Choose Thanksgiving for Planning a Family Vacation

Thanksgiving is a time for being thankful for our family and our friends. It is also the time we give thanks for everything we have. Most of us begin the day early as we put the turkey in the oven. Some of us will begin even earlier, though, as we prepare fresh cinnamon rolls for the kids who have made it home in time for the holiday. I understand you probably don’t see some of your kids too often now, especially if they have moved to a different city. I know I don’t see mine as often as I would like. But that is why I choose to plan a family vacation when I have all my kids home at this time of the year. All the togetherness and reminiscing about past family vacations get everyone excited about planning a family vacation for the following year!

As everyone is sitting around the dinner table, devouring the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pumpkin pie, start a conversation about past family vacations. Every member of your family will have a memory they will want to share. And trust me when I say they will be more than ready to grab their calendars and block out time off for your next family vacation.

Of course, everyone will have their own ideas of where you should go and what you should do. But, hey, what’s better than a lively conversation around the Thanksgiving dinner table?!

If it doesn’t seem like you can all agree on one destination, start to discuss past family vacations. Have everyone think about what they liked and didn’t like about those destinations. This can be helpful when planning a family vacation because it allows you to come up with destinations that are similar to those you have liked in the past.

There will be times when you can choose family vacation destinations further away from home. But if a couple of the kids have time restraints for next year, it may be best to plan a family vacation closer to home. Or closer to where they live. This will ensure everyone can enjoy a little time together during a family vacation.

Once you all have agreed on a family vacation destination, you can start to talk about the more important parts of the vacation. You know… the activities you will all do together!

When it comes to activities, you must keep everyone’s age and limitations in mind. Younger grandkids won’t be able to go zip lining high up in the trees. But they can go swimming at the base of a waterfall. And you might not be capable of doing that 12-mile hike your youngest son wants to tackle, but you can watch the grandkids while your kids tackle the strenuous hike.

Speaking of watching the grandkids, you must make sure you plan a little downtime for everyone on your next family vacation. As you are sitting around the dinner table this Thanksgiving, you might want to discuss what that could look like. Maybe you all decide to split up for an afternoon. A few of you can head down to the pool while others nap, read a book, or check in on social media.

One last thing you might want to discuss before everyone heads back home is where you will all stay. Some families prefer the amenities at hotels and resorts, while others prefer the coziness and chaos that a rental home brings. Your decision may be based on the size of your family, the amount of cooking and cleaning you want to do, and whether you want a little quiet time at night. If your kids stay up much later than you do, then hotel rooms may be your best option. However, if you want as much together time as possible, a rental home will allow just that.

Do you think you can manage to get everyone in your family to agree on taking time off for a family vacation next year?

If you say yes, I would like to invite you to schedule a planning session with me here. You’ll be taken directly to my digital calendar, so you can schedule a time that is convenient for you.

Imagine the look on your kids’ faces on Christmas morning when you share the news that your amazing family vacation has been planned and booked! They will be thrilled with all the new memories they get to make with you and their siblings during yet another epic family vacation! And since I will be doing most of the heavy lifting, this is a gift that you can easily deliver while still checking off all the other items on your holiday to-do list!

If you want to hold off on planning a family vacation for a few more days, you can easily sign up for my newsletter here. Once you are signed up, you will receive my newsletter, which is packed with helpful travel information and tips. Plus, it will be helpful when you are searching for how to contact me when you are finally ready to start planning a vacation for your family.

Don’t let this holiday season pass you by without talking to your kids about next year’s family vacation! Memories galore are waiting for you!