Years ago, my husband and I realized that vacations have a lasting impact on our family. “Stuff” doesn’t seem to bring about the same feeling as a vacation. Because of that, we have adjusted our budget, spending more on vacations and getaways and downsizing gift-giving to a few meaningful items each year.
We Commit to Quality Time Away From Electronics
While on that same vacation to Gulf Shores, my husband was recovering from shoulder surgery. He wasn’t able to build sandcastles or body surf in the waves. But he could take long walks along 32 miles of beaches. Those long strolls along the water’s edge gave us all a chance to connect away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. On vacation, we seriously limit phone time, locking phones in the hotel room safe except for an hour or two each day (the boys text with friends when we get ready for dinner or evenings out). Unplugged moments make it easy to talk about the great mysteries of life. Why do shark eggs look so funny? How many grains of sand do you think there really are on this beach? What scared you when you were a little kid? The kids, especially our youngest, soak up these moments. It’s amazing how often those conversation topics sneak back into dinner table discussions in the months after.