Choosing vacation destinations, in general, can be quite tricky. When you have to take into account specific vacation days, flight and hotel information, not to mention reservations of any kind on the vacation site, there is a reason you hear the saying, “I need a vacation from my vacation.” . Today, there is one more element to consider that is perhaps the most delicate of subjects: the mixed family.

It can be traumatic enough for a family to deal with the dissolution of a marriage and the end of the family they have come to know, but it can be even more difficult to become part of someone else’s family, all because their father met another. father who has children of his own. Although the idea of ​​the combined family is sitcom gold due to general misalignments and shenanigans, the notion of becoming the newest member of someone’s nuclear family is not a simple matter.

So how do you choose a place for everyone to go on vacation? There are many feelings to take into account. “Mom and Dad” may want to do something fun, exciting, and even a little romantic, but it may not be good for kids. What about the holiday traditions of the previous household? Those may be some of the things that children will stick to in order to have a sense of normalcy. New siblings may also have a hard time spending time together and may even resent each other.

It is for these reasons, and many others, that family counselors agree that it is important for any vacation planning to easily involve children. See what everyone wants from the holidays. Any activity that sounds cool? Is there any type of food you would like to try? Give the children some ownership of the trip and let them know that they are important. However, at the same time, it is important to maintain a sense of responsibility with this property. You want the kids to feel comfortable with all this change, but you don’t want them to run the show.

One last key element that is an absolute necessity is the need to establish new traditions. Everyone in his new combined family still remembers life as it was before. While it is still important to maintain a sense of stability through those old ways, it is important to create new memories and traditions with the new family. Again, have the children say a bit about what they think would be a good idea. Maybe something like “Silly Selfie Sunday Seafood” would be a great way to break the ice and realize that new is not so bad.

For the blended family, vacation destinations have a sense of the unknown and perhaps the unwanted. However, with the right approach, your new family can find the right way to open your heart to new possibilities.