Every year around New Year’s eve, countless people set New Year’s resolutions. Many try but most will fail. So I wondered what are some of the best tips for keeping New Year’s Resolutions?
The secret to keeping New Year’s resolutions is to set 1-3 specific small goals. Too many goals and we get overwhelmed & give up. Too vague and it’s hard to measure if we succeeded. Map out the resolutions with a series of achievable baby steps.
But there’s a lot more to know about keeping New Year’s resolutions! So let’s keep going. The sad reality is that many will fail to stick to their resolutions for more than a couple of weeks.
Why?
The problem is a combination of setting unrealistic goals, having too many goals and not having a system in place to track our progress so we can stay motivated to get to the finish line.
We all have goals and dreams.
Your goals could be as simple as losing 5 lbs, quitting smoking, or finding an outlet to help manage stress.
But they could be loftier goals too.
In this post, we’re going to look at keeping New Year’s resolutions. Setting those resolutions in a realistic way that will make them much more achievable.
You can achieve your goals and these keeping New Year’s resolutions tips can help you do it!
How many people keep their New Year’s resolutions?
According to the National Institutes of Health, 80% of people achieve their New Year’s Resolutions in the first week. However, only 19% of people stick to their New Year’s resolutions long term.
Why do so many fail in keeping New Year’s resolutions after just a few weeks or months? Especially when a small percentage do stick to them and rock their life to new heights!
What is about these select few that enable them to meet or exceed their goals? Are they doing something differently? What keeping New Year’s resolutions tips do they know that we don’t?
Are they just smarter, better disciplined or do they have better resolve?
No; you too can meet your New Year’s Resolutions!
For many of us, the New Year brings with it an opportunity for a fresh start. Making a list of New Year’s Resolutions can be cathartic and empowering, but sticking with them past January is easier said than done. here’s how to keep them past January.https://t.co/mEaBG76p5qpic.twitter.com/N3BekuM0kP
First things first! There are a few key keeping New Year’s resolutions tips you need to follow to not only set realistic resolutions but make your goals achievable so you can stick to them long term!
But another part of the mentality is we think we’re supposed to make New Year’s resolutions. It also comes into play that we’re naturally envious creatures. We see The Jones with better bodies or nicer things and we want those things too.
Being overly ambitious, we tend to set lofty goals and we set a LOT of them.
Thus we’re doomed from the start! We think quantity over quality and don’t give much thought to the achievability.
But with just a few key tips, most could really go far in keeping New Year’s resolutions.
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What are the most common New Year’s resolutions?
As you can guess, the most sought-after of the keeping New Year’s resolutions tips are those around health, fitness, and weight loss. That’s according to research by the Nielsen firm.
Spending habits and better money management rank at number 3.
Then going down the list we also have “spend more time with family” and “enjoying life to the fullest”. In truth, with the right New Year’s resolution tips ANY of those things could easily be achieved!
How to choose your New Year’s Resolutions
So I’ve talked a lot about keeping New Year’s resolutions, but I haven’t touched at all on how to select those 1-3 achievable New Year’s resolutions.
Of course, some might be obvious, like:
Quitting Smoking
Losing Weight
Finding a job (or perhaps a new one or better paying one)
But what about goals that aren’t so obvious? To get to the heart of what really matters to you, we need to go back to step #4.
We have to connect to the emotions behind what you really want.
What do you dream of?
Think about what you are most passionate about!
What do you secretly wish for when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake?
You see that is the stuff that really gets your emotions pumping.
Those are the things that really matter and are really important to you. It’s still important to follow all 5 steps and make sure your goals are achievable and realistic, but it’s OK to dream big!
You see, for instance, if you did want to move to Costa Rica, while that may not be realistic in 6 months, it could be within 12-18. You just need to map out the baby steps to get there.
Fear is the big reason many fail in keeping New Year’s resolutions. Fear holds us back.
We hesitate and procrastinate. Often our fears aren’t rooted in any actual danger. We’re naturally afraid of the unknown. We’re afraid of failure.
Thus many never even start out of a fear of not succeeding.
So leap, then look. Know you will make mistakes or have setbacks. Understand that this world doesn’t always go as planned.
Better than have tried and failed than never tried at all. So what are my . . .
13 Top Keeping New Year’s Resolutions Tips You Need to Know?
1. BE SPECIFIC
Just like you can’t get to a destination if you haven’t picked EXACTLY where you are going, you must identify SPECIFICALLY what you want to achieve.
Don’t just say “lose weight”.
Have a number of either your ideal weight or how much weight you’d like to lose. You also need a realistic date to achieve that by; don’t just say this coming year or even in a month or two; have a date you want to achieve your goal by.
If you don’t know EXACTLY what you want to achieve and when you want to achieve it by, I can pretty much guarantee you won’t hit your goals and you’ll have a very hard time keeping New Year’s resolutions.
2. BE REALISTIC
Pie-in-the-sky goals doesn’t help anyone.
No; we have to make our goals achievable and realistic if we have any hope of meeting them. It’s OK to have stretch goals and it’s OK to dream big.
3. KEEP THEM SIMPLE
Going back to the weight analogy, how much weight is realistic for you to lose? I weigh about 190 and am 5’10”.
Now, I have a decent amount of muscle for a guy in his early 50’s. And that does weigh more than fat, but for me, a SIMPLE goal for weight loss would be 10 pounds.
If I have a skinny friend who weighs 155 and I set my goal to be 160, guess what? I’m NOT going to hit my goal.
Not only that, but I’ll likely feel bad about myself for not meeting my New Year’s resolutions and possibly gain weight in the wallowing process.
4. ONLY SET 1-3 RESOLUTIONS
Sure I’d like to have no body fat, win the lottery, get Lasik to correct my vision, quit my job, and move to Costa Rica.
But guess what happens if I make ALL of those my New Year’s resolutions for the coming year?
That’s right, I won’t achieve all of them (or maybe even any of them as we tend to quit when we get discouraged).
Aside from a simple goal, you also need to be realistic about how many goals you set. 1-3 is very achievable but 5-10 almost guarantees you of NOT keeping New Year’s resolutions.
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5. DON’T EXPECT MIRACLES OVERNIGHT
We need to be realistic about the time frame to achieve our resolutions in.
If I want to lose 10 pounds, a realistic goal is 6 weeks to 2 months. If I set a goal of 4 weeks, I am again setting myself up for failure and depression.
You can always EXCEED your New Year’s resolutions. When that happens, that feeling of accomplishment gives us motivation and traction.
So it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around.
6. HAVE A ROADMAP
Just as I said above that you can’t hit your goal if you don’t know WHAT that is, you also can’t reach your destination without a map.
So take your 1-3 resolutions and map out the journey to achieving them.
Decide what you want to achieve each day, week, and/or month.
7. BABY STEP TO SUCCESS
Guess what else maps provide aside from beginning and ending points?
That’s right; they provide EVERY step in between.
Thus, one of the best ways of keeping New Year’s resolutions is to break down every step along the way to your goal.
If I want to lose 10 pounds in 8 weeks, that breaks down to just under 1 pound per week to lose. That is VERY achievable. It also gives me a mark to hit at the end of each of those 8 weeks.
Thus, if I fall short one week, I still have the next week to make that up.
Those baby steps mean that I won’t just get to the end and find I missed my goal and give up; feeling bad about myself in the process.
Any Goal worth achieving should be a goal you can identify as to WHY it’s worth doing.
Do you want to lose 10 lbs so your clothes will fit better? Are you setting that weight loss goal in the hopes of being more attractive to your spouse or prospective date?
What is the end result of your achieving this New Year’s resolution?
Maybe you want to improve your overall health and avoid having to take prescription drugs as you get older?
You see, setting a goal and a date for hitting that goal are inherently logical things. The “why” behind the goal, however, is an emotional thing.
When we connect with the emotion behind the desired outcome, that increases our motivation to hit that goal tenfold.
9. STAY POSITIVE
I mentioned being realistic above. Part of being realistic is accepting that things won’t always go our way.
Life happens and we don’t truly have any control over anything other than our response to what life hands us.
10. IT’S OK TO GIVE YOURSELF THE OCCASIONAL TREAT
By focusing on being positive & realistic, we need to anticipate that one week out of the coming weeks, I might get invited out to eat by a friend. And maybe we go to a restaurant known for its amazing desserts.
In that instance, I might opt to chow down on that killer crème brûlée and end up for the week 1 pound heavier instead of .8 lb. lighter.
At that moment, I can just take a deep breath. I’ll also acknowledge that the crème brûlée was delicious.
Because I was smart enough to start with a realistic goal and break it down into small achievable steps, that simply means I need to lose 2 pounds this coming week; also very achievable.
11. BE KIND TO YOURSELF
If I get mad at myself and beat myself up, I’m 100% more likely to give up and abandon my New Year’s resolutions.
Remembering that like life, we aren’t perfect, sets us up to not beat ourselves (or anyone else) up when things don’t go exactly as planned.
It enables our attitude to remain positive and that is one of the key ways of keeping New Year’s resolutions!
The Freedom Journal is the Best Daily Planner to Accomplish Your #1 Goal in 100 Days!
One of my most-favorite podcast hosts is John Lee Dumas of the podcast EOFire. He has created an amazing & scientific approach to knocking your goals out of the park!
It’s called the Freedom Journal (click to see the current price on Amazon) and on Amazon Prime, it has over 4 stars and hundreds of reviews.
Check it out today and see if it can’t help you with your goals, for New Year’s and beyond!
Need some motivation? Listen to Tony Robbins on this subject!
If he can’t motivate you with New Year’s resolutions tips, I’m not sure anyone can.
Final Thoughts
In this post, we walked through some sobering New Year’s resolution statistics.
We looked at the reasons most people fail to stick to their resolutions. But, most importantly, we looked at how implementing these simple tips can really make the difference between success and failure in keeping New Year’s resolutions. You CAN hit your resolutions and I know these tips can help!
Did you achieve your resolutions from last year? If so, what are your best tips to help others??
As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases if you click to Amazon from my site and choose to make a purchase. You can read my complete affiliate disclosure for more details.
My family and I love Costa Rica. But we hadn’t been in over 4 years. Once the travel ban there was lifted, we booked a trip and just returned after 10 days. Wanting to know what is it like to travel to Costa Rica right now?
Here’s what we learned:
Traveling to Costa Rica in 2021 means purchasing additional travel insurance, filling out government forms for each leg of travel, and receiving a negative Covid test result prior to flying back into the United States. However, all other aspects of Costa Rica travel are very much the same as in years past.
