Planning a family trip with a foster child requires planning, but it can be a great bonding and trust-building opportunity.
If a foster child has just joined your family, you’re probably excited—and maybe a little uneasy—about taking your very first family vacation together. Children and teens benefit from spending time with their parents and siblings. Since daily life is usually busy, a vacation is an ideal setting to focus on the kids, get inside their heads, and learn about their interests, passions, and unique personality traits. Here are four simple ideas to ensure that your getaway with your foster children will be a smashing success.
1. Organization is Key
Traveling peacefully and efficiently with your family requires some advanced planning and organization. If flying, make sure your children’s documents (passports, etc.) are up-to-date (if you are traveling internationally), book early to take advantage of cheaper airfares, and be prepared for contingencies such as lost luggage. Ask your child to pack a backpack (which they can bring on board as their hand-carried luggage) with a pair of sneakers, a change of clothes, spare medication, their favorite snack, and their favorite entertainment items (including tablets and smartphones). This will ensure that if their luggage is temporarily lost, they won’t be left without important devices.
Keep in mind that state laws vary. Make sure you receive all necessary permissions and consider alternatives if travel is not approved so your foster child can participate in the shared family experience.
2. Togetherness is the Goal
Instead of setting your sights on a “perfect vacation,” one that can cause financial stress or pack in too many planned activities, focus on a getaway that will strengthen your bond as a family. Your foster child will most likely desire time to get to know you, so your first trip should allow plenty of time to talk. Rather than focusing on amazing sites, go for experiences you can enjoy together. Think of ways you can converse, laugh, and create memories that you will all cherish down the road.
3. Nature is a Priority
Nature-based vacations (think visiting the seaside or mountains) provide amazing chances for a wide range of activities together! And the Great Outdoors can provide some stress-busting benefits. One of the best things about a visit to a natural park or coastal area is that you don’t have to worry about purchasing tickets or catching public transport to a bunch of busy sites. In the midst of nature, families can communicate freely, enjoy physical activity, and take part in adventures (think canyoning, hiking, swimming, or skiing).
4. A Bucket List for Everyone
Once you have decided on your destination and mode of transport (air travel, road trip, train ride, etc.), ask your foster child if he or she has a dream destination or bucket list that includes sites close to where you will be traveling. And then do that for the rest of the family. Allowing each family member to choose one site to visit is a great way to make sure this vacation has something for everyone. A road trip is an ideal way to accommodate different tastes, since you can take little detours or spend more or less time in a given place, depending on how much fun you are having.
Including your foster child in a family vacation can offer a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other and build wonderful memories together. Having all documentation, booking, and planning completed well in advance will reduce stress and help you travel peacefully. Choose nature-based destinations if possible, since these invite shared activity but also offer the peace and calm that nature brings to both adults and children.
