I grew up taking yearly family vacations. We’d pile into the station wagon where seat belts and air conditioning were non-existent. The cooler was packed with sandwich fixings and milk/cereal for our roadside breakfast. My mom always packed a cloth tablecloth. If there weren’t any picnic tables at the wayside rest, we’d use the tailgate of our station wagon. My sister always got carsick so she needed fresh air from the crank down window, and my brother was the oldest and tallest, therefore he earned the right for a window seat as well. Even though I was the youngest, I was the “middle child”!

While our trips usually involved several thousand miles of travel in a one to two week period, I have fond memories of them (many captured on our old home movies) and have continued the family vacation routine with my own family. Every New Years, we discuss where we’d like to go, pick a date, and Plan on it.

Many families don’t prioritize vacations; some feel they can’t afford the time off from work, or the expense, while others must forfeit a vacation because of a child’s athletic schedule or commitment. We used to travel to California every year to see my husbands family. While this was something we prioritized ( keeping our children connected with their other Grandmother, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, etc.) , we quickly realized that it could not replace our family vacation, of just us. We still visit, but in no way will we call it "our family vacation".

During family vacations, you will be sharing most meals together, a single bathroom, beds, or sleeping and snoring together in the same tent, but you will also hear funny stories, and learn to respect each other quicker than you can imagine. My biggest advice is to talk to your friends and neighbors. Ask them what worked and what didn’t work. Here are also some basic tips on
Planning a Family Vacation and Ideas for the At Home Vacation

No matter the excuse, I hope you all can prioritize that special time with your family.

Posted by Susan at 8/19/2004 09:33:59 AM | Link

 
For years experts have reported that families who dine together, are strong families and this creates strong kids. A new survey of nearly 5,000 Minnesota teens found that those who shared meals with their families were mentally and emotionally healthier and engaged less often in risky behavior. The results were published last week in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine


The Star Tribune also spoke with Plymouth families about how they succeed in having regular family meals. The Ries family created a simple ritual of holding hands around the table during grace. The Naumann’s provide opportunities for all generations at their weekend cabin. Visit It’s Dinner Time or our Links page for more ideas on creating unforgettable meals.

We will be featuring lots of mealtime news in the next few months. Family Day — A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children — September 27th, 2004 is sponsored by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University. October is National Eat Better; Eat Together month

With summer vacation almost over, see if you can plan an end of summer dinner celebration or picnic, and discuss how your family might be able to schedule in regular meals throughout the school year.

Posted by Susan at 8/12/2004 02:45:59 PM | Link

 
Another reason parents should consider prioritizing family meals, is to teach good table manners. Even YMCA camps are complaining that campers have no table manners. Think about it. If you aren’t sharing meals together, who is to tell children that it isn’t polite to chew or talk with your mouth open. Have you ever visited your childs school lunch room? Marilyn Pentel visited her grandson's school and later developed a course, Mannerly Manners , that instructs children in the ABCs of etiquette.


"It's harder to get the basics because parents don't have time to put the effort in. I call it 'the drive-through generation,' " says Pentel. "Families are constantly juggling. You're in the car a lot, you're not sitting at the table anymore, you're eating in the car. The world has changed, so we need to change and evolve when it comes to teaching manners." Read more of the St. Paul Pioneer Press article.


Find a night to host your own formal dinner party. Pick a date, write the invitations, but limit the invites just to your immediate family. Let the kids get involved by setting out a linen table cloth, the fine china, all the silverware you can find, some candle sticks, experiment with napkin folding, etc. Most well known cookbooks have a chapter on the basics of table setting or search the internet. The Old Farmer's Almanac offers some basic tips.

Posted by Susan at 8/08/2004 11:52:36 PM | Link

 
I always look forward to the un-scheduled days of summer but sometimes it is hard to "find" my family. Someone is at camp, while the other is spending the weekend at a friends cabin, while my husband might take the opportunity to finish a project. We have a family vacation planned at the end of August, but it seems more difficult to spend time together as a family.

My family is lucky. We enjoy each others company and prioritize our meals and fun time enough, that when someone isn't around, we miss those opportunities. While it is harder throughout the summer to plan activities too far in advance, I also rely on surprise moments. When I was younger, my favorite surprise happened one very hot evening. Few homes had air conditioning then. My father told us all to get our pajamas on. Then he told us to get into the car. We went for a very nice drive through different neighborhoods and very conveniently drove right past a Dairy Queen. What a treat that was except that "drive thru" didn't exist then, and my older brother was too embarrassed to get out of the car in his pajamas to order his ice cream.

For some creative ideas for spending more time with your children and spouse during the busy summer months visit Better Homes and Gardens article 5 Ways to Find Family Time

Posted by Susan at 8/04/2004 10:18:58 AM | Link