But that’s just a quick snapshot.
In this article, I’ll get into everything. What it was like at the airport in both places. What you can expect to find once you get to Costa Rica, what’s changed, and what hasn’t.
But I’ll also explain all the extra government hoops and red tape we had to jump through both for the flight there and our return flight (which delayed our return by 2 days).
Before diving in, I do want to say our trip was from March 13th, 2021 returning March 22nd, 2021. We are a family of 5. My wife and I, plus our 3 kids, ages 3, 12, and 14.
It’s also important to note we flew into Liberia in Guanacaste and stayed in Guanacaste our whole trip. So what I’m writing about is specific to Guanacaste and other states in Costa Rica could be different.
Let’s get going!
Make sure to check out my Costa Rica Travel Resource List with links to everything you need!
Is Costa Rica open for travel?
Yes. Costa Rica opened its borders for international travelers back on December 1st, 2020, when traveling via airplane. Land borders will reopen on April 5th, 2021.
That’s good news for families like ours who love Costa Rica and spent much of 2020 wishing we could visit.
We flew in via American Airlines out of Dallas. Airfare was pretty normally priced, and as usual, it was a direct flight. I’ll get into more details about airport conditions below.
But no matter where you live in the world, you can now fly into Costa Rica.
There are some new requirements both from the Costa Rican government for entry and some requirements to fly back to the US (where we live).
And I’ll get into all of that below.
The joys of flying during COVID are gone. COMPLETELY full flight. Packed airport and masks. Lame! Bullish $save. pic.twitter.com/JlH93mOVcv
What is it like at the airport in the US when flying to Costa Rica?
Expect airports to be crowded and chaotic when trying to check-in, check bags, or talk to ticket counter staff in the international section of the airports when flying to Costa Rica. Allow 3 hours or more to ensure you have enough time to board the plane.
Frankly, the American Airlines international ticket counter area at the DFW Airport was a literal zoo.
On the one hand, we know that like most other airlines, American Airlines laid off 17,500 workers in 2020 due to travel bans, and reduced interest in travel. (source)
BUT, we traveled during spring break 2021, and it’s not like they didn’t know how many tickets they had sold.
So they really did a fairly poor job of managing that. It just wouldn’t be that hard to hire flexible part-time workers who were willing to work more hours during peak travel weeks. And I’ve hired and managed thousands of people over the years. So yes; I do know what I’m talking about.
The lines to the counters were 50 people deep.
There were maybe 6 employees I saw for probably 300 travelers. Forget social distancing. It was barely even possible to tell what line was going where.
There were 2 different self-serve kiosk areas.
But what I noticed is that half of them had error messages displayed on them and needed an agent to reset. There was 1 woman working the area, but when I was using a kiosk, and got the dreaded “agent needed” message, she said she wasn’t an agent (bringing up Office Space memories of the line “what would you say you do here?”
She also wasn’t willing to find an agent, so amidst the chaos, I just walked away, leaving yet another malfunctioning kiosk.
So plan early, don’t check bags if you absolutely don’t have to, and plan to be patient.
Do I need to get a Covid test to fly to Costa Rica?
No. A Covid test is not required to fly into Costa Rica. However, the Costa Rican government does require the purchase of additional health insurance to cover any Covid-related medical expenses or if travel plans are forced to change due to Covid.
That insurance cost our family of 5 a little over $350.
The cost is based on the length of your stay, so the longer your stay the more expensive it will be. I found 3 officially-sanctioned insurance companies that the Costa Rican government will accept (not paid endorsements):
Additionally, we also had to fill out a travel form online prior to travel. More on that below.
What insurance do I need to travel to Costa Rica?
Additional tourist insurance is required by the Ministry of Health of Costa Rica. The insurance covers medical expenses in the event coronavirus is contracted, and it also covers lodging expenses in the event a traveler is forced to remain in the country due to coronavirus.
Again, the 3 officially-sanctioned sources to buy the required insurance are (not paid endorsements):
We picked Sagicor because it showed you the cost upfront before filling out all of your info.
Of course, like most http://getzonedup.com/adderall-headache/insurance, the likelihood of your actually needing it is low. But it’s required, so you have to buy it if you want to go.
You will also have to fill out an online Epidemiological Form which is called a Health Pass form.
However, you can’t fill that out more than 48 hours prior to your flight into Costa Rica. CLICK HERE to access that form.
All people traveling to Costa Rica must fill this out every time they enter the country.
Once you fill out that form, it gives you a QR code that was emailed to me for each of the 5 of us. I then printed that out as both that and the proof of insurance which was required by the airline in order to get on the plane.
Showing the QR code on your phone should also work just fine though.
Do I need to get a Covid test to fly back to the United States?
Yes, all travelers flying into the USA, including US citizens have to take a Covid test within 72 hours of the return flight and show the proof of a negative test result at the airport in order to be allowed to fly.
The biggest issue here is that since the Biden administration just put this into effect in late January 2021, the infrastructure in Costa Rica is a little lacking.
We had trouble both finding a place to do the test and had trouble getting an appointment.
We were in Guanacaste. If you are near San Jose, you won’t have the issues we had. Also, be aware that Costa Rica offers 2 types of tests, both of which are the Q-tip up the nose test.
The 2 tests go by the following names with the following price ranges:
Antigen (rapid) – Results within 8 hours (we got ours in 2 hours) – $50-60 per person
RT-PCR test – Results within 48-72 hours – $100-150 per person
It’s worth noting that the antigen test isn’t accepted by a lot of countries which is why they offer 2 different ones. Luckily, the US does accept it, so go for that one if returning to the US. It’s both cheaper and much faster.
We did not see any place that did the saliva test.
Ultimately, we should have booked our test appointment the day we landed as most places were booked up for days. We ended up having to extend our trip by 2 days since we were unable to get an appointment.
You also have to fill out a somewhat confusing government form for each traveler before booking your appointment.
The testing place will ask for the application number for each form.
But they don’t email a confirmation and most of us don’t have printers when we travel.
So make sure and screenshot each one so you can pull it up.
This website has all the additional info you need on where to find the nearest testing location.
What is it like at the airport in Costa Rica when flying back to the US?
The Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia, Costa Rica functioned normally with normal, if low wait times, and adequate staffing for the number of fliers.
The only odd thing is that American Airlines has the option to check-in online for your flight.
But because of the US requirement (passed in January 2021) requiring all travelers traveling to the US to get a Covid test within 72 hours of your flight, you can’t actually check-in online.
Now, the way technology is these days, you’d think they would allow you to simply upload your test results to check-in. Then, an agent could simply verify it before printing the boarding pass.
Or the airlines could simply be able to verify directly with the medical provider who uploaded the test results.
But don’t expect to be able to check-in online.
Be prepared to see an agent at the ticket counter in Costa Rica, show your passports, and proof of Covid test, and fill out 1 additional form for each traveler acknowledging that you either got the test or recently recovered from Covid.
All of that took our family of 5 about 20 minutes. Luckily, there was virtually no line at security, and that procedure was totally normal.
We allowed 2.5 hours before our flight time, including the return of our rental car. But we still got to the gate over an hour early.
So compared to the DFW airport experience, Costa Rica was a breeze.
Yes. Aside from businesses that permanently closed in 2020, all restaurants, bars, and other facilities appear to be open normally for regular dine-in service. Most restaurants have signs indicating masks are required, but it appeared to be rarely enforced.
So you’ll have no trouble finding places to eat.
It’s also worth noting that all grocery stores (typically called mercados, supers, mini-supers, or super-mercado) were also all open normally.
In fact, compared to what I was used to in the US, Costa Rica was surprisingly (and refreshingly normal).
I would say about 40% of those in the service industry wore masks, but fewer than 25% of patrons wore them. But it’s also worth noting that many, if not most, restaurants and bars in Costa Rica are open air.
By that I mean they are often either completely outdoor or at least have a lot of doors and windows that are wide open. So it’s rare to find a completely indoor restaurant.
Are the beaches in Costa Rica open?
Yes. All beaches in Costa Rica appear to be open normally with no limitations or restrictions. And as typical at many Costa Rica beaches, they are sparsely attended.
In Guanacaste, we visited the following beaches on this trip:
Playa Conchal
Playa Grande
Playa Tamarindo
Playa Potrero
All of those except Playa Grande were ones we’ve been to many times. And all of them were totally normal.
None had restrictions, mask requirements, or anything like that. Tamarindo being a surfing spot and tourist town was a little crowded. But generally, it’s always been my experience that Costa Rica beaches are nowhere near as crowded as nice beaches in the US are.
It’s also worth mentioning I’ve been top Costa Rica 5 times, with my first trip being in 2005.
This trip was no different. And in most cases, we rarely saw more than 20 other people on the beaches when we were there.
Should you travel to Costa Rica right now?
The biggest challenges traveling to Costa Rica right now are the government requirements on both ends of the trip. Once in Costa Rica, vacationing there will be very similar to how Costa Rica tourism has been in previous years.
So yes, it’s well worth it.
Just plan on the added expense of about $120 per person for the insurance Costa Rica requires and the Covid tests the US requires upon return.
If you’re flying to Costa Rica from another country, check with your country’s requirements as I am only familiar with my experience flying to and from the United States in March 2021.
We had a great time, and aside getzonedup website from the hassle of finding a place to get our required Covid test for our return to the US, we have no regrets.
What has changed in Costa Rica from our last visit?
Very little in Costa Rica has changed since the world pandemic started in 2020. The biggest changes are that some businesses have gone out of business due to the country limiting outside travel for much of 2020.
But we’ve been to Costa Rica many times, and for the most part, the country was unchanged.
We still encountered all the things we’ve come to love about Costa Rica:
Fresh fruit stands along roadsides
Friendly people (Ticos) everywhere
Feeling safe everywhere we went
All restaurants and bars were open normally
And as I’ve noted elsewhere, compared to what we were used to in the States, masks are more of a suggestion in Costa Rica rather than a mandate.
I rarely saw masks worn by anyone other than waiters, and even then that wasn’t consistent. Mask signs were posted in many places but seemed to be ignored much of the time.
I did see a higher than normal number of bars and restaurants that appeared to be closed permanently. That’s presumably from not being able to make it financially due to the lockdowns in 2020.
But honestly, visiting Costa Rica and seeing people having fun, not living in fear, and being friendly with one another was quite refreshing compared to how a lot of the US is currently.
