- Turn off the outside world. This can be really hard, but try to avoid checking your E-mail while you're vacationing at home together. In addition, let your coworkers know that they should consider you "unavailable," despite the fact that you'll be relatively close to home during the entire vacation.
Suggestions:
- Don't bring work home during your vacation if you can avoid it
- Don't check your E-mail or voice mail while you vacation at home
- Let your co-workers know that you're unavailable while you spend this time vacationing with your kids
- Make at least one meal a day special. Whether it's blueberry pancakes for breakfast or a themed Mexican dinner, complete with homemade Nachos, for dinner, try make your vacation meals fun and enjoyable. Ideally, you'll probably have more time together during your vacation meals than you do during your typical workweek. Take advantage of this time by including each family member in the meal preparation and using the meal time to talk and ask open-ended questions, such as "If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you want to be, and why?"
Suggestions:
- Limit eating out during your at-home vacation to those restaurants that you really, truly enjoy
- To save money, eat at least one meal a day at home, if not more
- Use meal times to talk, ask questions, and really devote your attention to one another
- Do Something Different. In our house, we only have one TV, and it's in the family room. So for my kids, moving the TV into one of the bedrooms and watching a movie from there would be a real treat! What is something simple, like that, that your kids would always remember? Perhaps it's sleeping outside in a tent - or in the living room in a tent! Or out on the balcony or deck. Be creative and see what you come up with.
Suggestions:
- Rearrange the furniture
- Eat or watch TV in a room you don't normally use for that purpose
- Sleep in a different location (outside, a tent in the living room...)
- Plan a few special treats for yourself. For me, this would be stocking up on really good coffee and setting aside some time to read while my kids play and enjoy themselves. While your vacation time is a great opportunity to bond as a family, it's also intended to be time for you to relax, unwind, and enjoy yourself.
Suggestions:
- It's OK to get a babysitter and go out with some friends
- Take a day trip with another family whose company you really enjoy
- Pamper yourself by sleeping in a bit, reading a book, or just sitting with a glass of lemonade
Things to Do on Your Vacation From Home Making Your Vacation From Home Fun and Memorable
By Jennifer Wolf, About.com
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