The moment you became a dad, you waved goodbye to your old way of vacationing.
I recently talked to Jamie about vacationing with kids on the Papa Notes Conversations podcast. One thing stood out: you must go on vacation with realistic expectations.
Whether your kids are teenagers or younger, you can be confident they won't merely comply with your preferences. Especially if you were dreaming of a calm, relaxing vacation, like reading by the pool. Or a cozy family time playing board games.
If this is the picture you have in your mind as you arm the alarm and lock the entry door to your house, you're in for disappointment and stress.
No, in reality, you should expect a usual to an amped-up level of chaos. Kids away from their routines can be cranky or overly excited. You should expect them to want to spend energy, run around, do physical activities, and most likely be with other kids.
Many dads (and mums, for that matter) are more tired by the end of the family vacation than before leaving.
But if we have the correct expectations, we can avoid stress and useless fights with our kids. We can plan strategically to accommodate everyone's needs.
If you crave cozy, calm family time, make sure to schedule it after a long family hike or after the kids have spent energy in the pool.
As is often the case in parenting, anticipation and organization make family life much easier.