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Our wifi was running really slow. I opened up the app from our internet provider at the house and it showed 17 devices currently linked to the wifi. It showed a bar at the top “Excessive wifi usage warning.” Hmm, that sounds bad! I scrolled down the list, wow, do we really have that many devices pulling from the wifi? Our thermostat, our TV, our computers, my work laptop, the kids’ tablets, our cell phones…the list went on! Two things were apparent to me - we really rely on technology nowadays to even run a home and two, we are sucked into our devices way too much!

This is one of the key reasons families are feeling more disconnected from their relationships more than ever. Families are together but separate. We may all be in the family room together, but how many of us are sitting on a device and disconnected from one another. Are we talking as often? Are we actually listening to each other? Are we distracted and have a short attention span to get back to our video game or Facebook story? Are we laughing as often? Are we able to respond to a crisis quickly in the family because we intimately know what each other needs? 

I hear most often in my counseling sessions with moms that they don’t feel connected anymore. Everyone feels burned out! Family members are zoning out and couldn’t tell you what the other people in the house are feeling today. Families are struggling and just getting by from day to day. Is this true for your family too?

I want to strengthen families. I want our foundation and relationship strength to be so strong that it can help us to get through the really stressful times - together! 

Vacation Can Transform the Family

When I picture our family at its closest, it’s on vacation. We are together, with less outside pulls - like our jobs, home chores or the sports activity schedule. I try really hard on our trip to check the weather on my phone, but not jump onto social media or read sad news stories. I detach from all of that “noise” for the getaway and just focus my mind and heart on our family. It’s an awesome opportunity to boost our faith, hope and love!

 God’s wish for family is for it to be the people we can depend on most for emotional, mental, physical and spiritual support. Somehow, many distractions have come in-between us and His plans. I believe it is possible to take steps to build these love connections. (To read more about our DIY Wellness Travel and our GLOW model  - the “L” for Love connections, check out our Tranquility Moms blog and YouTube channel).

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 

 - 1 John 3:18 NLT

Planning begins the reconnect process

As you daydream about your next vacation, involve the entire family. Start the conversations at dinner about favorite past trips. In the car trip to soccer practice, mention a new destination that you have been looking up information on. Ask questions and listen to their interests and what they would enjoy. This begins the excitement and buzz about going on a trip together. 

 “Planning a family vacation together shows you value one another and each other’s needs.”

- Coach Kathy

Select Activities that Each Person Would Love

One of the hardest aspects of a family trip is compromise. She wants to sit by the pool vs. he wants to go on an all day excursion. As your family sits and discusses the local options in that vacation town, write out all of the options. Each family member can pick one favorite that the entire family will participate in. This helps our family to be less self-centered and more other-centered. Long term, this is what deepens our relationship and helps us to have a forgiving heart in tough moments. And who knows, you may really like what your brother picked! 

I always coach families to find the best wellness options to add to your trip plans. Have you heard of Wellness Travel? 

Wellness Tourism Association states Wellness Travel is “travel that allows the traveler to maintain, enhance or kick-start a healthy lifestyle and support or increase one’s sense of well-being.”

My hope is for more families to have a Do-it-yourself Wellness Travel plan for their trip. I created DIY Wellness Travel after 2020; I missed travel so much and knowing I needed a recharge and our family needed to reconnect. I have been putting together YouTube videos with easy DIY wellness travel tips and wellness ideas for you! #diywellnesstravel #wellnesstravel

  ”Joy fills hearts that are planning peace!”

- Proverbs 12:20

Vacation takeaways

Enjoy the trip and all of the memory making! As you fly or drive home, ask each family member what their favorite parts were. I love hearing the kids relive the week’s moments. Our son loved seeing all of the lizards in Florida and he started studying them at home. He is now the proud owner of a bearded dragon, Pablo. The trip inspired his interest and dedication! You never know what hobby or interest can be sparked on the trip. These can be areas that you study with your child and keep you close back at home. Instead of each separately diving back into your devices, invite your child to go to the library with you, grab books on that subject or search online together  - e.g. scuba diving, an interesting fruit they tried, nature they saw, or animals they watched. 

 As you put together a photo book or scrapbook of the trip, involve each family member, they each have a unique perspective of the getaway. (For a beautiful blank journal notebook, purchase the Tranquility Journal my daughter and I designed on Amazon!) This helps to bring the images to the mind and sink them into the memory bank of the brain. These moments are all connected to the faith, hope and love on the trip. You have successfully gotten away on a trip and brought your family back together! 

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 

- 1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT

Upcoming book in 2022 by Kathryn Gardner ~ Find Tranquility on Your Family Trip: Rest, Recharge and Connect on Your Family Trip. 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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• Daily Reset for Mom’s Calmness (in as little as 5 minutes!)
• Just a Quiet Moment for Me in the Minivan
• Walking on Sunshine and Feeling Happy and Healthy