Is Costa Rica more dangerous for tourists right now?
Costa Rica’s crime rate is typically low and usually limited to “petty theft”. Locking car and house doors, leaving valuables hidden, and being aware of surroundings are usually all that’s needed in most places in Costa Rica. San Jose being a larger, more urban city, will have more crime than rural areas.
In terms of Covid, the risk in Costa Rica is also low.
After all in Costa Rica, you will spend a lot of time outdoors and in the sun. Vitamin D (as provided by the sun) has been shown in studies to reduce the risk of contracting coronavirus. (source)
Additionally, the tropical climate of Costa Rica also is not friendly to the coronavirus.
Another study went on to note that “incidence can be reduced with high temperatures”. So while nothing is guaranteed, and you should always exercise caution, the likelihood of contracting Covid on a trip to Costa Rica is likely lower than in your home city.
But let’s examine the actual incident rates in Costa Rica compared to a few other places:
Costa Rica’s current rate of infection is 68% lower than their worst month (Sept 2020)
Total deaths in Costa Rica from coronavirus since the pandemic started – 2,908
The death rate in Costa Rica of total Covid cases – 1.3%
Percentage of the population of Costa Rica to be diagnosed with Covid – 4.4%
Now let’s compare Costa Rica’s numbers to the US:
Total deaths in the US from coronavirus since the pandemic started – 539,027
The death rate in the US of total Covid cases – 1.8%
Percentage of the population of the US to be diagnosed with Covid – 9.2%
Overall, the worst aspects of visiting Costa Rica right now are how both governments (The US and Costa Rica) have the additional red tape and expense you have to deal with.
This will add the additional expense to your trip of approximately $120 per person, and a lot of silly forms to fill out.
It’s not that I don’t take Covid seriously.
But requiring all travelers to the US to get tested within 72 hours means a lot of people could potentially contract it after getting tested.
Meaning the test is a feel-good political move that doesn’t actually accomplish much other than adding hassle and expense to your visit to this beautiful country.
If you can’t tell, I’m very much a freedom over fear kind of person.
And I’m not going to shutter my family away out of fear of catching something that we have an over 90% chance of not getting and a 98% chance of not dying from if we got it.
But I get my point of view isn’t the only one, and it’s OK if you want to live your life differently.
However, if like me, you were hoping to visit and find Costa Rica relatively “normal” and much as it has been in years past, you won’t be disappointed!
Make sure to check out my Costa Rica Travel Resource List with links to everything you need!
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”er3Bkbrj” upload-date=”Thu Mar 25 2021 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”What is it Like to Travel to Costa Rica Right Now?” description=”My family and I love Costa Rica. But we hadn’t been in over 4 years. Once the travel ban there was lifted, we booked a trip and just returned after 10 days. Wanting to know what is it like to travel to Costa Rica right now? Here’s what we learned: Traveling to Costa Rica in 2021 means purchasing additional travel insurance, filling out government forms for each leg of travel, and receiving a negative Covid test result prior to flying back into the United States. However, all other aspects of Costa Rica travel are very much the same as in years past.”]
I’ve worked with a number of micromanagers over the years, and they can be incredibly frustrating to work for. Here are some of the worst micromanagement examples:
Monitoring employee progress each step of the way
Not communicating the big picture, ensuring employees can’t do too much on their own
Not only setting the end goal but the exact path for getting to the goal
Focusing on a never-ending need for perfection, rather than completion
Constantly criticizing how everyone works
The boss believing that no one else can do their job as good as they can
Not getting input from the team
If you’re a boss are you constantly frustrated with what you see as sub-par work from your employees?
Maybe you feel like “they just can’t do anything right” or that the business would fail without your constant intervention?
If you answered yes to any of those questions and micromanagement examples then, in my best Jeff Foxworthy voice, “you just might be a micromanager”!
But if you’re an employee of a micromanager, you’re also most likely equally frustrated.
After all, micromanagers are often stretched so thin trying to wear all the hats that their patience is stretched thin. They are easily stressed and employees often walk on eggshells around them.
The good news if you are a micromanager, or if you work for one, there are steps you can take to make your work environment less hostile, more productive, and ultimately better for everyone.
In this post, we’ll explore exactly what a micromanager is & how to identify one, specifically the micromanagement examples that can help you move forward.
So what are the . . .
Worst Micromanagement Examples:
1. THE NEVER-ENDING HUNT FOR PERFECTION
There’s a saying I love that goes “done is better than perfect”.
For the micromanager, they don’t accept less than perfection on even the most mundane tasks. So often, in their never-ending quest for perfection, they delay taking action on tasks or projects which back up the workflow, take their toll on morale, and cost the company money.
2. THE BACK-HANDED APOLOGY
No list of micromanagement examples would be complete without discussing ownership and apologizing.
A typical micromanager won’t do either of these well. When they do apologize they’re much more likely to try and justify it, make excuses or shift the blame. The telltale sign of this is adding a “but” at the end of it. “I’m sorry xxxx happened, but . . . .”
Anytime we add a “but” to the end of an apology it shows we’re not truly taking ownership and it negates any possible benefit from offering an apology.
3. RETALIATION FOR CRITICAL FEEDBACK
Almost all companies ask for employee feedback. Many owners and managers ask for feedback too.
But the micromanager, ultimately driven by insecurity, really doesn’t truly want honest feedback. Let’s be honest; most of us don’t really like hearing a list of things we need to improve upon no matter how well it gets delivered.
But for the micromanager, it’s not uncommon for there to be some kind of retaliation for receiving critical feedback.
Sure they may tell themselves it’s unrelated or try and justify it. But ultimately it’s in retaliation for being criticized and it’s a way of deflecting the attention off of themselves. It’s also a means of regaining control over you.
4. A ROTATING DOOR OF EMPLOYEES
Another of the micromanagement examples is when you see high turnover.
They say employees don’t voluntarily quit a job, they quit their manager. It’s true. Most employees who quit voluntarily leave because of poor leadership on the part of their immediate supervisor.
A micromanager typically will send employees fleeing in droves unless the job and salary options elsewhere are slim to none.
5. THE MICROMANAGER BURNS OUT
One of the biggest problems with being a micromanager is burning out from the huge workload.
After all, if you’re trying to monitor, supervisor, and correct EVERYTHING happening in your company or department. That’s a virtually impossible task. That’s not sustainable and eventually, you’ll get frazzled and become less effective.
6. A LACK OF INPUT OR NEW IDEAS FROM STAFF
Micromanagement examples also have to include the inevitable drop in employee input.
Ironically this happens both because the employees know their ideas will get shot down, but in many cases, the micromanager also isn’t seeking their input and suggestions.
Thus over time, employees learn to keep their heads down. They toil quietly grinding out just enough work to not get fired or reprimanded. Rarely are they inspired or motivated to go above and beyond.
7. TEMPER TANTRUMS AND LACK OF PATEIENCE
The micromanager is easy to spot.
They will be the ones often seeming stressed out and impatient. They may blow up or lose their cool when things don’t go exactly as they planned. But even the ones who are more mild-mannered will still show signs of frustration and irritation.
8. LOW MORALE AMONG STAFF
It goes without saying in these micromanagement examples that the employees of a micromanager hate their job. Or at least they don’t love it as much as they could/should.
They might stay for the pay or benefits, but trust me; they’re Googling the job sites in the evening desperately hoping something comes their way.
You see most employees want to do a great job. They want to feel like their opinion and work is valued. Even if the micromanager thinks they are valuable their actions tell the employee otherwise. It becomes a disheartening and depressing work environment.
Thus you either have high turnover as I mentioned above, or it leads to poor morale.
9. LACK OF DELEGATING
I mentioned burnout above with the micromanager.
One of the key reasons for that is this false belief that they can do everything better than anyone else. And to be fair maybe that’s actually true to a degree.
But if you don’t hire right and train right, make your expectations clear, and give your employees the opportunity to try new things how will they ever get better?
You see most of us learn by making mistakes.
We analyze the mistake and we learn from it. Then the next time we do it, it’s a little better than the last. The leader gives feedback but also allows the employee the opportunity to learn from the mistake rather than simply taking that task away or micromanaging it.
10. THE TEAM AVOIDS THE MANAGER
In any work environment, there’s often that leader that everyone avoids.
I think of Bill Lumbergh in the movie Office Space who I’m pictured above. He’s the boss everyone loves to hate. And the main character Peter goes to great lengths to avoid any one-on-one interactions with him.
If you’re the boss and your employees don’t make eye contact, turn the corner when they see you coming or suddenly bury their head in their work, that’s a clear sign.
That sign is telling you that something about how you’re leading the team is scary, unpleasant or intimidating.
11. DICTATING THE PATH TO THE GOAL
It’s also true that there’s more than 1 right way to do most things.
And while the micromanager’s way might be what they like the best or are most familiar with, that doesn’t mean it’s truly better than other ways of doing things.
So if you’re the leader, make the expectations clear. Assign a time frame or deadline for the task. Then get out of the way and allow the employee the freedom and creativity to find the path to the end result that works best for them.
The success of your business is dependent on finding a way to move beyond being a micromanager and being the leader your employees look up to, value, and trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a micromanager?
A micromanager is someone who insists that employees run all or most of their work by them for inspection. They closely monitor everyone’s work, often insisting on tweaking or redoing the work to meet their own high expectations.
Ultimately, employees aren’t trusted or empowered to go above and beyond since they know it would likely be met with criticism anyway.
Thus, as you’ll see in the micromanagement examples here, employees who work under a micromanager tend to eventually just do the bare minimum.
If an employee isn’t doing the job you wanted them to do, it really falls to these 3 things that YOU, as the boss, did wrong:
You didn’t hire the right person
They were not adequately trained
You didn’t make the expectations clear
If all 3 of those things fall into place, micromanagement becomes unnecessary.
As Lee Iacocca once famously said when he was chairman of the Chrysler Corporation: “I have found that truth is the best thing I can use. Fully open, tell people what you are trying to do and what you are willing to give up to do it. I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way.”
What are the characteristics of a micromanager?
Some of the characteristics of a micromanager are:
Being never quite satisfied with results
Feeling frustrated because you would have done the task differently
Focusing on perfection to the detriment of completion and productivity
You laser in on the details and take great pride and /or pain in making corrections
Constantly wanting to know where all your team members are and what they’re working on
You ask for frequent updates on where things stand
Wanting to be cc’d on emails
But there’s a difference between an involved, hard-working boss and a micromanager.
