I will always admit this. I thrive in my routine. I thrive in knowing how the day will go, having a to-do list and making sure everything gets checked off.
Vacations can be an actual nightmare for me. I am not very laissez-faire when it comes to vacations. When it is just Scott and I or just the big kids and I then I am fine. Throw in a small kid with big tantrums and I want nothing to do with it. I like predictability with the littles. As they are getting older it is getting easier, however I do have some tips for staying on a routine.
Sleeping
I try to keep my bedtime the same even when I am on vacation. It helps your body feel its best so during the day you can do all the things on the to-do list. With little kids, we keep their bed times as close as humanly possible. When I had nappers, depending on the age, we would take the napper back to the hotel, condo or wherever for naps. If they were small and napped anywhere, we let them sleep in their carseat or in the baby carrier on me.
Get Ready
I still keep my getting ready routine while I am away. I love the way I feel when I get ready. And obviously if it's a day at the beach I get ready accordingly. I love being ready for photos anytime.
Before You Leave
Before we go on a trip I get myself (and the littles) packed and get all the odds and ends we will need ready to go. Once that is done my final things of prep are dishes, vacuuming, sweeping and making beds. I don't love coming home to a mess, I want to come home and unpack and relax before real life starts up again. I also make sure we have enough food for dinners for a few days so I don't have to think about grocery shopping.
Returning Home
When we get home from a trip (ours have been mostly road trips) we unload the car and I get laundry started. Things get unpacked and everyone sits down to watch a movie and veg out for a bit. This is why I love to get the house tidy before we leave. Our dinner the day we get home is usually what we call "dippy dinner" with frozen pizza, veggies and dip, chips and salsa and maybe popcorn. It's a meal that doesn't require any brainpower to make.
Plan Ahead
When we travel I try to plan out our days ahead of time so that I know what to expect. It helps me feel emotionally better. I also like knowing if there is something we can drop because of grumpy kids or time getting away from us. It helps us stay on track for what we want to do.
Do you have any tips for your routine while on vacation?