Habits and Hustle - Episode 262: The Truth About Family Trips and Vacations

Episode Date: July 28, 2023

Parents, this question is for you: do you really feel rested after a family trip? In this solo episode of Habits and Hustle, I chat with you about the difference between a family trip and a vacation. While society may like to make you believe that these family trips are necessary for building family memories, they’re not the trips that will allow you to come back to reality feeling fully rested. I also talk about how you can actually plan a relaxing vacation and whether or not your kids can be a part of it.  What I discuss: 02:02: Is it possible to have a relaxing trip? 03:11: Can you relax on a family trip? 05:18: How can you shift from trip to vacation? 09:26: Is being on a trip with children traumatizing as a child-less person? My links: Website: https://www.jennifercohen.com/ Instagram: @therealjencohen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I got this Tony Robbins you're listening to Habits and Hustle, Creshian. Welcome back to another solo episode of Habits and Hustle where we talk really about just whatever's on our mind and maybe hopefully it's on your mind too and that's what we're doing. I'd like to start by saying if you have not yet subscribed, please do so. It makes a major difference when we are trying to get our rhetoric, our gibber jabber out to the world, the algorithm tracks it when people make comments and do all that stuff.

So if you haven't yet subscribed, please do so. Leave a review, leave a comment. And with that being said, I want to show you something. Multitask. By the way, multitask right now. Yeah, this is hilarious. I mean, isn't this something amazing? I'm all about the multit something. Multitask. By the way, multitask with nails. Yeah, this is hilarious. I mean, isn't this something amazing? I'm all about the multitask.

I hurt myself. And so this red light's really helping. So the reason why I wanted to show it was if you see a red light beaming up, that's what it is. Anyway. I don't think they can see it, but it is actually really fun. It's not, because I thought you can see the red light beaming up. No way. It looks like you're sitting normally too, which is hilarious.

Oh really? It's like your posture looks, yeah, and then they don't know that you have like a kung fu kit going to the red light beaming up. No way. It looks like you're sitting normally too, which is hilarious. Oh really? It's like your posture looks, yeah, and then you have like a kung fu kit going to the side. And like literally sitting in a half-air lit as I do this. So, okay, I wanted to talk about something because I just got back from what I, it was a family trip. And the reason why I'm saying the word trip,

it wasn't a vacation, it was a trip. And there is a very big distinction in my opinion between the word trip and vacation, right? When you're traveling with two small kids, it's not a vacation, it's not. You know, you have to feed them, you gotta make sure they're safe, you gotta be entertaining them constantly, which then really isn't that much of a relaxing experience for the parents. So when I hear the word family vacation, I always laugh because I don't think there is such a thing.

I think it's a family trip, yes, but not a vacation. I feel like family vacations can only really happen when the kids are older. Like, I don't feel like you would have a young, you don't even need to be impossible. You know, I just, I think it's so fun when people are like, oh my God, like when you're saying, like when you're like, oh, where are you,

where are you, where are you going? We're like, oh yeah, we're going to, I went to visit my family in Canada. I had a wedding in Canada. And everyone was like, oh my God, that's so great. That's a family vacation. And they stayed in this way. Like, oh my God, so joyous and wonderful.

And I'm like, do I, well, I sound really terrible if I'm like sound like really annoyed and irritated, if I don't have the same enthusiasm. No, do these people have kids or not? I mean, I was gonna say, like, I just think that people just automatically go to, oh yeah, that's such a nice thing of family vacation. But in my head, I'm like, no, it was hardly a vacation.

In fact, I need a vacation from that trip because it was not a vacation. It was more stressful and more, you know, kind of busy and more work than just staying at home and doing whatever you would normally do. So I always find that to be just a very interesting thing like are we just conditioned to do that societal Sweet kind. Oh, yeah, that's great because I would imagine if you're a parent You know exactly what I'm talking about and you know there's a distinction between the word vacation and the word trip And if you really want to have a vacation and you really want to relax you don't go away with kids

That's just the way it is. I'm sorry. And if you disagree with me, you can let me know. But I think that there's a big disconnect between the two. Absolutely. I think the only way to get around that is going to, like, we used to go on cruise ships with my dad, me and my sister and my dad. But what have to do with everything?

