What Will You Do On Your Summer Vacation? (continued)

Remember that parents set the tone. Parents who lose their tempers over unexpected delays, become irritable due to long traveling hours, complain about accommodations or food that don't meet standards, and speak unkindly or sharply to other family members, should expect that children will follow their example.
Plan a vacation within the budget so money isn't constantly discussed, and decisions aren't made daily about what activities are affordable. · Parents who don't regularly spend time with their children (or who are workaholics) should not expect immediate acceptance as one of their kids' "buddies" just because they are together 100 percent of the time during vacation.

Before departing for vacation talk as a family about the atmosphere and attitude that will enhance the trip: patience, flexibility, fun, courtesy, and a sense of humor. And as parents, exhibit these consistently.

Don't Over Emphasize Your Vacations

Obviously, the vast majority of life is not spent on vacation, yet many of us emphasize the importance of our vacations so much that we forget to enjoy the rest of our lives, our day-to-day, moment-to-moment experiences. We plan and look forward to our vacations, sometimes as if they were the only part of life worth really living. We build up our expectations that our time off is going to be the highlight of our year, a saving grace that will make up for all the hassle and disappointment of our daily lives. We think to ourselves, "Boy, life is going to be great once we get there."

There are several problems with this over emphasis on vacation. First, vacation represents a tiny percentage of our overall lives. . . .Instead of being fully engaged in the here and now, and discovering joy in daily living, your focus is on how much better things will be and how much more fun you'll be having later — instead of now.

Another problem with extremely high expectations is that, in many instances, they are unrealistic, which can lead to a great deal of disappointment . . . .I'm not suggesting that there's anything wrong with vacations or that looking forward to them is a mistake. I'm also aware that many vacations, including a vast majority of my own, are wonderful. What I'm attempting to alert you to is the common problem of making a bigger deal out of your vacations than is really necessary, of over-emphasizing how great somewhere else is going to be instead of remembering how special and terrific your life is right where you are.