We try to take a family vacation at least once a year. Whether we’re spending a day exploring Lake Tahoe, or a week in Hawaii, many of our most treasured memories have been created on a family vacation.
Animal watching on our last family vacation in San Diego
I suppose you could say that Ray and I started this tradition, if you will, when we were first married. We didn’t have a whole lot of extra money, but with the help of my Grandfather and the use of his time-share, we were able to spend several days in San Diego, which is still one of our favorite places to vacation. We decided then that, no matter how big our family ever grew, we would make time for some sort of vacation as often as we could. Most of them, we knew, would be road trips.
I have many stories to tell about the fun adventures we’ve had while on vacation. In fact, some you can read right here, but others I will save for another day. For now, I want to stress how important I believe it is to take time away from the daily routine of home life…
For us, family vacations, often mean one long field trip. No matter where we take our kiddos, we always make a point to explore with the kids – geography, history, science, and even math lessons are disguised in helping Daddy navigate our journey, exploring museums, or trips to the beach.
Vacations allow families to re-connect on a much deeper level, whether your family consists of just you and your spouse, or you – like us – have a plethora of children. Not only does this special time away create an opportunity to take a break from our responsibilities, but it allows the time for us to really see each other.
As moms, do we take time to just watch our children laugh and play, jumping in to laugh and play with them? As wives, do we sit and bask in the silence with our husband, just enjoying his company? Not at home! There are dishes to wash, phone calls to make, and laundry to do.
Hmmm, I’m thinking it’s time for us to plan another family vacation.
What about you?
I am writing this post to participate in the Golden Inn Resort “What is the importance of a Vacation” sweepstakes for a chance to randomly win a full conference ticket to Blogher 2010. You can learn more about the Jersey Shore Resort and contest at their blog.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Good luck Christine! Thanks for participating!
Family vacation is important for a family with young children. It helps with their mind and perspective. A vacation is healthy for a family as well.
Christine, you are right-on with your ideas on vacation. Although it can sometimes be challenging and stressful (like the time we fit our family of 7 plus my in-laws in an RV and spent 9 days traveling around Arizona and New Mexico), as time passes the good memories stick around and challenges fade.
I have always said that God blesses Moms with amnesia starting about 6 months after delivering a baby. Otherwise, we’d have a lot fewer people walking around. Same holds true with vacations.
We just completed a 27-day tour of historic sites (and visiting family) with our 9 children, which we did in our conversion van. You can read about it in our blog (see link by my name).
.-= Dave (Dad of 9 Kids)´s last blog ..Mother’s Day, Garden Gloves, and Facilitating Your Team =-.
I believe that family vacations are very crucial for growing children because they essentially learn about what is out there in the world and it also shows what rich history this country has. I took my kids down to Springfield, IL and showed them the various landmarks such as the capital building and Abraham Lincoln’s tomb. Family vacations are very educational for children and its good that they see and learn about it.
we are just planning the family vacation right now too. No clue on where we will end up –but one thing for certain is Family reunion with cousins. So excited to see my family.My kids have talked about disneyland and I have found memories with siblings on vacations.
We didn’t start taking major family vacations until I was 16 to the Outer Banks. I have to say that those are some of my best family memories because it consisted of my immediate family, my cousins and aunts and uncles, and eventually developed in friends of the family with kids that I was friends with.
It was a blast and I’m trying to convince my parents to go back now that we are even older and can pay for once!
{ 1 trackback }