There are few things I enjoy less in a boss than being a micromanager. Either trust me to do the job you hired me to do or fire me and do my job your damn self. pic.twitter.com/GNMvSHMMac
How to tell if you’re a micromanager or just hands-on
In my previous career as a GM for Whole Foods Market, I prided myself on never asking a team member to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself.
Thus there were times I drove a forklift in the rain to help out my shipping & receiving person. Or I bagged groceries when it was busy, or stocked shelves if we were short-handed.
I was involved; people knew they could count on me. But I wasn’t doing those things so I could constantly monitor, correct, and criticize their behavior.
No, I did those things so, as a GM, I could:
Have a clear understanding of how my store was operating
Know who the rock stars were on my team
To build rapport with my team
So figure out what your motivation is. Are you constantly watching, judging, and correcting behavior/work? Or are you simply wanting to get to know everyone and letting them know they can count on you?
To not be a micromanager, learn to let go. Accept that others will do things differently than you. Get the team’s input, and even if you set the end goal and time frame, let each person determine how they reach it. Understand that morale, and reducing turnover will be more beneficial than perfection.
To change any behavior we have to get a clear understanding of why we’re behaving that way.
Just like the alcoholic who doesn’t come to terms with why he started drinking to excess, if we don’t figure out why we’re behaving this way, it will be very hard to stop.
To me, most of these micromanagement examples are rooted in fear and insecurity.
The micromanager has a deep-seated fear of something; maybe not even related to the business. They feel out of control in some aspect of their lives and trying to micromanage the business is one way of taking control back.
In reality, we don’t have control over anything other than our own actions and re-actions.
Once we come to terms with that and realize that most of life is completely outside of our control, then we can truly start to lose our fear and insecurity.
If you struggle with trying to overcome a Fear of Failure, I highly recommend you take a moment and review some of my simple steps that can help overcome that.
What does micromanagement cost the organization?
Overall, micromanagement reduces a company’s productivity & profits while significantly increasing the costs of hiring & training. 50% of employees leave jobs due to being micromanaged. But for the remaining employees, morale and productivity all suffer too.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, 50% of employees left a job “to get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their career.”
Gallup CEO Jim Clifton goes on to say “The single biggest decision you make in your job–bigger than all the rest–is who you name manager. When you name the wrong person manager, nothing fixes that bad decision. Not compensation, not benefits–nothing.”
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the average cost-per-hire is $4,129, while the average time it takes to fill a given position is 42 days.
Thus you can see that having micromanagers in your organization can cause a lot of great employees to leave and cost your company a lot of money in hiring and training.
The scourge of the hands-off micromanager
It must be my karma but many times over the years I have found myself working for what I call a hands-off micromanager.
My Dad was probably the chief among those.
My Dad sadly passed away in 2014 and I will treasure the years we spent working together. But I treasure it because of how they drew us together and not his managerial style.
A hands-off micromanager is one who wants to control everything but not actually do a lot in the business.
They fire off orders from a desk or insist that everything come before them for review, but they aren’t actually working in the business physically as much as the rest of the team.
In my Dad’s case, he loved telling everyone what to do. He’d point and bark orders. He would go to trade shows and pick out merchandise. Or on other occasions, he would see a customer waiting to be checked out and actually go and find someone to do it rather than do it himself.
Often he’d even frantically tell them a customer was waiting. Ironically, the customer would have been checked out sooner if he’d just done it.
To be fair we worked together later in his life (2006-2009) so perhaps he wasn’t this way in his younger years, but I suspect he was.
In many ways the hands-off micromanager is one of the worst micromanagement examples because of the resentment it can build.
At least with a hands-on micromanager, they are physically in touch with the business and the employees know the boss is willing to work hard.
The hands-off micromanager not only can drive morale down but often the employees don’t respect them as much since they aren’t willing to get their hands dirty.
I detail the earlier years of my relationship with my Dad in one of my most popular posts called Growing Up With a Gay Father.
Is micromanaging a form of bullying?
Micromanaging is not the same as bullying unless it turns verbally or physically abusive. An overbearing supervisor who remains demanding and overbearing, yet professional, is not being a bully.
Personally, I think the term bullying gets thrown around too much these days.
And like the boy who cried wolf, if we cry bullying too often we’ll eventually become so desensitized to it we won’t respond to truly genuine instances of it.
So before we get into the micromanagement examples and how they relate to bullying, let’s first define bullying.
In Googling it, I see the definition listed as to “use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.”
So a boss certainly has superior influence over their employees, but is constant supervision intimidating?
I suppose it could be, but at the end of the day, bullying is intentionally picking on someone. The bully either has the intent to either make the other person feel bad about themselves or to do something they don’t want to do.
Thus I think in many cases, micromanaging, however frustrating and annoying or dis-empowering, is not the same thing as bullying.
Are there are plenty of bosses out there who take their micromanaging to excessive levels that do cross over into bullying? No doubt.
But abusive behavior is not necessarily the same thing as micromanaging.
In this post, we looked at some of the ways managers work, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Specifically, we looked at some of the worst micromanagement examples to clearly define exactly what a micromanager is. More importantly, if you are one or work for one, we talked about some crucial steps you can take to improve your work situation.
Are you a micromanager or work for one?
Feel free to comment here or email me with any questions!
My family and I just returned from London; our first visit there with kids. Before we went, we wondered how can I travel with kids in London and what is there to do in London with kids?
Here’s what we discovered:
Traveling in London with kids is best using the London underground subway (the tube). But use the Heathrow Express train to get to & from the airport. Once in London, visit a mix of well-known landmarks like the London Eye, Big Ben/Westminster Abbey, but also check out the museums (most of which are totally free).
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
My wife and I already knew London was a great city to visit from our honeymoon. But we’d never been there with our 3 daughters before. So this was a totally new experience, and SO worth it!
So in this article, we’re diving deep into London and all there is to do that’s family-friendly!
I’ll answer all the top questions, from whether pubs are kid-friendly, if the hop-on/off bus tours are worth it, safety, smoking, and even the Harry Potter Studio Tour.
Like any big city, you want to be a little cautious and take normal precautions. And like any big city, some areas are a little less safe or a little less family-friendly.
In many ways, it’s like New York City, but perhaps a little cleaner and friendlier. And I say that as someone who loves NYC and has taken his family there too; so no disrespect intended.
But London has tons of stuff to hold kids’ attention.
We’ll get into a few specific things below, but here are some of the top things to see and do which kids of all ages will love:
Tower Bridge (which is near, but not the same as London Bridge)
The London Eye Ferris Wheel
The Tower of London
Big Ben/Westminster Abbey (right next to each other)
The Natural History Museum (free)
Legoland Windsor
Royal Air Force Museum (free)
The Changing of the Guard
Buckingham Palace
London Sea Life Aquarium
Diana, Princess of Wales’ Memorial Playground
Hamleys Toy Store (probably the best toy store I’ve been to. Even better than the original FOA Schwartz back when it was still good)
I did not include things like Ripley’s Believe It or Not or Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum as you can find those in every major city.
Not that they aren’t fun, but the things I listed are uniquely London and an experience you can’t get elsewhere.
Tips for traveling to London with a toddler
I’ve been to London a few times.
But this past March (2020) my wife and I took all 3 of our kids. Layla, our youngest, was just 2 1/2 at the time; so fully into being a toddler.
And we had a blast!!
Toddlers love and need routine. Of course, being in another country with different customs can throw them for a loop. And that’s to say nothing of the time difference and jet lag. Here’s what we did to combat those things and have a great trip:
Booked a flight to London leaving early evening – We left Houston about 6 pm. So after a couple of hours, it was natural to feel like bedtime. 10 hours later, we landed in London at 7 am.
We kept our activities low key our first day in London – Don’t try and do too much as all of you will be adjusting to the jet lag
Try and get out early and then hit the hotel around nap time for a break
Don’t completely break with the familiar – While we wanted to get a real taste of London culture, we also occasionally went to chain places that were familiar to our toddler.
Resist the urge to go all out every day – There’s so much to see and do that it’s easy to want to cram in as much as possible each day. With toddlers, that can be a recipe for disaster as they get worn out and frazzled
Get supplies your first day – diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream (often called nappy cream there) and keep them on hand in a backpack for easy access
If you aren’t used to traveling with your kids, my wife and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Yes, it adds a layer of complexity and certain restrictions, but there are so many intangible benefits of traveling together as a family! I break down several of those benefits in a recent article.
What really surprised me in researching that was how much it advances younger kid’s developmental milestones! Just click that link to read it on my site.
What can I do with a 2-year-old in London?
Our toddler, Layla, had a great time in London!
It helped that in the 1 or 2 months leading up to the trip, my wife printed coloring pages of the biggest landmarks. She can’t really color within the lines yet (my toddler, not my wife, ?).
So by the time we got to London, Layla knew all about the most obvious stuff like:
The London Eye
Tower Bridge
Big Ben/Westminster Abbey
Beefeaters
Buckingham Palace
I mention some great activities above for kids of all ages.
But toddlers, as you know, are a special breed. They can lose attention quickly and need a lot of stimulation. But then they can also get overstimulated easily as well.
I’ve mentioned it elsewhere, but most museums in England are free for everyone, which is awesome!
On top of the big touristy things, I also recommend the following for kids between 2-4 (and above):
The Natural History Museum (free)
Discover Children’s Story Centre (an interactive & immersive play space, with an outdoor story garden including a spaceship.) Free for under 2.
The Science Museum (one of the greatest science museums in the world with lots of hands-on exhibits and 3 and 4D simulators) (free)
Tumbling Bay Playground inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (slides, rock walls, bridges, tree houses, and more!)
Royal Air Force Museum (free)
Legoland Windsor
Legoland is free for kids under 90 centimeters. So for those of you not well versed in the metric system, that is about 35.5 inches. So for most kids, that means under 2 is free.
Have I mentioned London has a lot of pigeons??
What is the best way to get to and from the London airport?
This one we learned the hard way.
We used the tube (the subway, also called the Underground) to get from the airport upon arrival, to our hotel. We had to change trains a couple of times and most of the time that involved stairs.
Traveling with 3 kids with each having a suitcase and personal item, plus a toddler and a stroller is NOT stairs friendly!
Luckily, more than one friendly Londer helped us carry stuff up and down the stairs. But it was challenging, time-consuming, and frustrating. It was also fairly costly; about 10 bucks each, one way.
