Vacations are supposed to be an exciting time for the whole family. How can you make sure that the days leading up to the big trip are stress free as well? Here are a few tips to help you stay sane while prepping for your next family vacation.

1. Give Yourself A Day Or Two Off Of School Before Your Vacation Begins

Work into your vacation time a day or two for packing and cleaning, as a family. Instead of trying to fit the last two chapters of your science lesson in the day before you go, schedule in time to get ready for your trip. Use this time to have the kids work on chores that they don’t do on a regular basis.

They can help with getting the laundry done that needs to be packed or cleaning out the refrigerator. I’m the type of person that likes to come home to a clean house after a vacation. This isn’t always practical, especially on a last minute trip, but when I can I like to have the kids help me get the house as clean as we can so when we come back we aren’t overwhelmed. This usually means they are deep cleaning their rooms while I take care of other aspects of the house that I want to get done.

2. Plan Simple Meals For The Day Before You Leave

In addition to the packing, planning and cleaning before a trip, there are the regular household needs that have to be attended to. For example, meals.

The prep and clean up of meals is a task in and of itself and can stress a mom out when other responsibilities are added that she is not used to.

Plan the easiest, simplest meals right before you go on a trip. Skip the recipes that call for every single pot and pan to be used. I even would suggest breaking out the paper plates and cups if you have to so you can avoid more dishes to have to attend to right before you leave.

3. Use Up Those Leftovers

There is nothing worse than returning from a trip and finding rotting leftovers in your fridge. Sometimes we get so busy with everything else while getting ready that the contents in the fridge doesn’t even cross our mind. Try your hardest to use up those leftovers the days ahead of time, make a mental note of it, you won’t regret it!

4. Pack A Day Early

This might not always be realistic but hear me out.

Rather than waiting until the last minute, get everything ready to go a day early. This way, you’ll have an entire day to get last minutes things done that you might have forgotten about. If you have everything packed and ready to go then as you go throughout your day you can add things that you might have otherwise forgotten. You’ll have extra time to run to the store if you have to, return those overdue library books before your fine gets too crazy or run your vehicle to the shop for a quick oil change.

This method works well for me so I don’t feel rushed and pressured to get everything done in a crunch. I also can go to sleep earlier instead of staying up until midnight trying to catch
up on laundry!

5. Get The Kids Involved

A vacation is generally something out of the ordinary. An event that your kids are looking forward to. Keep them excited about the trip ahead by getting them involved. It’s easy for mom to get stressed out before a trip but instead try to remember that your kids are excited so we wouldn’t want to dampen the mood because things aren’t going our way. Give your children age appropriate responsibilities such as picking out a few outfits they want to bring or filling a backpack full of toys.

So don’t stress!

Vacation season will soon be upon us. Whether you are heading out to your local homeschool convention or taking a family camping trip remember that you don’t need to stress yourself out or feel bad that you might need some extra time to get things ready. Hope you have a great summer!

The last step to stress-free vacationing? Keeping the kids occupied for the long ride! Here’s some help: