Vacationing With Kids Can Strengthen Or Break Your Marriage
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We have all seen the family at the restaurant arguing about what to order, or at the store with kids crying because they did not get what they asked for. Envision a vacation where every day consists of those types of episodes and you have two spouses ready to call it quits. Vacationing with the kids does not have to be that way. It can actually be a wonderful experience with a little advance planning.
You need to have a plan in place before you leave home for the vacation. Without a plan, arguments about what to eat, where to stay, what to do, and how to handle extra perks, will ruin the family fun and end up costing you a bundle. Planning a summer vacation with the kids is a lot of work. It is best tackled together.
Where to Go and Stay: Theme park vacations such as Disneyland, Disneyworld or Universal Studios can be very expensive if you stay at the resort. If you are looking for a theme park vacation, perhaps a theme park that is less well known may offer better deals. Another way to save money is to stay in a hotel or motel or rented condo outside the theme park and just pay for day passes to the theme park.
If the kids are older, make sure that you and your spouse have a separate but adjacent room from the kids. It’s your vacation too and you will want to be able to have your own time together to unwind and enjoy each other’s company.
Consider a stay at a National Park. Many have rooms in a lodge or cabins for rent at reasonable rates. If you stay in the park, you may be able to get discounts on the park passes.
Meals: Anytime you eat a meal in a theme park or a restaurant in a major attraction, it costs much more than you would pay at a restaurant outside of the attraction. Determine in advance how many meals you plan to eat in the park-perhaps lunch and dinner or just lunch. Eat simple, inexpensive breakfasts in your hotel or motel and pack some snacks for the park, that way you will just pay for drinks and one or two meals. Some attractions may allow you to bring in your own water bottles, so check the policies in advance.
Activities: Many theme park complexes have 3 or 4 different theme parks in the park that each require separate admission passes. Will you go to all the parks or just 1 or 2? If you are at a national park, will you do a guided tour or get a map and go it on your own?
Be sure to sneak in some one-on-one time together. While the kids ride a ride, you can snuggle and hold hands on the bench while waiting for the kids. Have a quick romantic interlude while the kids take an afternoon nap before heading to an evening activity.
Extra Perks: Every vacation comes with its share of souvenirs, ice cream stops, photo sessions, or special activities like a burrow ride down the Grand Canyon or zip line tour or swimming with the dolphins at Sea World. Decide with your spouse on how much money to budget for those extras and stick to your budget. You want to capture memories with your spouse and kids, but you don’t want to break the bank doing it.
If you plan wisely and make time for each other, your vacation time with family can actually strengthen your marriage as well.
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