Avoid Needing a Vacation After Vacation
More often than not, I return from a family vacation feeling like I need another break to recover. While there’s no perfect way to avoid this, I’ve learned a few strategies that make the transition smoother.
Change Your Check-Out Day
Check-out days are rarely the highlight of a trip—at least not for me. To make things less stressful, consider checking out on a weekday instead of the usual Friday or Sunday, when campgrounds and hotels are at their busiest.
I’ve found that checking out on a Monday is much more relaxed, and there’s often a better chance of securing a late check-out. That extra time makes packing up far less overwhelming. You know that joke about parents needing a vacation after their vacation? Let’s skip that!
Make the Return Home Easier
No matter where we go, I try to tidy up before leaving so that coming home isn’t chaotic. If possible, I even do laundry during our trip—it doesn’t feel like a chore when spread out between moments of relaxation.
When that’s not an option, I organize our packing by grouping similar items together—keeping all dirty laundry in one suitcase, separating each child’s clothes, and packing groceries in sorted bags. While some may see this as “working” on vacation, I find that these small steps make unpacking at home much quicker and far less stressful.
Get the Kids Involved
At home, getting kids to help can feel like pulling teeth, but for some reason, camping brings out their inner helpers. One of our kids loves assisting with wheel blocking and leveling, which makes him feel important while truly being helpful. Assigning small tasks not only keeps them engaged but also eases the workload for Mom and Dad.
Take Off the Day After You Return Home
After a fun-filled camping trip, getting home and organizing everyone for reentry into life can be a bad way to end the trip. While the aforementioned tips can alleviate some of the stress, there’s nothing like knowing you have a whole day off to get your bearings before returning to your day-to-day. If you can, consider adding an extra day to your scheduled time off.
Of course, once we get home, the kids think it’s instant playtime! But we set the expectation that everyone has a couple of jobs to do. Thanks to the little prep work I do while packing up, we’re usually fully unpacked within an hour—making the transition back to reality much smoother.