Somehow on our way back, we figured out there was a full-blown train (like the Eurostar) called the Heathrow Express. This was the way to travel!
The kids were all free and it was direct with no stops or stairs (from Paddington Station at least) and only took maybe 15 minutes. Since the kids were free it was about the same as we’d paid for the tube.
So no question; take the Heathrow Express to and from the airport!
Wondering how often families take a vacation each year?
In a recent article, I break down the statistics and uncovered that 40% of Americans take at least one vacation each year.
But 28% of people take 3 or more vacations each year. What really surprised me was that people living in a specific area of the US were twice as likely as the rest of the country to go on vacation! (I need to move there!)
Just click that link to see it on my site.
What’s the best way to get around London with kids?
We did a combination of the tube (the subway, also called the Underground), walking, and busses.
We used both city busses (red double-decker) as well as the hop-on/hop-off busses (also double-decker but the top deck is mostly open).
That worked really well for us and we did not use taxis or Ubers or anything else.
For the underground and city busses, you’ll want to get something called an Oyster Card. You get Oyster Cards at most tube and train stations. They are also refillable. and are basically pay as you go. So we would periodically refill them.
The really cool thing about the Oyster cards is you can cash in whatever balance is left at machines at the airport. So no worrying about putting too much on there. Just be prepared that they pay you in coins!
You may not need it, but Oyster Cards also work for other London transportation services like the tram, DLR, London Overground, most TfL Rail, Emirates Air Line, National Rail services in and around London, and Thames Clippers River Bus services.
Children under 11 travel free on the Underground, DLR, and city buses
They do also an unlimited card call the Travelcard, but we did not feel like that would have been as good a deal for us money-wise. Those can be for a minimum of 7 days. Travelcard costs vary based on how long a time period you purchase and what zones of London you travel in.
But the range is between $45-75 per person in US dollars for a 7-day Travelcard.
Is the London underground safe?
I have ridden the London Underground countless times going back to when I was 17 (a long time ago).
I’ve ridden it at all times of the day and after midnight. While you need to be aware of your surroundings like you would in any major city, I have never felt unsafe, nor seen any sign of problems.
That being said, if you look at the statistics on Statistica, you can see the type of crimes that do happen and how the trends have changed over the years.
The biggest type of crime is the theft of personal property.
That could be pickpocketing, or people just taking things you may have laid in the seat next to you. Between 2018 and 2019, there were 6823 incidents of that on the tube. That is up from previous years, but it’s worth noting that there was a big drop in crime overall in 2016-2017 compared to the years before and after.
Of course, their data does not tell us which lines, time of day, or other information like that.
So just use good judgment, be observant (but not paranoid), and travel smart and you’ll almost assuredly be just fine.
Here is a snapshot of the stats:
Is the London underground safe at night?
I covered the overall safety statistics pretty well above.
What about riding the London tube at night?
I think the latest we rode it was probably 7 or 8 pm. Toddlers aren’t known for being their best at night, so typically we were back at our hotel or at least eating at a nearby restaurant by then.
However, on previous trips, I have ridden the London underground late at night (midnight-ish as I recall).
Most tube lines stop by midnight and don’t start up again until 5 am. So that helps keep safety in line. Central London is going to have fairly crowded train cars. Packed cars aren’t always fun, and that does lend itself more to pickpockets.
But I’d probably rather travel in a totally full train car in the evening rather than an empty one. But generally speaking, as I said above, the London underground is very safe.
I’ve ridden it many times going back to 1982, at all hours, and never felt unsafe.
What are the bad parts of London?
Speaking of safety, it’s worth a quick mention of some of London’s so-called “bad” areas.
Now traveling to London as a family, you’re likely to hit a lot of tourist spots and you’re not likely to encounter any trouble as long as you use the same level of caution and being observant as you would in any large city.
In fact, London ranks #20 on The Insider‘s list of the 30 safest cities in the world!
But some of the rougher neighborhoods you may want to steer clear of (especially at night), would include:
Newham – Central London
Camden – north west London
Southwark (high levels of knife crimes)
Tower Hamlets (high levels of knife crimes) – East London
Brent – outer London near Wembley Stadium
The worst area for pickpockets:
Westminster (Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Oxford Street and Regent Street, etc)
It should be no surprise that pickpockets hang out where the tourists do. We have pickpockets in the US, and I’ve been pickpocketed in New York City. But the UK, and especially Europe, do seem to have more of it than we do in the US.
London is divided into boroughs, often called cities. So this is officially referred to as The City of Westminster.
It’s very centrally located and given it’s where Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye are located, you will no doubt want to go there. I’ve been in and around Westminster on every trip I’ve ever taken to London and never been pickpocketed.
Just be mindful of your surroundings. Keep wallets, room keys, Oyster cards, etc in front pockets or the much-maligned fanny pack, and you’re likely going to be just fine.
Where should I stay in London with kids?
We loved the area we stayed on this past visit.
It was in an area called Sussex Gardens, walking distance to Paddington Station. This area had lots of cafes and restaurants within walking distance. Paddington is both a train and tube station. So that made it easy to catch the Heathrow Express but also just grab the tube to explore the city.
And there’s a Starbucks inside of Paddington Station for those of you unsure about London’t local coffee shops. That’s definitely where we will stay next time.
The other consideration for hotels is space for a family.
Europe (and the UK) are known generally for much smaller hotel rooms than we are used to in the states. Bathtubs are rare, as are king-sized beds. Our hotel room was small but worked for us with bunk beds, 1 queen bed, and one twin bed.
Our hotel also offered complimentary full breakfast each morning, which helped save $$ (London isn’t known for being cheap).
Are the hop-on-hop-off busses worth it in London?
We certainly thought so!
These are private busses, not to be confused with the red, double-decker city busses that your Oyster card will work on. The hop-on/hop-off busses are also usually (but not always) red and double-decker. But a portion of the top deck is usually open air.
They travel all around London and make somewhat frequent stops. You can literally get on or off at any official stop. Then when you’re ready, grab another one and keep going. They also usually have headphone jacks for guided tours.
Do be aware several companies offer these and they almost all use the same bus stops. So make sure you get on the right one and keep your ticket as you’ll have to show it each time.
We used them as a way of getting around central London and also seeing the touristy sites. But don’t think of using it as a substitute for London busses or the underground. The hop-on-hop-off busses just hit the tourist spots and don’t run super early or late.
So get this in addition to an Oyster card.
Where can I buy hop-on-hop-off tickets in London?
You can buy them with a credit card at any bus stop.
However, if you’re doing things like the London Eye and other tourist attractions, it might make sense to get a package that includes 1 or more days of the hop-on-hop-off busses.
You probably can buy a package right at your hotel’s front desk too.
How much is the hop on hop off bus in London?
3 main bus companies run these hop-on-hop-off busses in London, The Original Tour, Big Bus Tours, and Golden Tours. Their prices vary and you can also get packages which include a river cruise (which we got but did not use).
But here is a quick snapshot of current prices (which are subject to change).
They will charge you in pounds of course (the UK currency), but since my article is largely designed for tourists from the US, I have converted the amounts into dollars using an average exchange rate of 1.3 (which is also subject to change). Using that rate, that means that generally, 1 British pound is worth USD 1.30.
So use this as a guide, not a guarantee:
Bus company
24-hour Ticket Price Adults
24-hour Ticket Price Kids
Original Tour
$41.97
$19.75
Big Bus
$43.33
$32.22
Golden Tours
$45.68
$20.99
It’s also worth noting that the companies also offer family pricing and discounts for 2-day passes. You can also save money by buying online ahead of time rather than at the bus stops.
But generally speaking, the Original Tour is the cheapest.
But are they the best? We’ll get into that below!
What is the best London bus tour?
As I mentioned above, 3 main bus companies run these hop-on-hop-off busses in London:
The Original Tour
Big Bus Tours
Golden Tours
We used Big Bus Tours which wasn’t the cheapest at the time of this writing. But we had a good experience with them. But here’s how they stack up in reviews on Yelp:
Top complaint – Waiting for a bus, often up to 1 hour. Many commented about seeing the other bus companies come by many times before seeing an Original Tour bus.
Top complaint – Wait times, London traffic, and crowded busses
It’s worth noting that this is the company we used, and I do recall waiting a little long at one point, but generally, we were pretty happy with them. We also did not experience bad traffic or crowded busses.
Top complaint – Not enough busses, busses never coming to designated stops, poor customer service
So all told, taking price (which I listed above) and reviews, and my own experience into account, I would say the clear winner for London’s hop-on-hop-off bus tours is . . .
Big Bus Tours
Are kids allowed in pubs in London?
No visit to London is complete without a stop or 2 at a pub for some fish n’ chips, right?
But can you take your kids into a pub?
Is a pub considered a bar?
What are the rules for kids?
Unlike bars in the US, most pubs open during the day (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?).
Most also serve food. Many have patios and gardens as well. So, compared to US bars, pubs can be very family-friendly. And they have been since a law was passed in 1994 allowing kids under age 14 into pubs.
We investigated this on our visit and are happy to report that you can indeed bring kids into a pub under a few conditions. Those include:
Pubs that don’t serve food (rare in my experience) probably won’t allow kids at all
Even those that serve food will have a 6 pm, 8 pm, or 9 pm cutoff for kids on-premises
Different pub owners and landlords may have their own rules
Pubs may have designated areas where kids are or are not allowed
I have to say, we visited 3 different pubs with our kids and had a great time in each one.
This pub once burned down but was fully restored. Restored in 1667! Yes, this pub was rebuilt over 350 years ago and has been operating ever since, run by the same family!
Want to sit in a booth where Mark Twain once sat? Check.
Would you like to eat in a pub that gets mentioned in Charles Dickens’s novel A Tale of Two Cities? Done.
And the food was phenomenal, the beer excellent and the staff was awesome.
Does London allow smoking in restaurants and pubs?
No is the short answer.
Smoking was outlawed in pubs, bars, and restaurants way back in 2008. So there are no worries going into any place of business with your kids and finding smoking going on.
There are, of course, a few exceptions, such as:
Hotel rooms (if they advertise it that way)
Tobacco shops
That being said, you will notice that smoking is still a lot more common in the UK than it is in the US.
We saw smokers of all ages and demographics all over the streets of London. Smoking may be banned in most indoor places, but it is still pretty prevalent outdoors. So if you’re a non-smoker, you’ll just have to get used to it.
