Benefits of Family Vacations

Whether it is to the beach, to the woods, or to a theme park, family vacations are important and benefit the family in more ways than you can number. Do not just dream of a vacation or wish there was more money for adventure. You can buckle down and make it happen. Vacations do not have to expensive to make them count!




There are 5 TOP benefits to family vacations (in no certain order):

1. Memories that last a LIFETIME. Do you remember a family a vacation from when you were younger? My family was very poor when I was young and I can count on one hand the vacations we went on. However, I remember EACH one like they were yesterday. I remember the fun, the close calls, the smells, and the stories that were told. I often recall them with fondness and when the family gathers together we reminisce about those times. Your children deserve to have these memories too. They will last forever and will be remembered with fondness—even if it was a total flop! (i.e.—the tent flooded in the storm, the hurricane chased you out early, etc…)

2. Time with Family is PRICELESS. Is there a better way to spend your time outside of serving the Lord? Your family was given to you to hold close, to laugh with, to minister to, and to be a blessing to each other. Time with these people is needed and should be craved. It is fleeting—the time with our kids. One day they are tiny, needing everything from us and the next thing you realize is that you only have a few short years or months left of their childhood. It is a wake-up call when you one day stand there and wonder where time has gone. It makes me think of the song from “Mamma Mia”:

What happened to the wonderful adventures?
The places I had planned for us to go.
Well some of that we did, but most we didn't and why I just don't know.

3. The mental break is NEEDED. Yeah, as adults we know this fact. We know the wonderful feeling of leaving stresses and burdens of work and everyday life behind. Our children too need the break. They do not realize it but we certainly should. They need to break free from their everyday thoughts and troubles. They should have some time where all that is on their mind is, “What fun thing can I do today?” Family vacations are the times we “recharge” our batteries to prepare us for the rest of the year. We count down to vacation and when we are home we start the countdown again until the next family vacation! Our bodies and minds want that time—it needs that time.

4. The bond with family and friends is STRENGTHENED. This is worth repeating! The bond with your friends and your family is strengthened with every moment of every vacation. You learn more about one another in these times than any other time during the year. Your appreciation and love for each of these individuals grows deeper because the time has been taken to know each other better. True, we learn the quirks that we may not like in our friends and family members. In the end, it is what makes them—them. We see past their weaknesses and focus in on their strengths and their character and just have fun and adventures together.

5. The rest of the year is MORE PRODUCTIVE! Yes, studies have shown that the person who vacations and takes time for themselves and for their families is a more productive worker, student, and citizen. A well rested mind and body can function more efficiently. Even before the vacation hits, knowing that date on the calendar will help you work productively and with minimal distractions. Your vacation becomes a reward for a job well done not just time off.

So, if the idea of a more productive year, stronger family ties and friendships, mental relaxation, priceless time with our aging family, and memories that will make you smile until the day you die, is something you must have—Sit down and start planning. Remember, a vacation does not have to be two weeks. It can be a weekend. It does not have to be expensive. It can virtually be little to no money needed. You don’t have to stay at the Four Seasons when camping in the back yard will do. The possibilities are endless! Leave a comment and let us know what you have planned or what you will be planning for vacation this year!