It’s laying down to tan only to be asked to go into the pool.
It’s diaper changes, messes and preparing meals.
It’s dealing with tantrums and tears, and maybe even sickness while away from the comfort of home sweet home.
It’s exhausting.
It’s stressful.
And
It’s waking up to squeals of excitement.
It’s seeing the biggest smiles on their faces.
It’s making memories.
It’s magical.
It’s priceless.
And it’s all I ever dreamed of when seeing other moms on vacation with their families.
It’s all I ever wanted.
—
There’s a sentiment that vacation with kids simply means relocating your mother/parent duties, and it’s mostly true for me. But that’s also not surprising because I don’t stop being a mom and they don’t stop being kids just because we’re on vacation.
I think it’s important to remember that we don’t vacation to escape our roles or lives. Rather, we vacation to try our best to relax, to experience life in a new setting, and to spend uninterrupted time together.
I wrote this post while laying in bed one night unable to sleep because I was being awoken by my toddler who wasn’t feeling well.
There were moments on vacation when I wished to be home, I wished to be alone, and I wished for a vacation from the vacation. It’s not easy being everything for everyone in your family unit while also having to keep it together 100% of the time while dealing with differing personalities, conflict, hot weather and other stressors. At times, our family vacation felt more stressful than it did relaxing.
That being said, simply being on vacation is a privilege I never want to take for granted. And I never I want my kids to feel my stress. So, I’m taking the experiences with me and learning from them.
All in all, however, I know my kids had a blast having fun and that’s what matters most.