And they have to live a kid's center, right? Yes. That's the only way to get out of that. Because there's no, I actually, I need to ask my dad if he felt like those trips were vacations. Because I know he was relaxed because we used to sleep till like 3 p.m. every day. So he would have, hold on a minute.

The good first half. In what world? Well, we would go, we would go, we would go from L.A. to like abroad. So our, we're completely different time zone. And we're children. Oh yeah, but I'm not,

he's not sleep until 3 p.m. Like on the day. He's not he's not we would me and my sister Oh, it would be me my sister my dad so he would get like the full morning We would wake up and he'd already have done breakfast late at the pool done read a book and like okay I feel like that was his reprieve and then we would go to the kid center But I think if you do this any other way like if there's no one that if there's no out I mean for like time periods, it's almost impossible. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, like I remember, like my kids now, like, you know, eight and ten, so it's a little

bit better. But, you know, there was a few years where, you know, I would go away with, I would, you know, go away on this family vacation with my husband and my kids, and it was like, it was torture because I had, it was like, I had to like, I never sat down for a second. I had to constantly keep them entertained, moving, going, feeding, da-da-da, like on a ver, it, like there's no relaxing there. So then we decided, forget that, we're going to go on to these like club meds, which was like, you had these kids club. So then you have the kids are entertained by strangers

And it was way better and it became more of a vacation unless of a trip So like the only way to do this in my opinion to to shift from trip to vacation When you have small kids is to go to these all-inclusive places where they have really strong programming for kids, or else you're just literally screwed. Yeah, you're like more into night programming. It's beyond. And it's so expensive, can I just tell you this? Oh, yeah, yeah.

That's the other thing. When you're traveling with kids, in general, even if you're at an all-inclusive, but especially if you're not on an all-inclusive, it is so ridiculously expensive because you're buying every single piece of food, meal, out. And like every activity is so expensive. Like, and now they're making it to the point where it's like impossible for people to go on vacation.

Like family vacations to anywhere because the prices are so insanely high across the board. It's actually disgusting that what's happening. I did a whole thing. We can go back to the episode on price gouging. On eggs. That was a great episode. Right? I was ranting about the price of eggs

and just in general food and restaurants. But it literally is now become like across the board. Just prices are out of control. And when you have a family and you're trying to like do things together, like even going bowling, you know, going anywhere. Do you know the prices of Disney World or Disneyland right now?

Oh, amusement parks are so hot. What are they now? They work, but when I'm not scared, I can't imagine what they're now. Oh, I don't even remember. I think it's like a $200 ticket. It's so crazy. And I think it's repulsive that they are doing that.

It's not, I don't know, I think it's really bad. Because you're making it, like, people are literally going into debt where they should be using that money for food quite frankly, or other things that are much more necessities, but they want to show their kids, like, they want to, like, bat have, they want their kids to have a good time and enjoy themselves, especially in the summertime.

And these are just, like, out of control, like, summer camps are even out of control. Summer camps are so expensive. But it's true, like a cost of living is crazy right now just across the board, but I can't even imagine traveling because it's not like you had discontent air flights and stuff, you know, like kids pay the same amount. They're just another person.

So that was what I was gonna bring up, like the air, I was gonna stay then, I got on my, on my rant about just prices of amusement parks and movies. The next, or movies. Oh yeah, movies are, no, but movies are really like psychotic now. It's crazy.

It's ridiculous. But airfare, are you kidding me right now? Like an economy coach ticket in the way back. It's gonna be let's say $149 or even like $129. Those tickets are going for like 600 bucks now. Yeah, it's crazy. And because people are having less flights, it's full. So you can't even get a ticket. So I've been sleeping on these blissey pillowcases lately

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This is Possibility Powered by Shopify. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com slash hustle. That's all lowercase. Go to Shopify.com slash hustle to take your business to the next level. Again, shopify.com slash hustle. Did you guys have problems at all with your fights? Because you know, they united. First of all, United has been messing up all over the place, but airlines have been canceling like thousands of

flights because they're completely understaffed and there's legal limits on the shifts that people can do. So for example, if a flight is delayed, like let's say three hours, right? And a flight attendant is on the second half of her shift. If it's delayed three hours, it might push it just to the brink of when it would be illegal for her to get on the plane

because then it would make her shift is too long. So then they have to cancel the whole flight because they don't flight attendants. The whole thing is crazy. My point is the airfares are astronomical across the board, even domestic, international. It doesn't matter what airline. So if you're not gonna even have a vacation,

if it's gonna be more stressed, like what's the point even going? Like, you know, everyone's like, we gotta build family memories, we're gonna do this, we're gonna do that. But it's a memory of like fighting, annoyance, exhaustion, but it's a family memory. Okay, as somebody who has yet to experience the parent side of a trip, right?

