You plan the perfect family trip. You’re going to an idyllic destination, you have an itinerary of fun, family-friendly activities, and your accommodations are perfect. Then, you get there, and nothing goes according to plan, largely because everyone is fighting.
Sound familiar?
Whether you travel just with your immediate family or your extended family, it’s not uncommon for arguments and conflict to occur during trips. It could be because small issues or conflicts.
For example, you may have planned everything from beginning to end for your cruise. You may have gotten everything sorted, right down to the maintenance of your boat’s deck using teak or Cedar Wood Plugs, and it’s all looking beautiful, but everything may still appear all over the place simply because your family members are very comfortable with everyone. Hence, in addition to keeping all of the materialistic things in order, you must take steps to make everyone feel comfortable.
There are things you can do to reduce the likelihood of this happening and make sure everyone enjoys themselves, and you create wonderful memories.
Book for Personal Space
One of the biggest reasons families, immediate or extended, fight when they’re on vacation is because they don’t have personal space. When you’re at home, you likely all have your spaces where you can go when you get frustrated and just be alone.
On vacation, if you’re all sharing a hotel room or small space, that’s not possible.
You’re not only sharing the sleeping space but also the bathroom, and when there’s nowhere to escape, it can escalate the conflict.
Think carefully about the logistics of your accommodations before you book anything.
Perhaps this means choosing adjoining rooms rather than sharing a room or opting for a larger suite with multiple separate spaces. Hence, if you are planning a vacation to a place like Tennessee with your family, it may be a much better option to book a lodge with three or more bedrooms like Pine Cone Lodge (learn more about Pine Cone Lodge vacation home), where you and your family can have their own space for some time. You can also book a condo or a house that will give everyone their own space, reducing conflict.
Let Everyone Know What to Expect Ahead of Time
Before you go on a trip, give everyone an idea of what to expect, what the plans look like, and what a loose schedule could be. Consider using a tour operator like mytrip so that you have a clear and concise schedule ready and waiting for you. Tours can give you an itinerary to stick to, so everyone will know where they’ll be going ahead of time. You should also let everyone in your family give their own input as to what they’d like to do and how they’d like to spend their time.
This includes getting feedback even from your younger kids.
The more everyone feels like they played a role in planning the trip, the more they’re going to feel excited and happy about it.
Travel Like the Family You Are, Not the One You Want To Be
We tend to have images in our heads about what makes the perfect family and vacation. For example, maybe you see Instagram photos of families happily hiking through mountains or meditating in far-flung locations.
Your family might not like these things. They might like relaxing by the pool or going to amusement parks.
It’s okay for every family to have their own idea of fun.
Let go of your notions of what the perfect family vacation is, and plan something that’s perfect for your family.
Respect Everyone’s Differences
Everyone is different, whether it’s your spouse, your parents, your in-laws, or your kids. That means that everyone has different personalities and, as such, varying interests.
Don’t insist that anyone in your family do things they truly don’t like just because someone else wants to.
Try to make time so that everyone can do things that are enjoyable for them.
Do a Lot of Research Ahead of Time
One of the big conflict starters on many family vacations is something unexpected and unpleasant popping up. For example, maybe you don’t research a hotel before booking it, and you just rely on the pictures on the website. Then, you get there, and it’s nothing like what you expected. You may also need to look for a trusted car and van hire in the uk or wherever you’re based so that the trip goes in a smooth manner without any breakdowns or anything of that sort.
Or, you could book an excursion just to get there and find out it’s not a good physical fit for people in your family. All of this is necessary to reduce the different conflicts that may arise between various family members.
The more in-depth research you can do, the more you can reduce conflict when you’re actually on your trip because you know what to expect, and so does everyone else.
Try to expect the unexpected, as hard as that can be.
For example, think about logistics that aren’t necessarily the fun part of the trip but are necessary, like how you’ll get from the airport to your accommodations.
Finally, let go of your own expectations. If you’re the person who plans all of your family vacations, you may not realize that your own sense of disappointment or frustration could be the root of some or all of the conflicts you experience on your family vacations.
You might have an idea in your mind of how things should go, and when they don’t go that way, it can be upsetting for you.
Throw your expectations out the window before you travel, and you’ll be happier for it, as will everyone else who goes with you.
If something isn’t perfect, that doesn’t mean overall the trip won’t be everything you want.