It usually goes without saying that on any family trip there will be family time. Most families consider the fact that they are together for hours and hours each day to be an indication of family time. While it is true that all this time together in new situations is time with family, that’s not what I’m alluding to.
The family time I’m talking about is the foundation that the fun is built on. Family rituals if you will. We all have them and they are part of what makes each family unique. They are also typically what makes a family fun. And the rituals need not be something that is only practiced at home and then taken on the road. I met a family in the Peruvian jungle who only played the card game Hearts while traveling. And they seemed to play it every night after dinner as a means of coming back together and relaxing in tradition.
Maybe for your family it’s a pancake breakfast every weekend, or a family movie night, bedtime stories, wrestling night. Whatever your ritual(s), making time for them on the road is doubly important to help maintain a semblance of togetherness, especially if your days get packed with crazy activities that have you on the go for 12 hours straight.
I have no sound advice on HOW to plan the time other than the Nike slogan: Just do it. Every family’s situation will be different and there is no way I can encompass them all. Each family will know the best time of day to plan their time. Even if it’s not a hard fast time, and it need not be, plan to keep those rituals alive which help your family bond.
great idea!! and so important. i think that family times should also be slower times – reconnecting over a meal, or reading books together by a gorgeous view…
That is a little something I need to do more research into, many thanks for the posting.