Should Kids Be Involved in Family Vacation Planning?

The answer is very much YES! Traveling is an incredibly valuable experience for children. Seeing how different people go about their daily lives gives us perspective about our own blessings and our own challenges. We become more grateful for what we have and more likely to change what isn’t working when we see other options.

It can be incredibly frustrating of course to go to all the trouble of planning a trip and then have your kids pay zero attention to anything but their phones or tablets. With the exception of the slide at the resort pool perhaps, they’re often not invested in the experience because they had no part in creating it.

Fix that by letting them help. Let them choose an excursion. Ask them to research it, give them a budget, and talk about the logistics of time and effort. With something to be in charge of, they’ll likely change their attitude very quickly.

Download our latest family vacation planning freebie with tips on involving your kids and helping them feel like part of the family team.

When it comes time to start your next family vacation planning, involve your children in the process.

By allowing them to see what goes into putting a trip together, you can share valuable life skills like planning, researching, budgeting, and scheduling.

You will also be sharing your family values as you decide together what activities and/or luxuries are worth your time and money.

• Are you a do-it-yourself camping family or an all-inclusive resort-type family?
• Do you research activities vigorously before you go or do you rely on a travel agent? Maybe it depends on the location.
• Is experiencing local cuisine high on your list or do you grocery shop and/or bring your own snacks?

There’s so much to learn and think about. Let them help and see just how much more invested your children are in the entire experience.