Steps to Take Before Taking a Family Vacation as a Single Parent
When two people decide to get married and start a family, none of them expect them to end up preparing a divorce packet and become a single mom and dad. However, life is full of ups and downs and, unfortunately, lots of married people sooner or later decide to prepare Pennsylvania divorce forms online. If you have been through a divorce, you probably know that the ending of your marital relationship is just the beginning of a new life full of joy and adventures.
As intimidating as it may seem, taking family vacations with your kids as a single parent is an effective tool in getting back to normal life after a divorce packet has been filed. Below, there are a few steps to take when planning your next vacation:
Plan your vacation in advance
The more time you spend on planning your next trip, the fewer troubles you face during the actual trip. Try to plan everything to the smallest details – where to stay, where to eat, what to do, etc. It is reasonable to start planning your domestic tour a half a year in advance. If you are going to discover another country, start planning even earlier.
Consider your children’s age
When choosing a tour, take into account your kids’ age. If you have small kids, then choose from single-destination tours and stick to a spot with a well-planned itinerary. Don’t even think about bringing preschool kids to the Dinaric Alps. Of course, you can take them wherever you like, but will they enjoy it as much as they would enjoy a tour to Disney’s Magic Kingdom?
If you have young kids, go for meal plans. Preschoolers would rather eat the same food every day than experiment with local cuisines. So, make sure that the café or restaurant you choose serves ordinary food. Also, don’t lose a good opportunity to explore a new place by yourself. For this, make sure that the hotel you choose provides babysitting services or have kids’ clubs so that you can free up some time for yourself. This will give you a great chance to unwind and your little ones the opportunity to make new friends.
Consider available transport options
If you are going to take a domestic tour, consider whether you should take a ride in a car or bus rather than take a plane. Of course, we don’t want you to develop driver fatigue but a one- or two-hour drive is much better than airport stress. However, if you are going to travel abroad, turn to the airlines that support single parent travels. Let us say, check if you can advantage from family early boarding, have your stroller gate-checked at no charge, and enjoy onboard entertainments for kids.
Ask someone to accompany you
Just because you have once decided to complete divorce doesn’t necessarily mean that from now on you have to travel alone. You can ask your family, friend, or another single mom or dad with kids to keep you a company. This is how you will always have a person to entrust your little ones to so that you can have some time for yourself.
If you are on good terms with your former spouse, you can ask him or her to join you. While your kids will appreciate the time spent with both parents, you will be able to relieve the financial strain on you as your ex-partner will defray some child-related expenses. Moreover, traveling with another parent will greatly reduce airport stress. So, if it is possible, take your ex with you.
Get ready for possible distractions
Whether or not you are going to share your next family vacation with your ex, you have to be prepared for possible distractions and delays that usually come with kids. Let us say, be prepared that your little ones may suddenly get sick, need to go to the restroom when you are short of time or need to change their clothes when you are on board. If you know what to expect, nothing can confuse you. This is how you can have a joyful and, likely, badly-needed family vacation. So, no matter whether you are driving to a neighboring state or are taking your teenage kids on an Asia tour, your breakup should never put the end to your family vacationing.
Authors Bio
Greg Semmit has years of experience working with different types of legal documents and writing about Family Law for educational purposes. Currently, he is working at OnlineDivorcer company, where he writing blog articles about divorce and divorce cases. In his free time, he likes roaming the streets of New York with his Olympus taking photos of the best spots in the city.
