Traveling With Grandparents---Survival Tips

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

07 Dec 2006 08:09 PM

I have a friend who would rather get her toenails ripped out with a set of pliers by an angry football player than take a vacation with her parents or in-laws. I, on the other hand, grew up vacationing with my parents and grandparents and am currently in the process of planning a trip that includes my 91-year-old grandmother, my parents, myself, and my own child-four generations on the same trip... I can't wait. I'm serious. I don't have a problem with multi-generational family vacations. Do you?

If you are like me and tend to travel with parents and grandparents in tow then you may have a few survival tips of your own. If you are merely considering the idea or are in the process of planning your first multi-generational family getaway perhaps the following tips will come in handy.

When it comes to group activities REMEMBER:

· In most cases Grandpa Charlie can't run as fast or as far as your kids. Simply put: kids and adults don't have the same energy level. You need to account for this when you are planning your vacation. It's a good idea to plan outdoor activities for the kids during the day when the adults can take a break. Also keep in mind young children and young adults not only have different interests they also have different wake up times (most of the teens I've vacationed with enjoy sleeping in). If you are staying at an all-inclusive resort, check to see what age appropriate activities are offered for all the members of your group.

· If you are taking a tour request a guide that can speak to any age group (the tour coordinator will understand what you mean). You want a guide that will understand that the adults and kids in the group don't have the same attention span and will plan accordingly.

· Don't plan to be with each other 24/7. Designate some separate time for just the parents or grandparents. Just because it's a family vacation doesn't mean that you have to spend every second together. Years ago when our family took a multi-generational trip to Las Vegas we went our separate ways during the afternoon, but always met back up to share dinner and then spent the rest of the evening attending shows and visiting casinos as a group.

· Don't treat the grandparents as slave labor... I mean babysitters. I had a friend who once spent an entire multi-generational vacation sightseeing with her husband while her parents watched her kids at the hotel's pool (not exactly an ideal trip for her parents who had hoped to visit some of the region's attractions on their own). Needless to say, my friend and her husband got an earful by the end of the trip.

Do you enjoy traveling with your parents or grandparents? What other tips can you offer?

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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