Family Vacations: How To Find, Keep Peace

Nothing ruins a family vacation quite like the screams of children fighting. Whether you have teenagers or toddlers—or both— setting the ground rules before you leave for your destination can save you time and headaches and grant you well-earned peace if you know what motivates your kids.

Everyone will have a more enjoyable vacation when fighting is kept to a minimum.

First, make sure your kids are occupied. Restless children are grumpy. Sometimes this may mean resorting to electronics. If driving to your destination, having a tv in the car could save you hours of fidgeting and fussing.

Just be sure to pick a movie everyone can enjoy. Multi-layered films like Shrek or Finding Nemo might actually do the trick for everyone in your family; remember to keep old action films, like Star Wars, on hand, too.

Avoid fights for the radio by establishing a schedule for who picks what or taking tunes that everyone can enjoy. Remember that no one will be happy if your youngest insists on listening to Raffi while the eldest wants heavy metal. Bring along a Beatles cd.

Make sure the destination suits all ages. If you’re dealing with a wide age range of children, your idea of perfect may be very different from that of your children. An old standby remains the beach, where waves and water can entertain children for hours while you enjoy the sun and sand.

If it’s safe and convenient, allow teenagers to split their time between town, the house, and the beach, or wherever the focal point of the vacation is. They may need alone time as much as you desire the whole family to be together.

Find a happy medium and be clear about mandatory family time, but be flexible and reasonable. It’s their vacation, too.

Don’t let boredom infect your vacation. Roddie Turner, a mother of four, suggests parents “make sure there’s plenty of good food, action for those who need activity, and quiet time and a good book if that’s what makes others happy.”

In short, be ready for anything, but don’t submit to your children’s every whim. Keep simple things around to make sure they’re satisfied.

Finally, keep your options open. A tightly scheduled vacation will feel more like work to you and more like school to your children.

See the sights, but remember that some of a vacation’s best moments come when everyone is enjoying themselves or eating dinner together—without fighting.