Allison in Motherland: I Just CAN Wait to Get on the Road Again
by Allison Braswell
Summer is just around the corner. It's the time of year when parents are feverishly planning the perfect family vacation. You know the one: where all the kids get along, the parents aren’t stressed out at all, and everyone arrives back home in one piece with wonderful memories to last a lifetime...Yeah right! Sounds easy enough, but we all know when dealing with kids it doesn’t always work that way!
A few years ago I received some words of wisdom from my older sister who, like me, has young children. She said, “You need to go into any kind of trip with the lowest expectations possible. That way you won’t get disappointed.” Little did I know then that those words would become my own personal “Mommy Mantra” if you will, and have helped me to survive many a disastrous family outing.
Take for example, the time we took our two kids, ages 2 and 3 at the time, to the State Fair about an hour away. Did I mention I was 4 months pregnant? We had all our bases covered: snacks, juice, activities for the car etc., etc. Nevertheless Jack, our two year old threw up just before arriving at our destination. We had to pull over on the interstate, clean him up as best we could, and move on. On that same vacation, we arrived at our hotel room exhausted after a full day of fair-going. We always make it a point to stay at hotels with pools because our kids love to swim. From the time it took us to check into our room and get our swimming suits on (a matter of about 3 minutes) someone had “vandalized” the pool, forcing them to close it for the rest of the evening. The only reason I did not have to be committed after that - two words: LOW EXPECTATIONS.
Or, the time we planned yet another mini-trip to a Christmas parade. Again, we reserved a hotel room that my husband assured me had a pool. We were spending our last dime just to pay for the room so we wanted everything to be just right. On the way, my husband got very pricey speeding ticket. Did I mention I was 8 months pregnant? We ran, weighted down with coats, mittens, scarves, and blankets to get there just in time to freeze our butts off watching the parade. Upon arriving at our hotel room, snot frozen to our noses, our cheeks as red as apples, the kids scrambled to get their swimming suits on for a "little dip in the pool" only to find there was no swimming pool. We packed everything back up and drove home.
The key to my sanity after that: LOW EXPECTATIONS. We have since taken a few more family trips and each one has been better than the last. One reason could be the TV/VCR we purchased for our van. I believe I have become more realistic about what it takes to travel with kids. So when you plan that next family trip, remember to keep those expectations low and you’re sure to have a better time than you anticipated!
About the Author: Allison Braswell lives in Mankato Minnesota with her husband Ben and four children: Elise, Jack, Tommy, and Sam. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in English from Minnesota State University and has been an at-home mom since the birth of her second child. In her free time she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and long walks (alone) around the neighborhood, since there are no beaches in Mankato.
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