Tips for Vacationing with Friends – and Their Kids!
Elias (7), Ezra (9 months), Ellery (2), Adeline (4), Maxwell (4)
Earlier this month our family took a vacation to Destin, Florida, which is located on the beautiful Gulf Coast. Part of our time was spent there with just our family, and part of time we vacationed with our family friends, the Costners. Alyson and Matt are old friends from Nashville, who moved away a few years ago. They have two kids, Maxwell who is 4 like Adeline and Ellery who is 2.
We miss them terribly and were so grateful that they could get away to the beach with us for a few days.
This was our second friend vacation this year (remember our trip to the Smoky Mountains with our friends the Larsons?), so I thought I would share some tips we have learned on vacationing with friends – and little kids!
Discuss expectations ahead of the vacation: From activities to nap schedules, chat ahead of time about the vacation. This will make the vacation itself go a lot smoother if you already have an idea of what each family wants to do, see, daily routines, etc.
Alyson and I had a Google doc going with links to activities in Destin and possible activities we could do with the kids. (Two favorites were Fudpucker’s and The Track– pictured above.) This was helpful for planning and kept things organized.
Rent a house or condo: We have vacationed with friends multiple times and renting a house or condo together is always the way to go. You have so much more space than you would in a hotel, the kids have space to play and it is very comfortable.
Typically, a vacation rental is going to be the same price, if not cheaper than a hotel as well, making it a very affordable way to enjoy your vacation. Check out Dolphin Cottage the delightful beach house we stayed at in Destin (special thanks to Newman-Dailey Resort Properties for hosting us). It was charming and a great size for our two families.
We especially loved that the vacation rental had a bunk room for the big kids. (We had a kid room in the Smoky Mountains too.) The nightly sleepover makes things extra fun for the kids.
Enjoy the house: If you do choose to do a rental, plan to spend time at it! Our house had a private pool so one night we let the kids swim before dinner. The kids loved playing together at home too – hide and seek, board games, pretend, etc. Just because you are on vacation, doesn’t mean you need to go, go, go. Relax!
Don’t double up: You will need some supplies for your rental. Discuss who is going to bring what so you don’t have two of everything.
Split meals: It makes things much easier to just split meals. For instance, one day our family bought lunch for everyone and then then next day the Costners bought lunch. Keep it simple!
Cook at home: We ate breakfast and lunch at our rental, which saved considerably on food costs. With having young children, eating at home ensures that your kids have what they like to eat and that food doesn’t go to waste.
Be flexible: One day we were having a great time at the beach, so we decided to not do another activity we had planned on. Pay attention to everyone’s needs and make changes in the schedule as needed.
Let the kids do their thing: With young children, it is always a good thing to not force experiences on them. If they want to play together, awesome. If they want to play independently, that is fine too.
Love on each other’s kids: This might seem like a no-brainer, but as I think back on our time, part of what made it so special was how we all loved each other’s kids. I have fond memories of holding Ellery’s little hand as we walked from the beach. The above photo of Alyson and Matt being silly as Elias took their picture makes me smile so big because it captures the genuine fun and affection they shared with him.
Make some adult time: One afternoon, while the little ones were napping, the guys held down the fort and Alyson and I went shopping at the Destin outlet mall. Having that time together, away from the kids, was life-giving.
Take photos for one another: Vacation is a great opportunity to get some family photos, so be sure to take some for one another. We made a point to get dressed cute and go take some sunset photos on the beach in Destin. The photos we captured will forever be some of my favorite family photos (post coming soon with my best beach photo tips). I also loved getting to take some of the Costners, since they will soon be a family of five!
It won’t be perfect: Your kids will fuss. Their kids will fuss. It’s real life and it is just fine.
It will be perfect: Because honestly, life is better in community.
Have you vacationed with friends before? If so, what tips would you add to this?
Great tips. You guys got some amazing pictures, and it looks like you had a fabulous time. We have vacationed with friends, and it’s so much fun.
The only thing I would add is you don’t have to do everything together. Sometimes it’s nice to split up – either family and family – or maybe the guys take the younger kids and the moms take the older ones, or whatever works. I find that traveling with other families works best if you’re all honest with each other and take some time alone or in small groups. 🙂
Your pictures are beautiful, my friend. It was clear to me at the time (and now!) that your trip was extraordinary. The tips are spot on – I LOVE that you took photos for each other – it is always such a challenge to get everyone together when you are on your on – so a special perk of being together – not to mention, the kids are occupied and HAPPY.
Love this, Jess!! How fun. It makes me want to plan a getaway with friends, like tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your beautiful trip with us!
What great tips and what gorgeous pictures of the memories. I really like the ones with the kids all together, and saying to enjoy the vacation house. People think they need to run all around, when it’s also nice to play games and enjoy.