A guide for adult children planning travels with parents.
When you think about your childhood, do fond memories of family holidays flood your mind? There’s been a resurgence of family holidays – multigenerational trips where parents, adult children and even grandchildren plan an adventure together.
The Family Travel Association recently found that more than 50% of parents are planning trips that include both their children and their own parents. Planning a multigenerational trip isn’t without its challenges, as it requires taking a variety of ages, preferences and other factors into account.
But it’s well worth the effort – resulting in memories your family will cherish forever.
Planning phase
Once you’ve decided to take a trip together, the first thing to consider is the destination. With multiple generations present, you’ll have varying abilities to accommodate. This shouldn’t just inform the activities you plan while on your trip but should help you determine what locale is suitable for everyone as well.
Since the planning phase is an exciting part of anticipating an upcoming vacation, solicit ideas from everyone. You’ll get a sense of the season, destination, length of trip and cost that everyone is comfortable with. By incorporating everyone’s input, you can better the chances everyone will end up having a good time.
Your family may have favourite destinations or types of holidays you tend to take. Of course, that can be a good place to start when brainstorming ideas. Cruises are popular multigenerational trips because they cater to everyone and offer a variety of destinations – such as Spanish or Greek islands – and you can be as active or relaxed as you wish.
“When in Rome…”
When you’re traveling, you may be programmed to make the most of every minute at your destination. But, if you’re traveling with aging parents and possibly little ones, consider keeping some kind of routine. If you keep the same bedtimes or mealtimes, it can help, especially if your parents have medical issues that require timing medication, for example. Go with the flow and realise you might need to take things slower than usual.
When on holiday with a big group, keep everyone organised by making an itinerary. Whilst it can feel controlling, it’ll ensure you all get time together – and apart. Schedule in breaks so that people get their personal time and know when they can rest. Younger family members may opt to check in with their friends on devices and older family members may decide to put their feet up for a bit. Whilst the trip is about spending time together, everyone needs alone time, especially if you’re with those you normally don’t spend a lot of time with.
Another option is to share the responsibility of planning. Give others a chance to be a tour guide for the day. Your mother-in-law might think of an activity or book a restaurant you wouldn’t have considered, which can make the trip more interesting. Assign a daily activity to a few different family members or even just ask them to pick where breakfast will be the next day. This will not only spread around the responsibility but also allow everyone to incorporate their own wishes into the vacation.
Making the most of it
It’s easy to feel like you’re compromising your holiday time if your parents have limits that prevent you from doing everything on your bucket list. But remember, the whole reason for taking this trip is to make memories and strengthen relationships. After all, this trip will be the one you’re reminiscing about a decade from now. If you keep the purpose of family bonding time at the forefront of your mind, it’ll be easier to savour the moments that lead to everlasting memories.
Financial customs
Before you book a trip together, have an open conversation about the expected expenses. During the planning conversation, be clear about who is paying for what. This way everyone can make their own determination about whether it fits into their budget. Whilst it may feel awkward to talk about money with family, it’ll be more comfortable to address it before commitments are made.
Depending on how many families are going, think about spreading the costs around. If there are three adult children taking your Mum on vacation, maybe you determine you’ll each chip in for her if she wouldn’t otherwise be able to travel. If several families are staying together, consider sharing the cost of groceries or eating out by alternating who treats.
A UK study by Kent Reliance found that 42% of parents pay for their adult children to join multigenerational holidays, covering an average cost of £2,423.90 per parent. Additionally, nearly one in three Brits (29%) have taken a holiday with adult family members from multiple generations in the past three years.
The bottom line is that everyone’s financial situation is different, and you shouldn’t assume what people can afford, which is why it’s important to talk about it upfront.
There’s no doubt that holidays are good for your soul. The benefits span stress relief and awe-inspiring experiences to mindfulness and appreciation for the little things in life. Going with those you love the most allows you to strengthen those connections as adults and even start or carry on family traditions that can continue for generations. If you navigate the planning process and preparation effectively, you’ll set sail on smooth waters and be free to make memories that will last a lifetime.
Black MondayOn 19 October 1987, the stock markets experienced a dramatic plunge that prompted many firms to shut down their trading desks and turn off their phones to minimize internal losses. Raymond James refused to do the same. Our desks stayed open to help meet clients’ needs, resulting in our first and only unprofitable quarter since the firm went public in 1983. |
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Who was Raymond James?The Raymond in our name is actually from Edward Raymond, owner of a 15-employee mutual fund sales group, Raymond and Associates, along Florida’s west coast. He sold his company to Bob James on 15 July 1964, on condition that the surviving firm be called Raymond, James & Associates. Three days after the sale, Ed Raymond was involved in a near-fatal automobile accident and never joined the firm. Nonetheless, even after Raymond had passed away, Bob James insisted that his name remain on the door – ahead of James’ own. That was a promise he made to Ed Raymond three days before the accident, and Bob James was a man who kept his promises. |
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Bear market of 1974The severe bear market of 1974 threatened the existence of Raymond James, which was bleeding capital by the day. Tom James, his father and other leaders took extreme measures to keep the firm afloat, slashing costs, forgoing pay checks and even attempting to sell the firm for just enough capital to protect client assets and retain as many associates as possible. The story could have ended very differently if not for a sharp upturn and continued rebound in the stock markets late in the year. |
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Taking Raymond James PublicWhen consideration was being given to taking Raymond James public, Tom James penned a letter to shareholders (largely employees at the time). ” … the public offering should be considered as a statement of our independence. While this is a psychological rather than an economic rationale, it is nonetheless very important. We have asserted for some time that we are not interested in becoming a small part of a very large corporation. That assertion results mainly from the inclinations of management rather than the economic benefits associated with either alternative. The public stock offering affords us the opportunity to enjoy a little bit of the best of both worlds. While shareholders will be given liquidity at fair market value, we will still have the ability to control our own destiny.” After 40+ years of Tom’s leadership, upon becoming CEO, Paul Reilly was often questioned about whether the company might ultimately surrender its cherished independence and be acquired by some larger entity. His response: “Not while I’m around.” It’s a theme that continues today. |
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