SUCCESS STRATEGIES
Balancing Your Time
A number of readers noted that a successful multifamily trip offers plenty of options for the group to mix and mingle, but also allows time for grandparents, couples, and individual families to do things on their own. Some specific tips:
"Schedule time when just your immediate family goes out, whether it is just to the pool or to an amusement park," says Jennifer Mahlert of Oxford, Massachusetts. "That way each family can rejuvenate and spend more quality time together."
"The trick is free time," agrees Carol Holland of Plymouth, Massachusetts, who traveled to Walt Disney World with a group of 13. "Don't schedule every waking moment together. Before we left home, we discussed free time and people doing their own things. I think this helped everyone know that a few hours away from the group was not an insult to anyone."
"Don't expect everyone to participate in every activity," adds Kelly Zednick of Frankfort, Illinois. "And keep an open mind. You might not like to fish, but you might enjoy the boat ride and conversation. Don't like the sun? Pull up a chair with an umbrella to chat with your sun-soaking aunts and uncles."
And finally, jokes Emily Rohrer of Norfolk, Virginia, "Flopping oneself face-first onto a hotel mattress and screaming into it is an excellent -- and for the most part harmless -- way to relieve tension created by traveling with ten in-laws for a week."
Sharing the Costs
Having each family take care of a meal or a day's worth of meals -- including shopping, cooking, and cleaning -- gives everyone a break from kitchen duties, say readers. Some take sharing even further:
For their annual five-family trip to North Carolina's Outer Banks, says Jessica Betke of Coxsackie, New York, each family buys and prepares one dinner, and contributes $100 a week for communal breakfast, lunch, and snack supplies. And at the end of the week, any leftover money is used as the grand prize for a family game of bingo!
Lynne Tickle of Richmond, Virginia, is the banker of her family, both personally and professionally. For extended-family trips, she recommends charging all shared expenses to one family's credit card, so the costs can be quickly and easily split afterward from one statement.
A number of readers recommended having the grandparents make all the bookings to take advantage of any senior citizen discounts.
Let Kids Help Plan
Quite a few readers recommended gathering activity ideas from everyone -- kids included -- before the trip, and making as many decisions as you can about what you're going to do on your trip in advance. Also, a quick planning discussion each night of the vacation can make the next day go more smoothly.
"We try to let everyone have a day to plan," says Tami Carter of Solvay, New York. "For example, on our last trip to Pittsburgh we spent one day doing Daddy stuff, such as seeing Three Rivers Stadium and going to a sports-themed museum. On our daughter Jillian's day, we went to Idlewild theme park. Mommy day was going to the National Aviary and the Pittsburgh Zoo, and Grammie day was shopping and going to the art museum. Everyone usually enjoys every day, but we've found that Jill is happier knowing that her day is coming up too."
