What I Learned from Vacations
August 7, 2007
Filed under Activities & Holidays
Sir Robert of Hruzek has thrown out the challenge (well, ok, invitation) to join in his latest group writing project. The subject is also the title to this post (I’m so inventive!). So away we go…
I learned these lessons from vacations since I’ve been a Dad:
- Plan your trip and plan to keep them occupied with FUN on your way to anywhere, whether it’s another city, a picnic ground or the local cinema. You’re not in the car to relax, Dad; you’re there to run activities and games. Get that straight and everything will be ok! Number plate games, I Spy and Fart Noise competitions seem to work. I’ve blogged about car noise before…
- Have an agenda but don’t be all anal retentive about it. I can remember times on holidays where I got the sulks because the family wanted to do different things to me or were moving at a slower pace than I wanted … or even moving at a faster pace than I wanted. What was I thinking? Who’s the kid here?? When I go into the day with an aim but also a loose attachment to that aim (which usually means thinking “Today’s about being with people not collecting experiences”), I enjoy myself and bring enjoyment to those I love. (Which is a nice way of saying “I’m not a big jerk anymore”!). If you’re not getting this, watch Captain Ron and What About Bob and learn!
- Plan some holiday time where it’s just you or just you and your missus. “Outsource” the kids (sounds terrible doesn’t it?) to a Holiday program for a day or two. They really just want activity and you may want a different kind of activity. Give yourself that gift and you’ll be more able to practise lesson #2 above with good grace.
- And finally, try new things and invite your kids and your partner into those experiences. You will see other sides of each other that there’s no opportunity to see or appreciate during the normal stressful rush-hours of life. Enlarge your world as you enlarge them and theirs.
Hey, I could use a holiday right bout now!
“What About Bob” is like one of the best comedy films ever… up there with “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day”…
Re: #2: For some reason, this is extremely hard for me to do. It’s selfish, but true: I have an agenda for ME. When kids don’t cooperate, I get all cranky. When I’m able to let go of my agenda, we all have a much better time. Even knowing that, it’s hard to do.
Good tips - thanks. I think we really need to learn from our kids how to switch off and have fun. It just comes so naturally to them, doesn’t it? My 5 year old nephew has just been staying with me for part of his summer holiday. We’d been watching something together on TV and when it finished he wandered off. I asked him what he was going to do. He looked at me oddly. “Play” (of course) And he happily filled the next half hour in a totally unstructured way, zooming around with planes and cars and associated plastic objects.
A lesson for all of us there methinks.
Joanna
Yay! Thanks FOF!
#3 has you joining my bandwagon.
Kids are better off with parents who appreciate their relationship as much as (or even more than at times) their kids.
Feed the relationship tank with time together and there’s more love and grace to share around later!
[...] From Vacation, by GL Hoffman at What Would Dad Say? … in Sedona, by Troy Worman at Orbit Now! … Vacations, by Pete Aldin at Freaked Out Fathers … Have Kids Will Travel: What I Learned, by Joe of Fathered [...]