Forced Family Fun

Just coming back from a long weekend away, there are things that we deal with now traveling with the kids that can be considered "normal" or "just for the sake of making mommy nutso."

Packing
I have to pack for myself and for the littles.  Otherwise my son will wear the same shirt for 4 days in a row, and the same stanky socks.

My tween is the only one allowed to pack her things.  Touch her suitcase and a meltdown is sure to ensue.

Bring exactly enough clothes for K, so she will not have a choice.  Otherwise it's sweats and long-sleeves in 90 degree weather or her bathing suit in 50.   Tell her "this is all that's left in the bag" and hide the dirty stuff, or a meltdown is sure to ensue.

Food/Snacks/Eating Out
No matter how many or what type of snacks you take in the car, they'll want something from a drive-thru.

K will eat 10% of her burger/nuggets/taco/main course.

She will be starving 10 minutes later.

She will refuse to eat the other 90% of her meal and beg for candy/slurpee/ice cream/treats.

Mommy will inevitably forget her headphones for the rest of the remaining 4 hours of the trip.

After 4 days of eating out, you want nothing to do with it and will beg for homemade lasagne, meatloaf, or even cereal.

Pep Talk
It seems that at ages 12, 10, and 5, the FFF (Forced Family Fun) Pep Talk starts every road trip.

"Attention kids:  You will have fun on this trip.  There will be no complaining, whining, or being bored. Smiling is mandatory and fighting will result in a NO ELECTRONICS penalty.

We are demanding you have fun, even if the 100th train in the museum looks just like the first.  Love it. Own it. Remember it. Appreciate it."

Love, Mom.

Activities
The tween wants to go shopping, clothes shopping.  A mall is good anywhere.

The boy wants an arcade, skee ball preferred.

The 5 year old wants tickets to buy junky toys that break on first use.

The hubby is happy reading maps of wherever we are.

I can never pass up visiting a  pizza place on our trips.

Perfect all our future vacations are to Chuck E. Cheese and we don't have to go further than 15 miles!

Home
Okay after 4 days, even I was excited for my own bed, my DVR'ed shows, and home.

Even if it involves unpacking, laundry, and grocery shopping.

Even groceries are exciting, eating out each meal makes mommy fat.

Precious is that when my little K comes home, she spends a significant amount of time in her room saying hello to her toys.  She missed them greatly and told them so.  Soon you see her with her toy stethescope and carrying all her stuffed animals to the living room.

"What's wrong honey?"

The animals are sick, their mom left on a plane ride and now they all need medicine!

"Oh then I'm so glad we came home so you can take care of them!"

Me too.

6 supporters in group:

  1. Unknown said...

    LOVE this! Seriously--I totally get the eating out thing. There's only so much eating out that I can take!

    And the whole my bed, DVR, etc thing. Love it.

    Cute post!

  2. Gladys Parker said...

    This sounds like us when we get to go away. Except my children have always been very grateful for snacks and any fast food. (We don't do much of either at home) Your children's ages are far enough apart not to argue too much but want different things. This might be difficult. I hope you enjoy your vaca trips, I live through your posts. I only comment if it is an important contest entry - not big on typing publicly!
    Gladys P

  3. The Mom Jen said...

    Gladys, you'd think they'd argue less...not so.

  4. won said...

    It sounds like a lot of work for fun.

    Think you need a vacation from your vacation.

  5. MTgunfighter said...

    My parents used to do this to us.Except it always seemed to end in fishing in the middle of a swamp somewhere, after getting up at 4:30 in the morning.

    I never did understand how my Dad knew so many swamps... LOL

    mtdoonmeister at gmail dot com

  6. Michelle said...

    I love the idea of FFF! With an 11, 10, and 8 year old this should be the required pep talk at the beginning of all our trips. Middle child is notoriously pouty and sometimes doesn't even have fun at the most fun places like Disneyland.

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