Summer is coming to an end. Have you enjoyed a fun break with your family? If your answer was "I wish!", we should talk. You don't have to go far from home to have a restful trip that teaches your kids about the world outside of your daily routine. By shifting our pre-child mindset of vacationing into a parenting one, we can see how these breaks can be well within reach with a little planning and prioritization, and without great expense.

Our family recently returned from a really fun, short vacation at a location about three hours from home. As we were driving back, I thought about how valuable these breaks are for us as parents, and how important it is that we recognize and honor what relaxation time means for families.

Long-distance trips (like Hawaii) or exciting outdoor adventures (like rafting the Grand Canyon) can be less relaxing when our children are small. Every heard anyone say: "I need a vacation from my vacation?” There’s no need to set yourself up for exhaustion!

Since my youngest was born, we have focused on short trips that don’t require long-distance travel. What is important for us is to step away from the home front and experience some enjoyment doing things that we love. For us, that is biking, hiking, canoeing and other outdoor pursuits. For you, it might be something different.

Just taking time to be together away from all the distractions of work, email, phone calls, bills arriving in the mail, and home management can reconnect a family. Also, it teaches kids important life skills like how to relax, take time for enjoyment and how to be present with people rather than just being productive.

Even on short trips, your kids are learning about the greater world beyond your daily routine. Even if you visit a spot close to home, the richness of new experiences are vital to their learning and growth. Think about what you would like for them to experience - nature, art, music, interesting geography, a physical challenge (like hiking), meeting people who have a different lifestyle - and pick a location that matches your goals.

Even if you are planning your trip around your kids, the perspective you can gain from just a couple of days away from home is priceless. You are likely to return with a new idea, a refreshed sense of gratitude and a bit more energy for home and work life.

Summer is almost over! Be sure to make time for a short, restful break - even if it's just a Saturday or afternoon trip into some unknown territory or a favorite nearby spot - before the fall arrives.

Momsrising.org has a great Mother's Day video "news segment" you can personalize with the name of a mother in your life. The video uses the text of the mother's name in so many funny ways it's really a hoot. It's free and easy to set up and email to anyone you like, and the organization has a donor prepared to give ten cents for each person who sends one of these videos to ten people. Momsrising is a great organization working hard for progressive policies to support mothers, so combined with the real quality of this video we don't mind the sorta-spammy premise. No worries if you only have one or two people to send it to, still worth the few seconds it takes to set up and the few minutes you'll enjoy watching it yourself!

We'd love to hear what ELSE you're doing for the mothers in your life this year (hint, hint!), or what your family did for you. Tell us about your Mother's Day in the comments!

Did you let the New Year pass you by without a resolution or two, because you've tried tried and failed to keep them in the past? It isn't too late to let the New Year be a time for renewal, and I'd like to share an idea with you that can help you set yourself for success, rather than failure: Family resolutions.

As parents, you can take this opportunity to set some positive New Year's resolutions with your family. It may seem daunting to create resolutions as a family when the individual ones can be so hard to sustain, but the secret is that family goals may be easier to keep!

The process of setting goals as a family is unique because it is based on a collective vision rather than an individual desire. While an individual's resolution can often come from a feeling of self-judgment (I am overweight or don't make enough money), family goals can be more positive and affirming. Also, the group intentions behind family goals can make them more powerful and sustaining. Research has shown that the number one trick to achieving goals is accountability.

Create your family resolution

1. Set up a time for a family meeting when each member has energy to participate. Serve snacks and make it fun! Have some paper and pens handy for taking notes.


2. Reflect on your shared values and priorities. Have each person list what is important to them and notice similarities. Make the list for younger children by asking them and taking notes.


3. Give everyone (even the youngest member) a voice. If the youngest member is a pre-verbal baby, consider what he or she might feel about the idea. For example, if the topic is reserving one evening a week for the family to do something fun, how would baby benefit from this?


4. Prioritize your shared values as a group.


5. Decide together which priorities most need improvement and set a goal for what you would like to see different in 2009. Write your goal down and post it in a visible place in your home.


6. Review obstacles that usually get in the way of this goal. Make a plan for dealing with them as they come up. For example, if the goal is to have dinner together three nights per week but one family member is often called away for last-minute meetings, how will you handle this situation when it arises?

Some popular family goals

• Take a family trip to a fun location.


• Sit down at least x evenings per week with every member present to dinner.


• Volunteer x hours next year to a cause that represents the family’s values.


• Make reasonable changes towards sustainability. Take the bus to school, ride bikes together to the library or set up a better recycling system.


• Create a family savings plan with a specific amount reserved for education.


• Take a fun class together or have a local family adventure once per month.


• Exercise together as a family once per week.

Making your goal work

This is the challenging part! You have created a goal for your family; now how to do you put it into action? This is where most people lose momentum in their resolutions. A key to making a goal successful is to make it achievable. Often resolutions don’t work because they are missing one of the key elements to success. Review our post on setting yourself up for success with better goal-setting to make sure your goal is SMART and ensure you can achieve it!

The benefits of family goal-setting

The rewards to setting and achieving family goals are numerous. By working together as a group, family members get to know each other in a new way and discuss topics that might not usually come up. Younger children learn about success and healthy communication by being a part of the entire process. Also, by reviewing values and priorities together, the family spends time focusing on what really matters and feels a united sense of purpose and direction. This can be an incredible bonding process!

Remember to review goals often and be flexible. If it isn't working, don’t give up. Go back through the steps and make changes so that your goal is more reasonable. This will teach your family how to work together and be adaptable!

Parts of this post originally appeared as an article by Savannah Mayfield in Portland Family Magazine, December 2007 and reprinted with permission.