A famous poet has said that if you do not spend quality time with your family and enjoy your present to the fullest, you will have nothing to cherish as beautiful memories for the future. To give wings to these memorable moments, what better way can one think of than having a vacation with family and friends. However, if you have a teenager in your family list, you are definitely walking on fire as teens and their attitudes can make or break a good healthy vacation. Although, they are the most enthusiastic of the lot, most of the time they do not gel with parents and other younger siblings, making it the most challenging situation for you to handle. They have their set of choices and preferences, which they refuse to budge from, making your travel solely and absolutely dependent and proportionate to their mood swings.
However, research says that a bit of homework from your end can solve this complex problem to quite an extent. Right from the start when you commence to make plans for a family outing, make your teens a part of the planning process, beginning from the destination to be chosen, the dates to be fixed and the travel itinerary to be finalized. If you leave alone the responsibility of arranging for the trip on your teen, they can prove fabulous in coming up with great ideas and suggestions.
Let’s consider some points which can play a positive role in making your family vacation a memorable one.
1. A pick at grown-up life
Teens hate to be treated like kids, especially when parents become over-protective about their actions and movements. They want their privacy and freedom intact. They soon would be entering the mature world to handle their activities on their own and face the challenges of life, so, as parents, you should take them on a short-trip to expose them to the outside world by taking a day-out to spend some private moments with them, like going to watch a Broadway show, dining at a restaurant famous with teens, visiting art-galleries and other adult outings. These short trips will not only help you come closer to your teenager, but will also broaden his horizons and views on many sensitive and non-sensitive issues.
2. Cruises
The biggest hit in the last couple of decades in the world of travel has been the cruise-travel- packages. These enable you to make all prior arrangements for a cool vacation on board with their pre-paid facilities, not letting you land up by over-spending on your credit cards. People of all age groups can engage in multitudes of activities as they have a host of things to offer, suitable for teens, children and even the older lot. They even have special attractions for teens like athletic activities, teens-only lounges and dances as well. Moreover, the all-time availability and access to unlimited food choices also make it appealing for teenagers.
3. All-inclusive resorts
Quite similar to cruise arrangements, all-inclusive family resorts are a common feature in the Carribean and Mexico. These family focused resorts have the advantage of teens coming across and mixing with their peer group as they have arrangements for surprise activities like great water sports and excursion grounds for them to explore and enjoy.
4. Active vacations
Teens are the most thrilling and enthusiastic of all, their energy level cannot be measured in any terms. So, the best way to keep them engaged and avoid boredom to creep in is to burn off excess energy and have fun at the same time by indulging them in skiing, snow boarding, or surfing. An adventure-based vacation, built around their favorite activities or something which they have never experienced before, can make them look forward to more of such enthralling family trips.
5. Theme vacations
Another way of planning vacations that cater to the needs and preferences of your teens is by indulging in vacation packages according to your teens line of interest. Keeping in mind your child’s favorite hobby and then setting your outdoor trips can be fun-filled and exciting. Some examples are a holiday to the cooking school, horseback riding excursion, spelunking or even photography.
6. Amusement parks
Amusement and water parks are an all time favorite among children of all age groups and spheres. Disney World has been ranked as the world’s No.1 family holiday destination as it offers delights for kids, young and old. However, the biggest disadvantage of these holiday packages are that they turn out to be very expensive, making them beyond the reach of many people.
7. Big ticket trips
Experts say that the best time to plan big-on-pocket vacations to dream destinations of the world is when your child is in his teen-hood. Who knows, he would be able to experience them on his own or not, at least you can provide this lifetime experience to him, making it a memory to cherish for an entire life for all of you, as a close-knit family.
Traveling with family brings you closer to each other and paves way for beautiful souvenirs in the form of photographs and other beautiful moments spent together.
