Taking the Kids: Twenty-one ways to show your love on summer vacation!
Let's hear it for dads! Grandpas, too! Sure moms may do a lot of the vacation heavy lifting -- planning (and worrying) that all will go well and everyone will have a fun time. But even if moms are the chief planners, as research suggests, dads do plenty of heaving lifting too -- starting with the suitcases and duffels. They're the ones playing Marco Polo in the pool, tossing the football at the beach, constructing those huge sandcastles and watching the crew so that mom can sneak off to the spa. In our family, it's usually the dads who do the cooking at the vacation condo or cabin too. (Thanks, honey!)
As Father's Day coincides with the start of the summer vacation season, (check out the Taking the Kids #BEST SUMMER section), I figured there's no better time to offer some suggestions to up dad's fun quotient on vacation, which is a much better idea than yet another Father's Day tie, or an IOU, accompanied by a charming kid's drawing to:
1. Promise no back-seat squabbling on the upcoming road trip
2. Let dad sleep in on vacation
3. Give dad an hour of kid-free time every day. (Wouldn't that be something!)
4. Promise to pose for those family reunion photos without griping.
5. Promise to be responsible for enough ice or gathering wood and kindling on the upcoming camping trip.
6. Promise that each child (assuming they are old enough) will plan a day of the vacation itinerary.
You get the idea. Consider what would really please the dad and grandpa in your life on vacation? You could:
7. Get dad a book or e-book that's set in the locale where you are going, whether history, travelogue or a novel. Ask your local librarian for suggestions.
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