No matter what your age, travelling with family can be a difficult journey. Although it’s often nice to have someone familiar near you in strange surroundings, it can also be hell! Since family vacations are one of those pretty much unavoidable things in life, I’ve compiled some tips to help you cope with the situation. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the discussion area as well as stories of your family vacations.
• Spend time alone, away from siblings and parents. Arrange ahead of time to split up for half a day or a day at a time. This gives you a chance to hit the theme park that would make your parents sick and them a chance to take a tour of that boring art museum.
• Learn to compromise. You don’t always have to eat at your favorite restaurant and you get more bargaining power with each little thing you give in to.
• Pick a location that interests everyone. In other words, don’t drag your parents on a trip to Uganda when they really wanted to go to Australia. No one will be happy in this arrangement and it’s generally easier to find a country/city that both parties can enjoy.
• Separate hotel rooms are a life saver if you’re on a long trip. You might save money by sharing, but all that quality time could lead to some serious fights and end up destroying your vacation. Another option is a suite, with several rooms, more like a tiny apartment.
• If you’ve lived on your own already, it can be awkward travelling with your parents, since they automatically fall back into the Mom/Dad role, while you are too independent to return to the child position. It helps to discuss this ahead of time and let them know that you will be needing some space and time alone.
Of course, you won’t always be travelling with parents. Like my sister and I, you may be travelling with a sibling which presents problems . . . and advantages of its own.
• Once again, compromise is the key. Don’t always try to get your own way, especially if you’re the older sibling. You might enjoy the trip, but your brother or sister won’t.
• Control your temper. If you’re getting ticked off, go for a walk or lock yourself in the bathroom for a while. Don’t take it out on other people, you’ll both be miserable for the rest of the day.
• Spend time alone, away from siblings and parents. Arrange ahead of time to split up for half a day or a day at a time. This gives you a chance to hit the theme park that would make your parents sick and them a chance to take a tour of that boring art museum.
• Learn to compromise. You don’t always have to eat at your favorite restaurant and you get more bargaining power with each little thing you give in to.
• Pick a location that interests everyone. In other words, don’t drag your parents on a trip to Uganda when they really wanted to go to Australia. No one will be happy in this arrangement and it’s generally easier to find a country/city that both parties can enjoy.
• Separate hotel rooms are a life saver if you’re on a long trip. You might save money by sharing, but all that quality time could lead to some serious fights and end up destroying your vacation. Another option is a suite, with several rooms, more like a tiny apartment.
• If you’ve lived on your own already, it can be awkward travelling with your parents, since they automatically fall back into the Mom/Dad role, while you are too independent to return to the child position. It helps to discuss this ahead of time and let them know that you will be needing some space and time alone.
Of course, you won’t always be travelling with parents. Like my sister and I, you may be travelling with a sibling which presents problems . . . and advantages of its own.
• Once again, compromise is the key. Don’t always try to get your own way, especially if you’re the older sibling. You might enjoy the trip, but your brother or sister won’t.
• Control your temper. If you’re getting ticked off, go for a walk or lock yourself in the bathroom for a while. Don’t take it out on other people, you’ll both be miserable for the rest of the day.
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