I'm only done with the kid side. I will say those memories are iconic and ingrained in my brain. Like I cherish every single trip that I ever took with my dad growing up. He used to take us every summer because he had the Princess Cruise account. So we would go on that.

And it was like a whole thing. Me and my sister. And I will never forget those trips, but now as an adult, who has experienced this very traumatic two weeks with my sister's kids, right? I'm actually still talking. You're still talking about that.

That's so traumatic. Okay, this is the perfect example. So Shawnee went to visit her sister and the kids of the sister. And she's like two months ago. She's still talking about the trauma being with children on a trip, not a vacation. Okay, so then you understand.

Well, that was really a trip because I was working, but yes, but I don't, but I wasn't like fully responsible for them either. Like I didn't sleep with, you know what I mean? They weren't like my 100% responsibility. So I can't even imagine. Okay, well, there you go.

Basically, I'm just curious if my dad actually had fun on these trips or not. And in fact, I need to call them right away and find out. I can guarantee the parents have a terrible time every time. I would imagine. I think he had a good time. I do think that the kids, yeah, you think. Am I delusional?

Yes, I think that the kids, it's a great memory for the kids because the kids don't know what goes on behind the scenes. They do have, they remember very nostalgic when they're older. It's like a beautiful memory and nostalgic. Oh, I remember when I was here, they do have, they remember very nostalgic when they're older. It's like a beautiful memory and nostalgic. Oh, I remember when I was here, they're wherever, but on the parent side, yeah, like I think maybe over time you, in life, like I think it's human nature, we forget the negative anyway and we only focus on the positive. However, in the moment, okay, while it's happening, that's what I'm saying.

While it's happening, let's not confuse the word trip with vacation, and let's just leave it at that. I agree. Okay. Now, before we go, I wanna ask you guys at home or wherever you're listening to this podcast, can you remember when you and on a family trip slash vacation where it felt like a vacation or vice versa?

Let me know, I'm actually really curious about that. Maybe you guys have some ideas of how you can make the trip feel like a vacation or vice versa. Let me know. I'm actually really curious about that. Maybe you guys have some ideas of how you can make the trip feel like a vacation. Because that, I think, is super, super useful information and hopefully actionable. And we can share it with everybody. Can you actually put up a poll? What, put up one of those question things on your Instagram story when we post this episode? Because I'm actually really curious if people have good, like, feasible advice that they, that people can do to help on these

because I think a lot of parents are craving this. I would be shocked if If you're a parent listening to this and you're like, oh, I have no idea what Jennifer's talking about. I love every moment of the family vacations I take I would be shocked. That's all I'm saying. I also would be. Yeah. Yeah. Hope you enjoyed this episode. I'm Heather Monahan, host of Creating Confidence, a part of the YAP Media Network, the number one business and self-improvement podcast network. Okay, so I wanna tell you a little bit about my show.

We are all about elevating your confidence to its highest level ever and taking your business right there with you. Don't believe me, I'm gonna go ahead and share some of the reviews of the show so you can believe my listeners. I have been a long time fan of Heather's no matter what phase of life I find myself in,

Heather seems to always have the perfect gems of wisdom that not only inspire, but motivate me into action. Her experience and personality are unmatched, and I love her go getter attitude. This show has become a staple in my life. I recommend it to anyone looking to elevate their confidence and reach that next level. Thank you! I recently got to hear Heather at a live podcast taping with her and Tracy Hayes,

and I immediately subscribe to this podcast. It has not disappointed, and I cannot wait to listen to as many as I can, as quick as I can. Thank you, Heather, for helping us build confidence and bring so much value to the space. If you are looking to up your confidence level, click creating confidence now. This episode is brought to you by the YAP Media Podcast Network. I'm Holla Taha, CEO of the award-winning digital media empire YAP Media, and host of YAP Young & Profiting Podcast, a number one entrepreneurship and self-improvement podcast where you can listen, learn, and profit. On Young & Profiting Podcast, I interview the brightest minds in the world, and I turn

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