Family-Friendly Vacations© 2011 Lynn Rebuck

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

Planning a family vacation is no picnic.

I’ve spent hours searching for family-oriented beaches, family-friendly hotels, and family-friendly restaurants. Now all I need is the friendly family to go on the trip. Mine has been a little surly lately. 

It may be the thought of leaving all the comforts of home that they constantly complain about to go on a sun-filled vacation of family togetherness that makes my kids all irritable, or it may be the fact that they need to pack a smaller version of their stuff to take along.

Since we do not own a Hummer stretch limousine, there are packing limitations.  No longer will I mount a car-top carrier on the roof and leave a trail of clothing on the Interstate that we could follow home.  I’m thinking of charging my kids each a $25 bag fee for suitcases. 

I have tried to teach my kids how to pack a suitcase.  I consulted family magazines, travel magazines, and websites galore in an effort to simplify the packing process.  None of the tips, even from the travel experts, worked for us. So here is a list of packing and travel tips that I devised over the years.  I hope they benefit you during your travel this summer. 

Experts say that you should pack your suitcase and then remove half of the items.  I suggest that you pack the kids into the car and then remove half of them from the car. The trip will be quieter and the car roomier.

Provide lots of games for children to play along the way, especially if you are traveling by plane.  In the airport security line kids enjoying playing verbal games like “I See Something Metal,” and “Simon Says.” (Simon Says take off your shoes; Simon says hold your hands above your head; Simon says don’t make fun of mommy’s body scan.”)

Make frequent rest stops. It’s wise to find a suitable location for a break before you give your children any liquids. While Foudor’s has helpful guides to many countries and tourist attractions, they have yet to publish a parent’s guide to the best restrooms.  What I’d like to see is a travel guide that features five-star ratings on washroom facilities.

Experts say that you should roll clothes before putting them in the suitcase to save space.  I suggest folding your clothes into origami shapes.  It makes the workday more interesting for TSA agents.

Allow room in your suitcase for souvenirs, like the gallon of aloe vera burn lotion, the plastic pitcher and booties from the ER visit, and the oversized stuffed animal that your child accidentally won at the theme park that cost you $200.

Remember, we’re making memories as we travel, and the places you visit will never be the same after you leave, so enjoy them and the time with your children. We have a family vacation tradition. No matter how many stars a hotel has when my family and I check in, it has one less when we leave.

Lynn Rebuck is a national award-winning humor columnist and speaker whose column appears weekly in the Record Express, online, and on Amazon Kindle Blogs. Email her at Lynn@LynnRebuck.com, read her blog at www.LynnRebuck.com, fan her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter. © 2011 Lynn Rebuck

Tags: affordable, airport security, auto, Children, family, Foudors, games, packing tips, plane, Summer, Travel, vacations
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