I’m really excited as my family gets ready for our family vacation in the next few weeks. My little ones are counting down and I’ve started to mentally pack (let’s see how long I procrastinate physically packing). I really love traveling with my family, I feel like we bond so much more when we’re out of town. Plus, it’s fun discovering and learning about new places, foods and meeting new people together. This trip would be extra special since it would be one of our last as a family of four. I also know that it could be intense and as a mom, I’m going to need to find alone time during a family vacation to recharge and get the mental rest that I need. If you’re wondering if this is even possible, I wanted to share 3 tips for finding alone time during a family vacation:
1. Plan ahead.
I’ve found that just hoping to find some time alone wouldn’t work, I have to be intentional and plan it. There is always something to do or try when you’re traveling and it’s really easy to get caught up trying to get the most out of the trip. That’s why making an itinerary and including alone time is essential.
2. Do an activity or excursion alone.
Last fall when I went to Jamaica with my daughter, I went paddleboarding without her. At first, I felt a bit guilty that I was doing something fun by myself but once I got into it, it felt so good to do something just for myself. I was telling my husband about how much I enjoyed that and he reminded me of my desire to do a Segway tour in Chicago but never acting on it. I promised myself to never be that mom again, each trip I will find something fulfilling to do for myself. I did make my way to enjoy the happy hour at our hotel and chit chat with other moms happy to escape their little ones for a few minutes for some wine and girl talk.
3. Make good use of the time your kids/family are asleep.
Last summer, I read Mindy Kaling’s book Why Not Me on the couch in the living room of our hotel suite while my kids and my husband slept in the next room. I still remember how good it felt to turn the pages as the sunlight draped over my legs and the room was just quiet. Another fond memory was my then 2-year-old daughter falling asleep while we were on a trip and my husband and I had a lovely dinner from room service together, I wasn’t alone but you can do this by yourself (just let the room service staff know that your child/children are asleep. You can also wake up earlier than your children (not really my thing) or have them go to bed early.
I hope you find my tips to find alone time during a family vacation useful, I hope you and your family enjoy any vacations you have planned for the summer.
How do you find alone time during a family vacation?