Technically, according to the World Health Organization, the rates of smoking in the US and UK are about the same (just under 20% of the population).
But I think the difference is that the UK doesn’t stigmatize it as we tend to do here in the US, so people feel a lot more comfortable just lighting up anywhere outdoors. Plus, the UK obviously doesn’t have as many restrictions on outdoor smoking as we do in the US.
Is the Harry Potter studio tour worth it?
I certainly think so!
We spent a good 4 hours there, with a toddler (who loved it even though she doesn’t know the movies). And we still felt rushed!
That being said, it’s not exactly cheap. But, kids under 4 are free.
We spent about $400 on tickets and transportation. The studio itself is about an hour outside of London and not easy to get to by train or tube. So unless you plan to rent a car and are comfortable driving in the UK on the other side of the road from what you’re likely used to, transportation is essential. If you do rent a car, Rentagile is one of the best place to get cheap, sanitized car rentals in London.
We rode by a bus which picked up about 30 people or so from central London.
Now in truth, while it advertised itself as a “luxury bus with TV”, it wasn’t really much different than a standard city bus and it had 1 TV located towards the front that was a bit hard to hear. Luxury? No.
But we weren’t in it for the bus, so that was really of minor consequence.
The trip was non-eventful and the TV played an interesting behind the scenes documentary about the making of the Harry Potter films. I’ll get more into the details of the tour below.
I mentioned we bought a package that included bus transportation.
Here is an example of the price differences:
Studio tickets only for a family of 4 – $195 (again, approximated using a currency conversion rate of 1.3)
What we paid including bus transportation – $463.
I’ll get more into transportation in the section below. But for us, it was totally worth paying for the bus service. The pickup spot in London was easy to get to, and it dropped us off right at the entrance.
For the studio tour in general, we loved it!
I, my wife and 2 older daughters are all huge Harry Potter fans (books and movies) and the tour was awesome and totally worth it. And don’t worry. I’ve got all the details of the tour itself in the sections below.
Just budget accordingly.
We also spent about $150 in merchandise from the gift shops in the studio as well as lunch (did someone say Butter Beer on tap????)
How do I get to the Harry Potter studio tour from London?
You can drive if you are comfortable driving in the UK.
But I imagine most people reading this are visiting London from the US and probably not renting a car or prepared to drive. In that case, you’ll want to use one of the 3 bus companies that operate rides to and from the Harry Potter studio tour.
Those bus companies are
Golden Tours
Premium Tours
Evan Evans
As I said above, the studio itself is a little over an hour outside London, and not easy to get to by train or underground.
You can take a train but you have to transfer train types and each uses a different payment method. Then when you get dropped off (at Watford Junction Railway Station), the Harry Potter studio is still 15 minutes away.
They do, however, have shuttles that run every 20 minutes to and from the train station and the studio. You cannot, however, board a shuttle if you haven’t already purchased tickets to the Harry Potter studio tour.
So from my experience, it’s worth the added expense of just hiring a bus company.
They drop you off right at the entrance of the studio and then pick you up later at the designated time.
How long does the Harry Potter studio tour take?
As I mentioned above, we felt rushed and were there (including lunch) for about 4 hours.
But, we are HUGE Harry Potter fans. But there’s so much we didn’t do because of either time or lines. For example, the Dursley’s house on Privet drive is a little past the halfway mark of the tour. And considering we’d been there 3 hours and didn’t know how much cool stuff there was still to see, we didn’t go inside.
Officially, Warner Brothers claim the average tour takes 3.5 hours.
If you take a bus tour as we did, you also have the limitation of needing to be back on the bus at the designated time to drive back (and it will leave without you if you aren’t relatively on time).
Golden Tours, for example (who we used), claims their service is 7 hours round-trip.
With about 2.5 hours for transportation that leaves you a little over 4 hours to see the studio and most likely get lunch (and Butter Beer).
What can I expect at the Harry Potter studio tour?
There’s so much to see!
You’ll see all the most famous sets from the movies. But you’ll also see endless props, animatronic creatures, costumes, and you can even get a video of you riding a broom (if you can afford the Nimbus 3000).
The tour is half amusement park and half museum.
It’s set up where you basically walk from set to set and weave your way through the studio. There’s a designated entrance and exit and for the most part, you’re always moving forward. So once you leave one set, you won’t see it again unless you intentionally go backward.
They only let in a small number of people at one time. That makes it nice and not super crowded. But there is mention from the staff to keep moving to make room for the next tour group.
Here is a breakdown of the biggest sets we saw:
The Great Hall
This is where the tour begins!
My wife got picked (it was her birthday) to open the official doors to the Great Hall and start the tour. The room itself was just as it appears in the movies except for the ceiling and thousands of floating candles. The did have a few floating candles though.
Lifesize mannequins dressed exactly as Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, Professor McGonigle, Professor Snape, and others complete the experience.
The Forbidden Forest
Not the complete forest as you see in the movies. More like a recreation with Aragog and other animatronic spiders, but still really cool! Fog machines and endless spiderwebs complete the experience.
My toddler was hesitant to go in (you can go around if you need to). But she did go in, clinging to me. But the moment we were done, she wanted to go right back in again.
Weeks later, she’s still talking about the “dark forest” and how brave she was with the giant spiders.
Platform 9 3/4
The Platform 9 3/4 scenes in the movie were partly filmed here, and partly at the actual King’s Cross Train Station in London.
We went to King’s Cross also, and they do have a cart partly embedded in a brick wall next to a Harry Potter gift shop. Because King’s Cross has been remodeled, it was honestly a little hard to recognize from the movies. And, of course, none of the trains running look like the Hogwarts Express.
So, while cool to see, I would not say that’s worth going out of your way for, especially if you’re going to the Harry Potter studio tour.
Platform 9 3/4 in the studio tour, however, is great!
What you see here is what was used in the Deathly Hallows (part 2) and includes a life-size Hogwarts Express train and train car you can board. There are multiple areas for photos from the luggage cart half-embedded in a brick wall, to train car club rooms.
Diagon Alley
Walk up and down the street checking out all the shops!
You can’t go in the shops nor is their a wall of bricks that move as the entrance, but it’s still really cool. This is a snapshot of Diagon Alley much as it appeared towards the end of the film series, as the sets were changed frequently and doubled as Hogsmeade too.
Gringotts Wizarding Bank
Yes, this is the full-sized banking hall complete with giant marble pillars, crystal chandeliers, and an endless row of banking teller stations! This room is massive!
Once you go through it, you’ll then see the Lestrange Vault filled with treasures. You also see an example of the minecart used to get around the many vaults behind the scenes at Gringotts. But sadly, you don’t get to ride in one!
The Hogwarts Miniature
This is the miniature (and I use that word lightly) of the Hogwarts castle and surrounding grounds.
This thing is huge! Miniature yes, but it takes up what probably amounts to the size of a large gymnasium! More than 2,500 fiber optic lights and built by a crew of 86 artists.
This was built for the 1st film and continued to be used throughout the series for exterior shots of the castle.
And here are some of the other highlights of the tour:
The Whomping Willow and Mr. Weasley’s flying car (lifesize, albeit not the whole tree, just the whomping branch)
The Chamber of Secrets Door
A Basilisk
Buckbeak the Hippogriff (lifesize)
Aragog the giant spider
Lastly, there’s the green screen photo opp area.
Here you get to don the house robe of your choice and take some official pictures.
As I mentioned, you can take your own pictures everywhere. But in this area, you have to purchase their official pictures (or you can skip this part altogether which we will do on our next visit).
Here you can take a family photo with 2 options (we opted for the Azkaban wanted poster).
Then you can ride a broom and do either a video or a photo. The videos, as I mentioned above, are pricey (about $25 USD each) and since each member of your party is recorded individually, that’s a lot to pay for a large family. Especially if you consider how often you are actually likely to watch them.
The photos are definitely fun, and I’m glad we did them. But as I’ve also mentioned, we felt pressed for time and this took almost an hour. So we’ve done it and can skip it on future visits (which we will do!)
How much money should I take to the Harry Potter studio tour?
As I mentioned, we spent about $450 on tickets for a family of 4 (plus a toddler who was free) including round-trip bus transportation to and from the studio to central London.
Then we spent over $150 on merchandise and official pictures.
In most places, you can take your own pictures. But no pics are allowed in their official picture spot where you can don robes from your favorite house and ride a broom.
Trust me. We could have spent a whole lot more than we did.
They also have a cafe where you can get lunch and Butter Beer on tap. But everything combined? I bet we spent $650 easily and we still skimped. The most expensive thing (which we passed on) were videos of each of us riding a broom.
After all, how often are you likely to sit around watching a 2-minute video of you riding a broom.
It would be different if it was 1 video of all of us. But instead, it’s 1 video each and they charge about $25 USD per video. So $100 for 4 videos we aren’t likely to watch more than a few times just didn’t make sense.
We did buy 5 pictures which were about $60. But they were pretty cool. They came in a decorative Harry Potter photo album, plus 1 was an oversized Azkaban wanted poster of us. And you get a code to download digital copies too.
I can’t say for certain because I’ve never been in my 4 visits to London. I’m intrigued by the idea, but it’s not like you just hop in the tube and get there in a few stops.
With kids, it would be even more challenging.
My friend Paul, of the website Teacher of Sci, who lives in Brighton (an hour away from London) said this when I asked him if it was worth visiting Stonehenge: “it’s a bloody nightmare to get to (driving only) and you’ll be done there in 30 mins. Not worth it!”
But to give you some specifics:
It’s 90 miles from London
If you go by train, the nearest station is 9 miles from Stonehenge
There are no public buses running to Stonehenge
Private bus tours are available
Private busses are about 50 pounds per person (about $60 US dollars each)
So decide for yourself. But for my family of 5, even if my toddler was free, that would still have been $240 bucks, and probably a minimum of 6 hours roundtrip travel from London just to star at the rocks for a half hour.
But if you’re bound and determined to see it, many of the hop-on-hop-off bus companies also offer day trips to Stonehenge.
Did I cover all you wanted to know about traveling with kids in London?
In this article, I took an in-depth look at what it’s like going to London with your family.
Compared to when I went as a teen, and again in later years before I had kids, exploring London with your kids can be a magical experience. We looked at the best ways of getting around and the best attractions for both toddlers and older kids.
But we also explored the hop-on-hop-off bus system and the amazing Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour!
