The Faults Of A Family Vacation

My stack of novels is ready. I have sunblock ranging in SPF level from 15 to 50. I have located my bathing suit. By the time you read this I will be away on vacation. I can imagine my BlackBerry vibrating back on the kitchen counter, while I sit under an umbrella gazing over my book at the waves. Then I remember that this is a fantasy. Because there's only one thing wrong with familyvacations: you have to bring your family. In my case that means my extremely patient boyfriend and one mostly well-behaved 8-year-old girl. I am thrilled to be able to spend two weeks with them. We will catch hermit crabs. I will watch my daughter paint seashells and help her dig deep holes in the sand. What I will not do is read my book in peace. I will not sleep late. I probably won't even be able to avoid reruns of "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody." And at some point--usually about day two--I will catch myself thinking, "You mean I have to cook all the meals? And do the laundry? At least when I'm at work I get to go out to lunch."

Comments

[BRlongview]

yeah i never much cared for family vacations. There were some great memories, but i did always feel sorry for my mom... she had to cook for everyone, buy food, plan things for us to do, and spend loads of money on "extra" adventures, because the things she had planned just weren't good enough for us. Parents can't win!

Kids are bratty and ungrateful, and they don't appreciate vacation like working adults do, because even though kids have school, they are basically on perpetual vacation. In fact, many kids are actually PUT OUT by vacations because vacations interrupt their normal leisure/social lives. Save your money till they move out!!! hahaha.

[cinemaven]

Last year was my first family vacation where my oldest son wasn't able to come with us. This year, my almost 16 yr. old really isn't that into us either. I loved every vacation with our kids. I'm not sure what my excuse will be to play carnival games without them... who will I go on Disney or Universal Studio rides with? How will I explain to my hubby that we still have to stop at every wax museum and Dinosaur mini-golf we pass?

The ten years between 8 and 18 pass too quickly :)

[desthmoneses]

If your life is so terrible you can always end it.

[Topfeeder]

Tweetsie Railroad in the NC mountains-1976. My dad says, "So help me God, I am never taking you GD annoying, unappreciative, whiny kids anywhere ever again............. and he didn't.

[JScott]

Take em!!! If anything there will be good childhood memories. I met many a folk around my age who's parents never too em anywhere on a vacation while growing up,

[FrankWillsGhost]

Family Vacation is an oxymoron.

[Itsallgoodhere]

I took my wife and two daughter (15 and 6) to visit my parents in Florida for 10 days (from Michigan). I turned off my cell phone, set my Out of Office on in Outlook, and didn't take one call or email for 10 days. I was buried with work when I got back, but it was worth it. I didn't get as much rest as I would have liked, but I got more pictures, movies, and unforgettable memories of my daughter with my parents...it was amazing. My wife and I try to enjoy the chaos while we can, we've got two grown kids in there twenties. We know that after awhile we won't have the Hannah Montana issues of a six year old or the dramas that come with a fifteen year old girl. There will be plenty of time for rest and relaxation when they grow up and move out...oh wait, did I forget to mention we were also grandparents of a two year old boy? So much for R & R!!!