to relax and get to “know” each other again! We just got back from one and we felt SO good when we got back! Thanks for the post!
Maria says
07/14/2015 at 6:55 pmFamily travel is the best time. We went a month ago and stayed on the beach, it was amazing – I did not want to leave!
Wendy says
07/14/2015 at 7:43 pmI couldn’t agree more. I would love to take a family vacation, but my husband doesn’t get to choose his days off. He only gets the week of the 4th of July and Christmas, bother terrible for travel.
Sunny M says
07/14/2015 at 7:48 pmI agree so much with you about this. We actually just got back from a wonderful family vacation to Myrtle Beach. It was absolutely the “play hard” that we needed!
Ann Bacciaglia says
07/14/2015 at 7:50 pmWe love to go on family trips. It is a lot harder now that the kids are teenagers it is harder to find places everyone wants to go to. It is a great way for the family to bond.
Liz Mays says
07/14/2015 at 8:05 pmSome of the best family vacations we’ve gone on have had zero planned events. Just spending quality time together is great!
Amber Edwards says
07/14/2015 at 8:05 pmWe’ve been doing a lot of family travel to visit family and attend family reunions. But I don’t feel like we’ve really had a good family vacation in a long time. I think we need to do something that is more “vacation to have fun” versus obligated travel to visit people. Our summer is almost over and we didn’t get to do anything really fun. And I”m sad. We’ve been too busy. We are all feeling it too. We will have to take a family vacation in the middle of the school year.
Shauna says
07/14/2015 at 8:10 pmWe actually make it a priority to plan family vacations or staycations. It is super-important for Hubby to get that time to unwind and for the kids to build strong memories and bonds with us 🙂
Stacey says
07/14/2015 at 10:24 pmI always love family vacations! It’s a great way to build lots of memories.
Meagan says
07/14/2015 at 11:11 pmSome of my very best memories include family vacations. Family memories are irreplaceable!
Rachael says
07/15/2015 at 3:07 amCompletely agree Tammi! Holidays and mini breaks are so important. We are on a long trip (nine months) at the moment and my husband and I are always saying how good it is for our parenting, kids and us. Although I will admit on a trip of this length it is very hard to hide any family dysfunction! Which is also a good thing as we work through any issues as they come up.
Enjoy a holiday everyone!!
Sabrina says
07/15/2015 at 11:45 amCouldn’t agree more, we love escaping from the day to day and having adventures together. You don’t even have to go far!
Robin says
07/16/2015 at 5:33 amI agree completely. We take several trips each year.
Kristy Short says
07/16/2015 at 10:42 pmI agree. As a kid we took a few vacations but not every year. As a parent it is my goal to make sure we take regular vacations as a family, even if it is only camping a few hours from home. I want to make memories that last.
loucheryl says
07/19/2015 at 3:35 pmWe went away for one day last year to Niagara Falls. We really can’t afford to go far so we do a lot of stay cations. I wish we could do more vacations but it’s not possible right now.