A vacation with kids sometimes feels like more work than just staying at home.
Returning to tons of laundry, disrupted schedules and errands to complete causes undo stress at the end of a vacation.
Follow these simple tips to avoid needing a vacation from your next vacation.
1.
Avoid coming home to a messy house by spending 10 minutes with a quick clean immediately before locking up and heading out.
2.
While on vacation - allow yourself to relax.
Do not over-schedule the vacation.
It is tempting to visit every landmark or site but resist! Schedule a few leisurely mornings or afternoons to sleep in or relax by the pool.
3.
Return home from your trip soon enough to have one full day to run errands, unpack and at least start the laundry.
4.
Upon arriving home, plan an early bedtime for everyone.
Give the kids a warm bath/shower and read stories or watch a movie to unwind after the travel day.
5.
Kids reluctant to sleep in their own rooms after a vacation of family togetherness? Have them camp out for a night or two on the floor of your room or in the hallway.
6.
Hire a babysitter for the day after you arrive home.
Let her watch the kids while you catch up on chores and housework and maybe some quiet time.
7.
Actually unpack and put everything away.
It is easy to procrastinate on this but you will feel so much better when it is done! 8.
Take off Monday morning.
Get the kids off to school and spend the morning catching up on e-mails, reading and just generally getting yourself back into work mode.
These simple tips can help avoid the post-vacation stress that happens after any vacation but especially when traveling with kids.