When you absolutely want something to turn out alright, that’s when the universe will conspire against you to turn everything upside down. Family vacations are one of those treasured experiences everyone wants to be perfect.
It is very likely that something will go wrong during your next family vacation. While most of the things that can go south won’t ruin your trip, they can be a total inconvenience and sour the mood of your vacation.
As Murphy pointed out, anything that can go wrong, will. Dealing with the various personalities and feelings that are represented in a family can only mean that there is bound to be some drama. To prepare for your next vacation, note down the following things that may go wrong and fully prepare for them.
Somebody Gets Sick
When you least want it, sickness will rear its ugly head. A family member getting sick during a vacation can be due to food poisoning, an infection, allergies, or even symptoms from bug stings. You should anticipate that someone may get sick and put in place measures to remedy such a situation.
Carry with you the anti-allergics your family normally uses to fend off the allergic reactions you normally have.
The Adolescent Throws Tantrums
If you have an adolescent in the family, chances are high that they will throw some tantrums during the vacation. Adolescents can be very dramatic if they don’t get what they want.
When all you want is everyone to get along well and to have fun, someone acting up can dampen everyone’s mood and so ruin your vacation.
The Hotel Is Not Family Friendly
The worst thing that can go wrong during a vacation is staying in a crappy hotel or resort. Your choice of accommodation will be a big determinant of how comfortable you are during your stay and how much fun you have.
Since you are traveling as a family, you will be better off if you book with a resort or hotel that caters exclusively to families. There are several luxury family resorts you can stay at when you vacation at the popular beach destinations around the world.
To ensure that you don’t have the nightmare of booking with a bad hotel or resort, do thorough research and browse through popular review boards such as TripAdvisor to find a well-reviewed family resort of hotel. If you want your stay to be family-friendly, be sure you aren’t booking at an adults-only resort. When looking for pictures of the hotel, search for photos taken by travelers instead of professional photos that have been selectively edited and submitted by the establishment.
People Get into a Fight
The drama never really ends. Where family members are involved, especially if there are extended family members around, people are likely to enter into some pointless family arguments and fights.
It is totally fine if the fight is a one-time thing and everything returns to normal. If it a constant argument, however, there will be a cloud hanging over your vacation. It is pretty hard to stay out of fights as the natural predisposition of humans is to pick a side in such situations.
Remind everyone that they need not pick sides. Try to talk out the differences that caused the fight once things cool down.
The Child Gets Lost
If you don’t keep a close eye on the child when you are out at amusement parks or any other crowded place, you might lose them. This can be pretty stressful – as everyone usually enters into a panic if a child goes missing.
Ensure that your child is within eyesight all the time. Further, have them carry a tag with your name and phone number when you go out so that any adult who notices that they are lost can call you. This can be a real lifesaver.
Somebody Gets Injured
If you are taking part in an activity that requires some level of physical exertion, there is a possibility that someone in the family may get injured.
Since you can’t just leave the injured person to attend to their injury as you continue to have fun, your excursion will be derailed. It can be worse if you have to take the injured person to the hospital. An injury to a family member can rob you of lots of hours during your vacation.
Ensure that everyone is properly kitted for all the activities you will be engaging in. It is better to be safe than sorry. Make sure that your children don’t engage in risky activities such as snorkeling without adult supervision.
You Don’t Pack Some Essentials
Packing for a family vacation is a time-intensive affair and it is likely that some essential things will be forgotten if you don’t use a packing list.
Everyone usually pays attention to the things they will individually need. The things you will most likely forget to pack are the communal items you will be sharing. This is a problem that is easy to avoid. All you have to do is draw a packing list ahead of time and follow it strictly when packing.
Go With the Flow
No matter what, something is bound to happen and affect your vacation. The best advice to take with you is to go with the flow during your trip. Things may not always go as you expect, but try your best to make the most of it.
