Family Travel: 5 Best Topics to Bring You Closer to Your Kids on Vacation

I was sitting out on the balcony of our vacation condo and my daughter came out to see what I was doing. I had been quietly working on a word search. She was learning her alphabet and asked if she could help. She shrieked, “There is an A, like my name!” We sat curled up on the lawn chair looking for letters. I cherish that memory. I knew we were spending quality time with each other on the trip and she felt more secure with me. 

We have so many rough moments at home and when we travel, moms often fear that the family problems will come with them on the getaway! Maybe you feel like you have not been as patient as you would like. Or that you just run out of energy mid-day. It’s hard to feel your best in these stressful times. Our motherly purpose is to care for and care about the kids. We want that feeling of Tranquility - no distress, calmness and serenity in our home. We want to be able to feel joy, peace and love fully!

Your family may be full of tension lately. Maybe one of the kids is acting out and then the siblings are resentful. Sibling rivalry may be at an all time high. Maybe you and your spouse see the parenting issues differently and the kids are splitting between the good cop - bad cop. Some families feel worn down and feel discouraged that home will never be peaceful again.

My goal at Tranquility Moms is to help families to go on their trip and return home happier and healthier. I know that a strong family is the foundation to the team we need to be when the going gets tough. And we have seen our fill of tough times. God wants us to turn towards each other not away from each other in stressful times. 

Each family trip that you take is an opportunity to get closer to one another. You have less distractions and more quality time with one another. You have an excellent opportunity to notice them. And isn’t that what each of us want in life - to be seen. Yet, you may not even know where to start the conversations. Here are 5 topics that can kickstart an open discussion and help you to get to know each other more deeply. 

And to be fully honest, you may not like their answer to these questions. You may choke at what they say. But this is the opportunity to show them you are fully listening. You are allowing them to be true to who they are and what they feel. And really, their answers will change in 3 months! Let this time be for closeness, not lectures. 

5 Questions To Bring You Closer to Your Kids

What are your child’s current interests?

As you walk along the path of the resort, listen to what your child points out. Does she love looking at the animals? Is he asking questions about the critters underneath the bush? Is she collecting flowers? Is your son joining in on the pool games? Is your daughter enjoying the live music? Is your son counting the number of red bathing suits? Is your daughter collecting beautiful seashells? In a museum, what is your child interested in learning about? At a nature center, what does your child want to learn the most about? 

These are all clues about what they enjoy, find interesting and what makes them happy. Delight in their individual interests. 

What makes your child laugh?

It has always fascinated me that each person has a different sense of humor. We each find something funny or really, really funny depending on our sense of humor. Your child’s humor may change as they mature. Notice them laugh. Does your daughter sweetly giggle? Does your son give a big belly laugh? What tickles their funny bone? Jokes? Slapstick? Dry humor? Sarcasm? Bloopers? 

Share with them what makes you laugh!

Who is important to your child?

At home, you may have a busy schedule and miss out on who your child is currently hanging out with. A friend of mine has older kids and her advice was always to have the friends at our house - so you know who the kids are hanging out with! Sometimes that is feasible and other times, they talk to the friend at school or practice and you aren’t in the loop. While you are sitting at the airport or waiting in line for a ride, you have time to chat about their friend circle. You also can talk about the adults that mean a lot to your child, as well. This may be coaches, teachers or aunts - ask them more about these mentors. 

 Share who you hung around with at that same age. You can share what qualities mean the most to you in a friend and ask them what characteristics stand out about their current buddies. 

Who is Jesus to your child now?

Our faith journey changes with each age. We have years of believing vs questioning, going towards Jesus vs pulling away. I hope to have the lines of communication open with my children about their faith. 

Let’s be curious:

Do you feel nudges from the Holy Spirit when you make choices? Do you pray when you are alone? Do you believe you are deeply loved by God? Do you understand that Jesus gives us redemption and forgiveness for our sins? Do you tell Jesus when you are afraid? Do you ask God for what you need each day? Do you thank God for your blessings?

What does your child want in the future?

Some children know clearly what they want to be when they grow-up. Some of those careers were sparked by someone they met on vacation. Either the dolphin trainer that was fascinating or the dentist at your table on the cruise that peaked your child’s curiosity. Traveling gives our kids more exposure to a variety of lifestyles, arts, sports, and workers in society. Your child may be interested in the small town bakery owner and want to ask many questions. Or their trip to the local zoo sparked an exploration of science. Our trip to NASA opened our eyes to space exploration and we came home reading about it. As a child knows more clearly what they want to achieve, it will help them to make Godly choices and stay on a healthy path in order to reach those goals. 

Being a grown-up may be far away for your child to imagine, however you can talk about the near future too. You can inquire about the upcoming sports season or theater play. The conversation can be about goals in school, ways to paint their bedroom or the next place they would love to travel to.

This is a great way to get closer to one another. After you have listened and asked curious questions, you can share what you may have answered at their age. You are their role model (whether they still admit it or not!). 

Each conversation deepens our emotional connection with our children. This helps us to know their heart and for them to solidify their trust in us. These conversations can be humbling and also fill you with pride in who your child is. 

Upcoming book in 2022 by Kathryn Gardner ~ Find Tranquility on Your Family Trip: Rest, Recharge and Connect. Plus 100 Christian Family Travel Activities

So glad you are on this journey with me to go from stressed to refreshed! Find your tranquility today! 

Be well and God bless,

Coach Kathy

Kathryn Gardner, mom of 2, police wife, and Therapist specializing in the wellness of moms & Certified Health Coach moved with her family to Tampa, FL to be near the ocean and explore the health benefits of nature. Her passion is helping stressed moms find tranquility! Check out TranquilityMoms.com for the latest blog post and YouTube video. She posts encouraging messages on Instagram and Facebook.

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