While the timing wasn’t exactly the same as it is when we’re in our little house on the prairie, we tended to stick to the basic rhythms of our days at home: breakfast; a morning activity; lunch; an afternoon activity; quiet time; and dinner, bath and bed.
Some nights we didn’t eat until 7:30 p.m., and then went out for ice cream instead of having a bubble bath, but for the most part everyone behaved, and meltdowns didn’t seem to happen any more often than usual.
And that, my friends, is what you call stellar parenting, according to Klein.
She advises creating a vacation routine, one that echoes your days at home, but without quite so much structure.
“Think of your day as two parts, morning and afternoon, and try to get some downtime in,” Klein says. “This sets up a rhythm for the vacation that the kids get used to, and you’ll find that they even will ask you what is planned for the afternoon or morning that day.”
And while late bedtimes may be fun for both the kids and the adults, remember that small bodies have small batteries—little ones need to get to sleep at their normal time most nights.
Tips for Creating a Vacation Routine
- Create a routine that’s similar to the home one, but less structured. Toddlers strive on consistency.
- Include down time in the morning or afternoon.
- Try to stick to normal meal and bed times.
- Return home a few days before the kids need to go back to school so they have time to readjust.
- Plan something fun to do shortly after you return home.
“If you consistently keep the kids up past their bedtimes, you will pay the price,” Klein warns, stressing that everyone needs to get their rest, especially when you are on the go every day.
Because vacations are filled with lots and lots of together time, children can also have trouble transitioning back to their normal day-to-day lives when it’s time to go home, Klein adds, and cautions parents against planning departures that force everyone back to work or school the very next day.
“Often for children, the hardest part is separating from mommy and daddy,” she says. “It is a good idea to have a day or two to transition, before you have to say goodbye on Monday morning.”
Planning something fun to do shortly after you arrive home will also help ease the pain of going back to the daily grind, she adds. “You don’t want it to seem like vacation is fun and home is not.”
Vacations are supposed to be fun? Now you tell me.
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