Staycation with Kids | “Stop Taking Your Kid Places!”
The year was 2009. My husband and I took an exotic vacation to Tokyo and Kyoto. The plane trip was about 14 hours, but it was oh so pleasant and roomy. I even remember liking the plane food. Our Tokyo hotel was fancy and high in the sky as we oversaw the city. We stayed in Tokyo for 4 nights, and Kyoto for three nights. In Kyoto, we stayed at a ryokan, and we slept on tatami mats. Every morning and night, we were fed incredible fresh sushi while we sat around in our robes. Didn’t care for the outhouse type of showers, but I dealt with it. We have over 500 pictures from that trip, and they pop up often on our screen saver in the living room.
Our next vacation is planned for the summer of 2018, when we will all go to Disney World.
That’s right, do the math. That’s nine years since the last one. I’m talking a real vacation. The visits to your family in Oklahoma don’t count. Your weekend trips to the beach don’t count. Dragging your kid to a film festival doesn’t count. Don’t tell me your Rye Playland trip was a vacation.
Tough Financial Choices for Moms
Don’t feel sorry for me either. It is my CHOICE that this family do not go away on a big trip until the summer of 2018, when my son will be seven years old and in somewhat of a better place to travel.
I live in New York City, one of the greatest cities in the world. I already pay premium to live here. I refuse to sock any more money to go to nice places with a toddler by my side screaming on the plane. Isn’t everything I want to see already here?
Travel with Kids… ugh.
How the heck is traveling with a three year old fun? The iPad only takes you so far on a plane, and if you pull out the big guns too early you’re screwed for the rest of the trip. The crayons and cars will do you no good if you pulled out the iPad too early. My son is too smart, he knows I got that thing hiding somewhere, and you bet I’ll pull it out to keep him quiet.
I’m kind of tired of people telling me I have to go away. That family vacations are a must. First, if you live in NYC, I believe vacations are completely unnecessary. Second, if you don’t live in a big city like mine, I guarantee you that you can find fun things to do in your own home town, and not spend nearly as much money or go through the travel stress.
Taking your family on a work trip…doesn’t really count.
And as we start talking about the expense: Suze Orman has grilled into my head that I need an eight-month emergency fund, I need to fully fund my retirement accounts to the maximum extent possible, I need to have my estate plan is shape, I need good life insurance, and I need to put money away in a 529 plan for college. I need to make sure I don’t rack up credit card debt too. So, where does that leave me after taxes are taken out of my paycheck, the rent is paid, and I pay daycare? Certainly not much for a vacation. To be a financially responsible adult and parent doesn’t leave you with much money left for fun. And when your child turns two, all hell breaks loose as you will have to pay for the full price of another plane ticket. Really? Should we really be doing this?
I’m no sourpuss. I’m just telling all you moms out there that you don’t have to get away! The exceptions, of course, are the family weddings, funerals, and big holidays. Other than that, I bet we can get imaginative here, and create the perfect momcation here at home.
Staycation with Kids aka MOMCation
To be continued in my next blog…….momcation!
- Staycation with Kids | “Stop Taking Your Kid Places!” - November 14, 2014