Parents Say Vacation More Stressful than Work

When the kids were very young, vacation house/beach house vacations were what we did the most. Also, we stayed with family who were near some parks (California). Traveling with kid, particularly toddlers is stressful, and having a kitchen and places for naps was was kept the vacations more relaxing. A laptop or PDA helps keep work sort of in control and less overwhelming upon return. One trip we took with our school age kids that was wonderful but exhausting was going to Europe. So much to do and see that it wasn't about the kids making us tired, it was doing so much in a week. And we even stayed with family for most of it which did help. This spring break we went to Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyons. Maybe it was the views of nature and the clean air, but despite the time in the car and how far we traveled, we all came back refreshed. Granted, I had a 30 minute conversation in the middle of the week with my boss but at least it was while I was on the Rim trail at grand canyon. Helps keep it in perspective.

The getting there alone is a whole world of stress, no matter what the mode of transportation. I never understood why I'd want to board a plane (with kids) before anyone else -- that much more time in a confined space with squirmy children.

Depends if you choose to drug them or not. LOL

I pick vacations that have camps for kids....so I get some quiet, and she can hang with other kids.

Yeah, as they get older it's starting to feel a bit more like a vacation. Babies and vacations are an oxymoron though.

It's also about expectations... I know that vacations are quality family time - but they are also a lot of work. I no longer expect to "relax" but for certain vacations (not the ones w/my in-laws) I expect to have fun. That said - rare is the long weekend that I'm not looking forward to a cup of coffee in peace at my desk. Still at the end of the day I'm sprinting down the hall to get back to the chaos.

Before I had kids, a friend who is a mom of three mentioned having been on vacation and I asked if she'd had a good time. She laughed and said, "Well, you'll see when you have kids, when you're a mom there's no such thing as a vacation...if you're lucky you get a nice change of scenery." With one kid it was sort of vacation-al, but with two kids under 6 now, I would much, much rather stay home. The prep, the being off their schedule, the anxiety over being away from work, all the laundry after, etc..have not had a trip that was worth it in the end.

The more extended the family, the gentler the vacation after kids. At first, the annual beach vacation my husband's family (aunts, uncles, cousins, the works - one year we booked 3 houses to room everybody) was stressful because I was still learning everybody's names. Now that we have a little one (well, he's 4 years old) all those extra eyes & arms are a true blessing. True, it's still stressful, but the majority of the ladies are willing to watch my little guy for an hour or two so I can go play in the ocean, and there has been a planned "ladies day out" for several years now, and the guys babysit. Now there's a true vacation day! I highly recommend one of those. I'm also going to suggest this year having a children's day swap with one of the other cousin couples that comes so they get a day together, and my hubby and I get a day together.