Four Life Lessons My Kids Taught Me On Vacation

 

I just spent a week with my wife and four children flying from Chicago to Florida then visiting a number of cities.

Six personalities. Six preferences. And Six expectations.

Kids are amazing. In a matter of moments they can teach you something about yourself without even trying.

Sometimes it catches you off guard and other times it creates a defensiveness because of what it exposes in ourselves.

Here are Four Life Lessons My Kids Taught Me On Vacation:

1. Their Fun Is More Important Than My Agenda

I’m a planner by nature. I chose the flight time, hotels, locations, everything. Since I travel an absolute ton, it’s just easier to start.

The problem becomes when I’m not willing to deviate from my carefully planned agenda since I’m the assumed travel expert.

One night we stayed at a hotel that had a great pool. The kids absolutely loved it and it was just what we needed after a long day and it was the perfect night.

It meant going to bed later than the schedule and a later start in the morning but they were having so much fun.

The first impulse was “I know best and stay on schedule.” But I decided it was best to let everyone just play and enjoy themselves. (you know, like we were on vacation!)

This meant being willing to change the evening agenda and getting “off schedule” and a later start the next morning.

But it was SO worth it in the long run.

Life Lesson Learned – plans need to be flexible

2. Their Attention Is More Important Than My Personal Time

This is easier said than done especially when you’re fresh after a night of rest. It’s an admirable goal. But in reality…

For example, on the flight I just wanted to watch a movie on my iPad. Other times I just wanted to read in the morning.

I struggle in this area when I just want a few minutes to myself during the day. I can be difficult and this is an area of growth for me.

If it wasn’t one child, it was another. And of course, right after I put my headphones back on or found my place again in the book.

Yet what seemed like an interruption was actually an opportunity to interact with one of my kids in the moment.

At the moment it was a challenge to remind me that this trip was about them not me. And this meant any time to myself (which was few and far between) was actually a blessing but not necessary.

I also wanted to give my wife a break. This resulted in letting her workout in the morning while I hung out with the kids and not always doing what I would’ve preferred to do (read or write).

This meant less me and more we time. And something I cannot undo so I’m glad I changed my attitude.

Life Lesson Learned – their attention is what I really want

3. Their Opinion Matters More Than My Presumed Wisdom

Even though I feel I may know best being an experienced traveler, I found myself listening to what they were saying.

This meant setting my opinion aside and hearing their request. They think differently with being kids and something see things in a fresh way.

One day we had a chance to choose where we were going to spend the night. I use hotels.com and have a ton of choices and free nights. So, I decided to let my older boys look at the pictures and determine their preference.

They absolutely loved I asked their opinion and let them choose the location. It led to a great hotel and experience.

Sometimes I just needed to ask their opinion and really listen to their suggestions. It may not be my preference but I wanted them to know their opinion is important to me.

Life Lesson Learned – their ideas are just as important and possibly better

4. Their Experience Is Worth My Sacrifice

In the end, I wanted to create memories for my family. Part of this for me is really thinking through the trip in advance. My planning would enhance their experience.

But even then I would factor in my own experience and justify it that everyone else would appreciate and enjoy it.

Since we had a lot of free time throughout the week, it left margin to really allow them to breathe into the schedule of what they would enjoy.

One day it meant driving extra so my older sons to see the Miami Heat arena and shop in their store (this was a sacrifice since I’m a HUGE Bulls fan and loath the Heat). It was something they really wanted to do and looked forward to it all week.

Each night before bed I would ask each child this question: “what did you enjoy most about today?” And this answer almost always surprised me.

The very thing I would’ve thought they enjoyed the most was often #2 or lower on the list.

Life Lesson Learned – their perception of the experience is the most important

Closing Challenge…

This was the first vacation that had this much margin in the schedule. It also gave me an opportunity to really spend more time with each child and hear what they wanted to do.

It meant playing when I wanted to relax more but those times were the moments that my kids will remember the most. I found that my reading time or the extra workout could wait.

There were still regrets that I wish I could go back for a do-over. But it was definitely a growth trip for me personally. I will do our vacations differently from now on as a result of these four life lessons my kids taught me on vacation.

Closing Question…

How can you implement any of these life lessons into your next vacation?