Muffins with Mom – How to vacation with young adult children

“Do you have your passport, your driver’s license, and money?”

“Yes Ma, we have everything,” my son said.

That was the beginning of our travel journey.

As I sat with my sons on the filled to capacity airplane, I took selfies of our smiling faces. Well, my smiling face, and their look of annoyance at my taking their picture. I remarked, “This is the first family vacation we’ve had in a long time.”

“This is the only vacation we’ve had,” said my son.

In spite of sarcasm, our family vacation was filled with fun and excitement. I even discovered a few tips for traveling with young adults. Our vacation included a cruise.

·         Let them chose some of the activities – as soon as we stepped off the ship at our first port, my sons noticed a sign for parasailing. They wanted to sign up immediately. Not really sure that I wanted them to do that, I stalled. “Let’s tour the island first.”

We walked a short distance then saw a business where we could rent a golf cart for a self-guided tour. I looked up and around us, and what I saw was mostly mountains and hills. I did not want to drive through the mountains, nor did I want my sons to drive me. We walked around the island more and discovered another parasailing location that offered a better deal. I told my sons to go for it and I took pictures from the shore. They had an awesome experience.

·         Remain calm – there may be hiccups in your schedule where things don’t go as planned. Don’t let these things steal your joy. Remember you’re on vacation. This is a time for relaxation.

·         Don’t overbook yourselves – it’ easy to pack so much into a vacation that you rush around trying to see everything and become overwhelmed. There were times when not all of us wanted to do the same activities. We paired up and engaged in different things – some relaxed while others played games. Build in time to relax.

·         Have separate rooms – as much fun as it is to spend quality time with family, it’s also good to have separate space to unwind at the end of the day.

The best way to vacation with your young adult children is to be sure they are included in the planning process in some way. Even though you may be terrified about the high risk activities that they want to engage in, listen to their input.

What tips do you have for vacationing with young adult children?