Here I thought traveling cross-country with a toddler would do me in. I was wrong.
While a 2-year-old can be placated with a bottle, pacifier, soggy Cheerios or empty DVD case, calming a cranky teen requires quite a bit more finesse… and patience.
It’s true; the one thing worse than dealing with an irritable toddler on vacation is finding ways to handle a crabby teenager.
I learned this a couple of weeks ago when I hitched a ride to Chicago (for a “working vacation”) with a pal and her teenage sons. I won’t get into the gory details regarding our short trip, save to say that teens are charming travel companions provided you allow them to sleep in, give them money to shop on their own, and limit your conversations and any other interaction with them.
Let’s just say I now know why my friend begged me to accompany her on the trip.
However, rather than harp on what went wrong, I’ve decided to list some ways you can keep teens happy on vacation.
Harmony on the road; it is possible.
Step One: Allow teens to get involved with vacation planning. If your teens help devise a vacation plan and know where you are going and what you are going to do when you get there, then they might be more cooperative during the trip.
Step Two: Bring a friend. This may seem counter-productive considering you’ll have one more hormonal adolescent to deal with, but it might also be a good thing. Think of your child’s pal as a baby sitter who’s the same age as your kid. Another bonus to having extra company is that it may prompt your child to act in a more civilized manner. However, before extending the invitation to your child’s BFF you might want to consider the size of your vehicle and hotel room, and determine if your budget can accommodate feeding another mouth for the duration of your trip.
Step Three: Limit electronics. I don’t think I heard my pal’s 14-year-old son say more than two words during our entire time together. Which is not to say the two didn’t communicate. He did send her a number of text messages from the backseat of the minivan… while she was driving! If your kid is tech-obsessed set boundaries before you hit the road. Negotiate the amount of time they can use computers, cell phones, BlackBerries, and other electronic devices, including portable DVD players and handheld video games.
Finally, discuss how much money you plan to give them to spend on souvenirs or other incidentals. You might be amazed at how frugal teens can be when it’s their allowance/birthday money/McDonald’s paycheck they are spending.