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Viewing Frustrated Trying to Plan a Family Holiday with Teenagers?Frustrated Trying to Plan a Family Holiday with Teenagers?
By Kathy Steinemann
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Your teens are growing up. Sometimes they envision themselves as adults who know more than you. Other times they crave your guidance. How can you ever expect to plan a successful family holiday? Your teens are growing up. Sometimes they envision themselves as adults who know more than you. Other times they crave your guidance. How can you ever expect to plan a successful family holiday? The first step is to realize that teenagers have their own opinions and ideas - and some of them are actually excellent! Ask them to participate in the planning by organizing a family brainstorming session. When everyone contributes, you can design a holiday itinerary that is good for the entire family (at least most of the time). To be successful, you must comprehend the likes and dislikes of your teens. A hockey player might enjoy a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame or an opportunity to meet some of the members of a hockey team at a summer training camp. An up-and-coming singer might relish sitting in the studio audience of a show like American Idol, or participating in a tour of Graceland. A teen who enters science exhibits might like being part of the studio television audience for American Inventor. Rather than making specific suggestions about holiday activities, begin with a list of ideas. You might want to include items from the previous paragraph - or from the following list: • Laser tag courses • Arcade games • Pant ball tournaments • Theme and amusement parks • Downhill or cross-country skiing • Waterskiing and wakeboarding • Snowboarding, snowmobiling • Offroading • Skateboarding parks • Adventure tours, treks, or safaris • Summer ranch vacations • Family resorts with all-inclusive packages • Horseback riding and trailride packages • Mountain biking or hiking • River rafting/kayaking • Hot air balloon rides • Resort scuba courses • Jet skiing or jet-ski lessons • Tours of factories, vineyards, museums • Houseboat packages • Spelunking • Mountain climbing More Ideas: Family cruises can be very cost-effective. Everything is included in a package price. Parents can relax peacefully onboard, secure in the knowledge that teens are participating in nearby shipboard activities. Modern cruiselines often have special facilities geared to teenagers - such as arcade games, outdoor theater presentations, and bungee trampoline jumping. With some research, you can even find a cruise that includes two-way walkie-talkie radios. If your vacation is going to be land-based, consider reserving adjoining hotel rooms. Your teenager will be just a door away - close enough for comfort, but with a degree of independence and privacy not found in a family hotel room or suite. Teenagers are notorious for sleeping late. It seems to be part of their body chemistry! Instead of becoming frustrated, let them sleep and get out for a walk around the neighborhood, a swim in the hotel swimming pool, or a few holes of golf. Try to find hotels or bed and breakfasts offering free internet access. Today's teen is usually very internet-savvy, and will feel completely isolated if forced to relinquish internet and cell-phone contact with friends. If internet access is only available at an internet cafe, ensure that your teen does not venture out alone. Arrange to go along, unobtrusively, or organize a buddy system with a sibling or tag-along friend. On the subject of tag-along friends - some teens will feel more comfortable if they are permitted to invite a friend along on vacation. This produces some planning and budgetary challenges. Ask the other teenager's parents to share expenses. You might even be able to orchestrate an exchange - you take your teen's friend along on your vacation, and vice versa. If you yearn to get away from civilization and commune with nature, consider a family camp. Family camps have organized activities for all ages, and cost savings can be impressive. Some facilities are open during summer months only. Others have weekend packages throughout the year. An older teenager might be most comfortable on a separate vacation. Popular activities include backpacking and hostelling holidays through Europe via rail or bike. Overseas language immersion programs are also fashionable. After the holiday planning has been completed, sit down with your teens and draw up a packing list. They might think of things you are inclined to forget - like PDAs and MP3 players. Photocopy the list if necessary, and let your teenagers pack their own suitcases. The planning process and holiday can be exploited as an opportunity to reconnect with your older children. Relax, let things develop at their own pace, and enjoy the entire vacation experience! (c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included. About the Author: Searching for a bed and breakfast, hotel, or hostel? Visit 111 Travel Directory. Trying to find some great travel tips? Surf over to 1000 Tips 4 Trips. Article source: 111 Travel Directory: Triple1.com (triple one dot com) |
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