Vacations are Important For Everyone!

Vacations are a time for bonding. As busy as families are, there are rarely times that you are forced to be with each other all day, every day, for a pre-determined amount of time, we have a hard time even getting together for dinner. All day every day can sound tough but I think this is a recipe for wonderful memories that will be laughed about and shared for a lifetime. Even things that feel like tragedies at the time provide wonderful material when 40 year old siblings reunite at Christmas.

The time my sister, Emily was car sick all over Grandma, or the van breaking on I-90 so we got to ride in a tow truck to the nearest McDonald's and wait, are stories we love to share as much as  the great times in Williamsburg, or getting to stay at the Contemporary Resort, and making fun of the way Emily squeals on rides (she really is a scaredy cat).

There are many families that find the idea of a vacation as more stressful than relaxing. Many of them have a family member with a disability. Special challenges can lend itself to just living day by day, and not really planning ahead for things like vacations. Or they may not seem worth the hassle, admittedly there is a lot of work to plan, pack for and travel to a vacation. It is even MORE work if you need to plan around a disability. Whether it is how to get wheelchair service on a plane, or make sure the room is accessible, worrying about a peanut or gluten free menu, or trying to keep things as predictable and functional for a child with anxiety or Autism as possible. But I'm telling you it is worth it, and here's why...

1. Bonding- Vacation time allows families to enjoy each other. Even with "he's touching me" ringing in the back seat, they are relating to each other, and they will use this time to create lasting memories. In the best case scenario, they may even choose to like each other now, instead of later... I did say best case. Worse case, everyone is laughing about that crazy vacation for decades.
2. Siblings- All parents of kids that have a sibling with a disability know how hard the balance is. I truly believe they deserve vacations! They have a different journey in life than most, and they should be able to visit great places, dip their feet in the ocean, or hug Mickey Mouse. 
3. The Rat Race- You deserve a change of pace. Even though every day with children is work,  even on vacation, being away from the home schedule will do more for your frame of mind than you can imagine. Just a change of pace can be relaxing! Seeing your kids smile, that makes you stress free!

I love this photo, it shows them actually enjoying each other!

Yes, you will have to work out accommodations to make your vacation work for your family and YES it is worth it! Maybe start with a long weekend, and work your way up to a week. Or start close by, and graduate to a longer distance. Just pick a balance for all of the kids. I have a son, Ben that loves science and museums. So after the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, we went to American Girl for our daughter, Meg. And when we visit Disney we spend a lot of the time together, but we split up to have time doing what each kid enjoys (and sometimes even what we parents want to do). This way we have a vacation that everyone enjoys and group memories that we will forever cherish!