Choosing to go on your vacation with another family can be a great way to add to the enjoyment of the experience by sharing all the good times. However, no matter how well you and the other family get on, itโs important to be aware of issues that might arise, so you can ensure your relationship remains as strong when you get back home as it was when you left.
Plan Together
Ensure all decisions about where you go and what time of year are made jointly. If one family enforces its personal preferences on another without ensuring there is true agreement, this can lead to resentment later down the line.
Itโs also important for everyone involved to decide exactly what they want from the trip. If, for example, you all decide to stay at a Bryce Canyon hotel, some of the party may be interested in spending all their time hiking around the national park while others might prefer to spend their time indulging in watersports at Lake Powell. While this might not seem as though it would be a problem, it could become one if, for example, only one vehicle available.
Sort Out The Finances In Advance
Although it may seem fair to simply split the cost of joint purchases, such as a vacation home, or for each family to pay for their own meals, this arrangement may not always work as smoothly as you might like. Supposing one family wants to eat at a particular restaurant, but the other doesn’t want to pay so much for their meal? Setting a budget and sorting out these elements in advance is by far the best way to ensure there will not be any problems.
Make Sure The Children Will Get On
If your children donโt know one another well, don’t assume that just because they are roughly the same age, they will instantly bond. In such cases, itโs a good idea to give your children the opportunity to get to know one another in advance of the vacation so that friendships can be properly established, and any difficulties ironed out.
Children are notorious for their ability to be great pals one moment and mortal enemies the next, which means that even if your children were best friends with those from the other family at the start of your trip, it might not be that way throughout.
When trying to resolve the situation, remember that you cannot micromanage your childโs social life and that their feelings have to be respected. You also want to validate their emotions, letting them know you understand how bad they must feel as a result of what has happened
Try not to criticize or give advice while your child is explaining their side of the story – listen to what they have to say and then give your input later.
Give Each Other Space
Sharing a large SUV as part of a road trip might seem to make sense financially, as does sharing accommodation, but this could lead to a feeling of constantly getting under one another’s feet, and the tensions that can arise in this situation could spill over into unwanted arguments.
No matter how well you know another family, it’s unlikely you’ve experienced the way they interact with one another 24/7. They may have parenting methods or techniques that you do not agree with, so it’s best to give one another plenty of space to avoid any possibility of a clash.