Making the Most of Your Family Vacations

    Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, which for many families means the countdown is on to the family vacation.

    FOX’s Lisa Brady has some tips on easing travel anxiety in this week’s FOX on Family:

    Summer’s just about her, unbridled joy for kids; stress for parents like the family vacation you may be planning:

    (Schweikert) “Mishaps are gonna happen. People are gonna spill things, planes are gonna get delayed, cars are gonna break down, people are gonna need to go to the bathroom right after they just went to the bathroom.”

    Mother of four and Lightbridge Academy president Gigi Schweikert, says what matters is how you respond. And don’t wait until you get there to enjoy the vacation:

    (Schweikert) “No, the fun begins right now. The fun begins when we’re packing. The fun begins when we’re gettin’ in the car.”

    No matter how you travel with kids it’s helpful to have certain things at hand, like wipes for hands and extra underwear for the younger ones. Schweikert also says no devices take the place of crayons:

    (Schweikert) “Everybody likes a brand new pack of crayons, even if you’re in high school.”

    Just don’t expect a moody teenager to change with the scenery.

    (Schweikert) “But what I know about vacations is as soon as they’re over we kinda wish we were back there.”

    So appreciate the sunsets and being silly together; savor every moment with each other.

    With FOX on Family, I’m Lisa Brady.

    Follow Gigi Schweikert on Twitter: @gigischweikert 
    Scheikert also recommends having a family countdown to vacation and talking about what everyone wants to do on the trip. To help build excitement, she always makes a packing list for her kids, using pictures of what to pack for younger children, and a written guideline for older kids to follow; how many shirts, shorts, etc. For the journey, a bag of little toys or games they’ve never seen before–maybe from a dollar store–can be a good distraction when the going gets tough.