Ultimately, we answered the basic question of how can I travel with kids in London and all of the adjacent questions that might follow that. This article ended up being the ultimate guide for traveling to London with kids.
Chances are you’ve heard about co-living. But you may not fully understand what co-living is and what the co-living concept is all about.
Co-living is the modern-day, urban millennial version of the ’60s and 70’s hippie compounds. Typical co-living spaces include both private and common living areas, often with shared values among the residents. Costs and responsibilities get shared as well.
But that’s just the beginning of what the co-living movement is all about, so let’s keep going!
We’ve all seen or heard about those utopian hippie communes of the ’70s.
Everyone living together in peace and harmony, living off the land with little to no waste; everyone contributing equally and benefitting equally.
I think you’ll agree with me though, that for most of us, that’s simply not a realistic way to live. And some got downright cultish.
The co-living concept is the modern version of that. But it has a far more capitalistic model. Its concept relies heavily on a community mindset among its individuals.
In this post, we’re reviewing exactly what is co-living, how the co-living concept works, how much it costs and how it can change your life.
Simply put, common living, more often referred to as co-living, is the term used to define a group of people who live together to optimize the use of shared resources.
Unlike communes or hippie cults which were often rural, co-living spaces are typically urban.
But like those things, the age range that co-living appeals to tend to be those in their 20’s and early 30’s much more than parents with kids or boomers.
Neither a traditional hotel nor a hostel, the co-living concept has been made trendy by startups and freelance workaholics. They saw the value in creating collaborative spaces that cut costs by pooling resources.
You’d be forgiven in thinking these so-called “hacker houses” primarily housed IT geeks and millennials, but you’d also be mistaken.
The co-living concept of a built-in network of similar community-minded people has appealed to professionals, singles, and even families of all ages and walks of life.
If saving money isn’t motivation enough, the shared intention of sustainable living and lowering environmental impact is becoming more and more poignant as time goes by.
By allocating fully equipped working and eating spaces, co-living spaces allow their residents to channel their energy into their work while the finer details are taken care of. And it’s all under one convenient price tag.
The cost-saving benefits are a major pull for many students, professionals, travelers alike.
But the benefits extend beyond much further than the bottom line. Co-living provides relief to the high cost of housing and overpopulation that many urban centers are experiencing around the world.
How does co-living work?
Co-living splits expenses on shared resources such as amenities, utilities, skills, and even vehicles. All members benefit by not only paying less but through optimizing assets and cutting back on waste.
So in a way, it’s similar to when I lived in a loft with many other units and we had an HOA manage the common areas for us.
But co-living takes that to the next level!
Many co-living spaces even include carpools, community gardens, and feeding schemes which enrich the communities in which they are based.
This further cements the community mindset on which the co-living model has its foundation.
Unlike apartments and condos that can be pretty impersonal and only take care of basic common areas, co-living spaces typically give residents a mix of private and shared spaces.
For instance, many facilities provide private bedrooms but shared (and furnished) living & meal spaces. So unlike a condo, while there is a privacy trade-off, co-living spaces provide residents with a lot of amenities.
While there definitely can be a “college dorm” feel, this comes with the maturity that comes with being a little older. Plus, many co-living spaces are built around a series of shared values. So you may find you have a lot in common with your neighbors.
Often cleaning services are provided in addition to things like toilet paper and kitchen goods.
But ultimately, co-living is for someone willing to compromise a little bit on privacy for th3e sake of community with like-minded individuals and shared costs (and significant cost savings).
If it’s all about the bottom line for you, the co-living concept has a lot of obvious advantages over other housing or short-term accommodation alternatives.
The idea is fairly straightforward. The more members there are in the community contributing toward the rent, the utilities, the furniture, the entertainment, the groceries, and the like, the lower the costs become for everyone involved.
Savvy entrepreneurs have seen the benefit of this.
They create apartment blocks aimed at providing everything their residents could need in one convenient fee. This allows them the freedom to focus their attention on experiencing their city and enjoying its community to their fullest.
Many singles have surveyed the housing market and understand how expensive (and small) many apartments are. So, co-living spaces allow them to enjoy the luxuries that they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to afford on their own.
Is co-living safe?
Yes, is the short answer.
Unlike a group like the People’s Temple cult, co-living spaces aren’t led by 1 person who has the potential to grow and abuse their power.
Instead, co-living spaces are organized and managed by a company that cares about its reputation and growth. As such, they tend to be very safe. Much safer, in fact, than a lot of metropolitan cities.
Many offer round the clock security guards and use the latest technology to ensure only members get access to the space.
Of course, any time you have large groups of people under 1 roof, you run the risk of personality clashes and other issues. But unless you are isolated on a large piece of land that is heavily protected, you’re running those risks daily anyway.
Is Co-living for Someone Like Me?
Not everybody chooses the co-living concept solely to save money.
The trend is growing because it answers several pain points that modern city dwellers are experiencing. IKEA partnered up with a NY firm -Anton & Irene- and SPACE10. They surveyed more than 7,000 people from around the world.
The aim was to find out how living arrangements would be in 2030 if it were totally up to the people they surveyed.
Several key takeaways were revealed in the report. They shine an interesting light on how people envision ideal living spaces in their future;
The majority felt drawn to the socializing and networking – But not at the expense of individuality and privacy.
They showed a strong preference for a fair and democratic community. They wanted rules and decisions to be made as a group and wanted equality among all its members.
Power over the choice of housemates is also something which stood out as an important factor. The ideal community traits were honesty, cleanliness, and consideration for others. Single residents tend to prefer other singles, or couples without children. Parents and pet owners are seen to be the last choice in roommate options.
The need for socializing and participating in group events was secondary to the need for privacy and space away from others.
Most people would rather share chores and household duties than pay for someone else to do it for them. Sharing the costs of utilities, WiFi, groceries, transport, and office supplies appealed to most. Sharing bedrooms or bathrooms was undesirable. Most wanted a balance of private spaces and community areas.
The ideal community size fell between the 4 and 10 range.
The Inspiring Truth About Housing in 2030
What did we learn from the IKEA survey?
We learned what housing is likely to look like in 2030. More importantly, we learned that the co-living concept could be perfect for people who are:
Lonely
Living in a tiny apartment with no WiFi
Struggling to make rent despite working crazy hours or
Making long daily commutes
Don’t have the time or energy to make friends
Travel Bugs: Co-living spaces and corporate apartments are fully furnished and inclusive of all amenities, utilities, and Wifi. This makes it a very appealing alternative to costly hotels or BnB’s. Co-living space leases tend to be very flexible and can be obtained on a month-to-month basis. Thus, they are an ideal option for visitors from out of town.
Workaholics: When projects require long nights and collaboration, live-in co-working spaces fill the gap perfectly.
Homebodies: For introverts who prefer avoiding commutes and enjoy having everything they need close by, co-living provides a convenient cocoon.
Co-living can open up a whole new world to you.
Additional Benefits of the Co-living Concept
Co-living is more than a cost-cutting, environmentally friendly solution to the housing crisis.
It also has massive appeal to IT techs and other industry professionals. The tech world has long embraced shared workspaces and co-working arrangements, so it’s a concept that is not new to this community.
Sharing office spaces with other IT professionals, while removing the stress of long commutes, has been proven to improve productivity.
Final Thoughts
In this post, we reviewed the nuts and bolts of what is co-living.
We looked at the upsides and downsides as well as the costs involved. The co-living concept isn’t for everyone, but it is growing in popularity. By 2030 it could easily be the norm in urban settings, for IT professionals and many other groups.
Any tips, suggestions or questions?
About the co-author of this post.
Alex is a digital marketer and blogger. Follow him on Twitter!
Want to write for Middle Class Dad too? Check out everything you need to know on my Guest Blog Page.
Many of my friends can’t wait to leave the kids with grandma and go on vacation. But that’s not how my wife and I like to do it. So I wondered what some of the benefits are for families that travel together.
Families that travel together experience a unique bonding, an expanded understanding of our world, experiencing other cultures, languages, and peoples. But family travel also enhances our sense of curiosity and wonder as we parents begin to see the world through the eyes of our children.
But there’s a lot more to say about family travel and some of the pros and cons are. So let’s dive in!
There is so much more than taking pictures and posting social media updates when traveling. Yes, beautiful sunsets and various landmarks are wonderful to enjoy.
And seeing the how and what of the past, and how it affects the world today. Just seeing the world is one of the biggest benefits of all.
It may be a fun-filled trip with amusement parks or campgrounds involved. But simply just being together as a family, enjoying each other, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life is worth its weight in gold.
It allows you the opportunity to introduce your children to the world outside of your normal lives. It’s adventurous, educational, exciting, and yet peaceful.
There are opportunities to cry together, laugh together, and learn together. Most of all, you slow down and enjoy the moment you’re in together. You can step outside of the daily routine and let inspiration take over.
My wife and I have traveled all over the place with our kids;
Mexico
Costa Rica (a few times)
New York
San Diego
Santa Fe
Disney parks
And we have current travel plans for London, Paris, and Canada next summer.
Together as a family, you learn to admire, adore, support, and trust each other as individuals and as a family unit. You will each have a focus on family and leave behind daily life’s distractions.
You’ll discover the freedom to be open with each other as humans, not just the parent-child relationship that daily life demands and expects.
You can take advantage of uninterrupted time away from life, let it broaden your minds, watch your children grow and, in some ways, grow with them.
As the adult, you’re able to take a deep breath and see things through your child’s eyes and mind. Even if you have seen it before, traveling with your family allows you to see things differently.
The world becomes the teacher as you explore and learn things about the world together.
As the family discovers the world together with undivided attention, you can enjoy a sense of adventure and whatever thrills that come with exploring the world together.
Wondering how often families take a vacation each year?
In a recent article, I did the research and found that 40% of Americans take at least 1 vacation per year. But 28% of people take 3 or more. What really surprised me was that people living in a certain area of the US were twice as likely as the rest of the country to go on vacation!
Just click that link to see it on my site.
How do you travel with a family?
The first thing you need to expect if for things to go wrong.
You’ll get lost, things will get lost, you will miss a bus, a train, or other modes of transportation, only to get to your destination and it is closed.
By understanding this and the fact that you cannot control all things will make traveling with a family go easier and smoother.
We make plans, life changes them.
So, you simply must smile and accept these things and make it an adventure.
This will be a great philosophy to teach your children and show them that even when life throws a curveball your way, you can still enjoy the experience and be enlightened by it.
