Making Memories – One Kid at a Time

With the kids getting older, Jack moving away and the other kids having their own activities and schedules, family vacations are looking a bit different. This year for fall break, Jack was away and Lucy was on a cruise with a good friend and her family. So Jeff and I packed ourselves up and brought Charlie, Molly and Ivy to the beach for a quick long weekend getaway.

I could be sad that the whole family wasn’t together, but I’m not. It’s nice to have time to focus on one or two of the kids and to make it more special for them. It’s also less stressful and, let’s face it, a lot less expensive!

We stayed at Crown City Inn, where Ivy is welcome, and both Molly and Charlie spent time in the water. It’s a cute area in Coronado with a farmer’s market and a quaint shopping area.

Making memories with your kids doesn’t have to be a big, elaborate vacation (though those are fun too!). It can be as simple as staying in a hotel in your hometown, taking a short road trip or taking off across town to attend an event.

One of our most memorable vacations as a family was to Mission Beach when the kids were younger. The place where we stayed was a dump, but we were within walking distance of the beach, which is what the kids remember. They don’t remember how dingy the place was or anything else that went awry. They remember that Jeff and I spent quality time with them at the beach.

Our kids have been lucky to have been invited to go on family vacations with some of their friends too, which makes entertaining the kids even easier–having friends on board!

It doesn’t have to be elaborate, perfect, expensive or long. Making memories is about the quality time you spend with your kids. That’s what they’re going to remember!