Tips for Surviving Vacation with the Extended Family

Tips for Surviving Vacation with the Extended Family

Tips for Surviving Vacation with the Extended Family

These days, it’s not uncommon for vacations to include the whole family. Not just the nuclear family, but the extended one, as well. Adult siblings, grandparents, cousins of all ages gather together to enjoy each other’s company while having fun in the sun in a new faraway location. Sounds like a blast, right? It can be. However, bringing relatives of all different ages together can definitely have its challenges. With proper planning, communication and flexibility, you can reduce the chances of driving each other crazy and focus more on the fun stuff.

Spread Out

One of the biggest mistakes you can probably make when planning your group vacation is to book a row of hotel rooms. While it may seem like the most inexpensive option, it may not be. In addition, the layout can pose a great deal of problems and discomfort among your family. Think of the difficulties in communication that may exist when trying to gather everyone together to plan your daily agenda. Also, if the weather should turn rainy or you decide to spend some downtime inside, you’d likely find yourself dealing with some pretty restless kids claiming that they’re bored and looking for something to do. You can avoid such issues by booking a rental house or a large vacation villa available through companies like Blue Green Resorts, where a big family can enjoy spacious luxury accommodations with tons of amenities and all the comforts of home. Alternatively, go for a resort with villas that are next to each other so that you can easily pop around and see each other. The rooms on offer at Amanyara are a great example of this. This way, you can all just meet up in the living room to discuss plans, and the kids can watch movies together in the den on a lazy day. Plus, you can save money by choosing to stay in and cook sometimes.

Designate Roles

Planning a vacation with a group can be a lot of work, and frequently, one or two people end up putting forth most of the effort. Get everyone involved and have a planning meeting. Decide how you will get to your vacation destination. If you’re driving, be sure to have more than one vehicle and designate drivers. This allows some flexibility for enjoying separate activities while on your trip. If you plan to cook meals, decide who will do the grocery shopping and work together to plan a sample menu. Some flexibility is fine, but it’s good to have a general idea of what you’ll be making and who will do the preparation. It’s also wise to talk about finances to avoid any hassles or frustration that could put a damper on your vacation.

Be Flexible

Because family members of all ages will likely have differing interests, it’s a good idea to talk to everyone ahead of time about the need for flexibility and a desire to try new things. If everyone goes in with an open mind, you may be surprised at what kinds of new things each member may learn about themselves and each other. Being willing to join in on everyone else’s idea of fun can really increase family bonding and lead to treasured memories.

These tips should help you feel better about planning your extended family vacation. Planning, flexibility and a positive outlook are all you need.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Do you have any additional tips for surviving a vacation with the extended family?

If you find this article helpful and useful, please share it with your family and friends. Sharing helps Uplifting Families grow. Thank you for visiting.


Posted

in

by

Comments

3 responses to “Tips for Surviving Vacation with the Extended Family”

  1. Karen Dawkins Avatar

    We created a family only, closed Facebook page last year to plan our parents’ 50th wedding anniversary trip and reunion. As a travel writer, accommodations and activity planning fell naturally to me. I simply posted options (3 for lodging. Several for restaurants and activities). We corporately chose accommodations that had a few price points for various family budgets. Then families chose what to do for their own free time activities. We coordinated rides that way when cousins wanted to be together for one thing or another. Does that make sense? And, we voted on restaurant menus and narrowed those down to three.

    Even with the planning though, weather and last minute scheduling glitches can get in the way. So, everyone should pack just a little flexibility and patience to make the trip smooth for all!

    Added bonus — we all shared photos to our page after the trip and can relive it any time we want. We use it now as a way to communicate long distance and share family stuff that doesn’t need to be on public Facebook. AND it’s free!

  2. Erinn Sluka Avatar
    Erinn Sluka

    I agree that being flexible is the key! Friction tends to start when one person becomes irritated things did not go as planned

  3. Holly @ Woman Tribune Avatar

    Being flexible is a big one! That’s pretty much my motto whenever getting together with our extended family.