Children love vacations. Not just because they finally get to escape a year of feeling cooped up. And not because they get to go to Disney World or some other place they`ve idealized in their minds. Vacations give children something much more important: Connection with you! Usually, parents are more relaxed, more fun, more emotionally available. It`s common for kids to say that their favorite summer memory is something simple and free of charge, like lying on a blanket looking at the stars with the family. These sweet pleasures are the golden experiences that shape rich childhood memories.

Kids also love vacations with extended family. They follow the older cousins around like puppies, and forge lifelong bonds with the kids their own age. These visits often shape their memories of grandparents and provide a sense of heritage.

But vacation can also be stressful. Kids often stay up late, get disconnected from parents, and melt down from the overload. I call it Family Vacation Stress Syndrome. (Of course, parents often experience their own version, whether from extended family tensions, grandparents judging their parenting, or logistical pressures. So the first rule for a restful vacation is to find a way to restore your own peace when you get off balance!)