Other tips that can help you travel with the family are:
Pack light
Stay in central locations where walking is possible
Get lost and stop for Gelato or ice cream
Ask the locals for recommendations and avoid tourist traps
Regardless their age, have something to entertain the kids while traveling
Schedule time for naps and rest for everyone
Make each stop fun but an interesting learning experience too
Buy groceries ahead of time for “normal” family meals
Enjoy one meal out a day to taste the local tastes
Of course, the ages of your children have a lot to do with where you travel to.
And if you’re like me with a teen, a tween, and a toddler, you have some unique travel challenges! But honestly, Layla, our toddler, is happy going almost anywhere. The moody tween & teen, not so much.
So in a recent article, I break down some of the best vacation spots for tweens and teens that they might actually not complain about! Just click that link to read it on my site.
How much do families spend on vacations per year?
Of course, income and travel expenses can vary wildly across the country and globe.
According to the U.S. Family Travel Survey, the #1 motivator for parents to travel with their kids was “To have my children discover new places and have new experiences”.
And they go on to point out that “the average annual spending on family travel during that time was $3,835” with “a median of $2,435.”
But that survey also pointed out that 1 in 5 families struggle to pay for vacations, and that shorter vacations are becoming more popular due to the decreased cost.
Here’s an interesting chart showing vacation spending by income level:
Ultimately, the benefits of traveling together with your kids aren’t linked to how much money you spend. And you can create amazing memories on a shoestring budget.
A decade ago when my wife and I lived in Dallas with 2 young kids we were deep in debt and living with a mortgage payment we couldn’t afford. We could not afford to travel the way we do now being debt-free with a great side-hustle like this blog.
So what we did was when we did have a little money, we’d buy annual memberships to places like:
Zoos
6 Flags
Children’s or science museums
The beauty of those memberships is 2 things. One you can hit up those places locally on weeks when cash is low.
But, all of those memberships have affiliations not only across the country but sometimes across the globe. For example, there are 25 locations of 6 Flags. With a membership, you can get into ANY of them.
But beyond that, almost all zoos and museums are part of groups where you can get into other locations either for free or at a big discount. We’re traveling to Banff, Canada next summer and there’s a museum there that would normally cost us $100.
But with the local museum membership we have, we get in for free!
What age is best to travel with a baby?
First, your traveling days as a couple aren’t over – not by any means – once you have a baby.
Second, if you already have a child and then number 2 comes along, your traveling days as a family of three isn’t over, you’ve just added another one to the fun!
The 3 most popular methods of traveling are by car, plane, or train.
So, if you’re planning a family trip, ask your pediatrician the best method for the age of your baby to make this trip. Best for the baby and best for you.
But as a father of 3, including a toddler, here are my age recommendations for each type of travel:
1. By Car
Your newborn has already traveled by car, from birth to home (unless you did a home birth like we did last time). So there really aren’t any restrictions with the exception state law for car seats.
I would not do a long road trip, however, with a baby under 6 months. That’s such a special physical bonding time, and just sitting for hours in a car seat would interfere with that.
That being said, my wife and I did rent an RV once and trek to Yellowstone when our oldest daughter Astrid was just under 6 months.
But RV laws are totally different than cars. So my wife could take her out of her seat while I drove to change or nurse her. Other times they played on the bed. Slightly risky perhaps, but not illegal. And it made traveling much more fun.
But for car road-trips, I would say 1 year old or above is ideal.
Remember to take frequent breaks every hour to 90 minutes. Change them, feed them, get some cuddling and playtime in, and stretch your legs.
2. By Plane
Flying with a baby is safer after their immune system has developed, which is usually after one month for a full-term baby.
Most pediatricians will advise after 3 months of age, some will say wait till 6 months, so always check with your doctor. Then check the airline’s policies.
Delta requires an infant to be 7 days old unless you have a written note from your pediatrician.
Flying JetBlue, infants can fly as young as 3 days and on United, babies younger than 7 days old are not permitted, regardless of the circumstances or incubated infants.
In my case, my wife and I did fly with our oldest daughter when she was about 4 months old and it was just fine. They don’t need their own seat at that age. And she slept or nursed most of the time on the plane.
3. By Train
Again, always check with your pediatrician, but the same policies for flying hold true for traveling by train too.
Once you have the advice and an okay from your pediatrician, check with the train line for any special guidelines or requirements for the trip you’re planning.
So now, let’s review the . . .
13 Proven Benefits for families that travel together
Many people think traveling with children of any age is a waste of effort, money, and time.
They support this by stating if they’re too young, they won’t remember it and if they’re in that tween to teenage years, they won’t enjoy it.
To that, I say why bother going to the playground and pushing them in a swing?
Why bother reading a book, the same book, over and over? Why bother going to the mall to shop for clothes, when they’re just going to pout, sulk, and not like anything you find?
Because it is an experience for you and them.
It is a chance to make memories that you may have otherwise missed out on.
There are other reasons too such as the following benefits:
1. Enhanced their developmental milestones
From the moment a baby is born, they learn, and they continue to learn from the world around them. The more they are exposed to, the more they learn.
Traveling allows children to experience a wide range of things with you. From colors and sights to smells and sounds, different languages, sensations, and different lifestyles.
2. They learn to adapt and be flexible
Traveling exposes children to different and new ‘normal’, and the family learns to adapt to changing situations and learn to be flexible with their habits and routines.
You’ll try new foods together, teaching your children not to be a picky eater and to sleep anywhere, regardless of the commotion or the quietness.
3. They learn Multilingualism
If you’re fortunate enough to travel to other countries with your children, you can learn different languages together and even become excited to learn a new language.
If you only travel in the continental U.S., you’ll learn different dialects between the north and the south, or the east and the west, and anywhere in between.
4. Travel allows them to see different is still the same
Traveling offers the family the opportunity to learn about diversity between cities, states, and countries, but that we’re all human.
Teach your children about color, culture, and religious diversity in the world. You can make friends as a family and forge pen-pal relationships.
5. Learn To be Understanding & Tolerant
Whether you’re traveling abroad or cross-country, your family will become exposed to other cultures. Some may be very different than your own with unfamiliar customs.
Teach your children to be understanding and tolerant of any culture different from yours.
6. Traveling Encourages Adventure & Curiosity
Traveling as a family, you can encourage your children to be adventurous and curious about their surroundings, using caution, and join in creative play based on where you’re at.
They’ll develop skills that will take them into adulthood, and you’ll remember being a kid.
7. Trying New Things
Traveling with the family allows and encourages your kids to try new things.
Maybe it is riding a camel or elephant, camping in the forest or zip lining in the mountains. My middle daughter, Jolie, and I went zip lining in Costa Rica in 2015. We’d never done it before, and the thrill of soaring hundreds of feet above the trees among the monkeys and iguanas was unimaginable!
The possibilities are endless as you travel.
If you’ve never been to Costa Rica, it’s our family’s favorite place in the world. And before you question safety, water quality, or other concerns people sometimes have, check out my recent article where I break down all the ways Costa Rica is amazingly kid-friendly!
My wife and I took our oldest daughter there for the 1st time when she was 1 year old.
8. Learn Geography, History & Science
As you travel with your children, you can expose them to education without it feeling like they’re in school.
Everywhere you go, there is an opportunity to share and teach them geography, history and/or science. Learn the capital of the states you go travel through, how far it is from Point A to Point B and how long it will take to get there.
On our upcoming trip to Paris, for example, we’ll be staying quite close to the Louvre Museum. So instead of reading about the Mona Lisa, my daughters will be able to see the real thing up close and personal!
9. A Healthier Family!
Traveling has its own stress, but it also takes the family away from daily stress.
Because you’re walking instead of the kids sitting at the game box and you sitting at your desk, traveling is often a great way to stay physically active.
Traveling can also help boost our mood; especially if we’re out somewhere in a beautiful setting breathing lots of fresh air.
10. Disconnect from The Daily Life Routines
Related to earlier statements, but every day that we’re caught up in the “must-do” things of life, it’s easy to lose that connection as a family.
That’s especially true as more and more families these days just sit around the couch on their phones and tablets. Connected to wi-fi, perhaps. But not truly connected.
By getting away from the daily grind as a family, you can reconnect as a family. Take that step back from the daily circus of life and take a breather – together.
11. You Become More Interesting
As a family and individually, traveling will make you more interesting.
You’ll have tales to tell and experiences to share. Our upcoming trip to London, for example, includes a tour of the actual sets from the Harry Potter films. I’m sure Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter is awesome.
But you know what’s more awesome? Getting to see the real thing!
When you can talk about something that isn’t common for others, you automatically become an interesting conversationalist.
12. Expand Your Social Network with Real People
Once upon a time, in a land where there were no computers or internet, the was real-life socializing between humans.
Traveling to different parts of the state, country, or other countries will allow the family to meet others, establish a connection, and build a network that includes real-life people.
They may not be long-lasting relationships, but they’ll be real people.
13. Making Memories
What more can we say on this topic?
Traveling with the family can be tiring, but even those not-so-perfect times will make some of the best memories to share later down the road with each other.
Some of my fondest childhood memories are going to the beach in New Jersey when we lived in nearby Philadelphia. Kids won’t always remember everything you do. But by traveling together as a family, and forging memories, you are building their personality and style.
And that will forever be part of who they are.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we took a deep dive into the world of family travel.
We explored the best ages to travel with, particularly babies. But we also looked at some of the unique challenges that different types of travel bring; by car, plane, or train.
Specifically, though, we looked at the benefits that come when families travel together.
By always looking at traveling as a family to be a fun adventure, a learning opportunity, remember it will always be making memories for them and you. Let go of the perfect trip ideal and you’ll enjoy it more. Your kids will enjoy it more.
Remember your first trip to a new city, a new state, or a new country when you were a kid?
Everyone knows about NASA or the San Antonio riverwalk. But I wondered where some of the lesser-known family fun vacations in Texas were.
Austin has many great places the whole family will enjoy, from the Cathedral of Junk to the Barton Creek Greenbelt or nearby rivers in San Marcos for tubing. Waco has the Dr. Pepper museum & an outstanding zoo. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch & Caverns on the way to San Antonio are also well worth visiting.
But that’s just scratching the surface of what Texas has to offer for families. So let’s keep going!
In this article, we’re checking out some of the best places in Texas, my home state. We’ll explore some well-known spots as well as some lesser-known gems.
Ultimately, we’re focused not only on Texas but specifically on family fun vacations in Texas.
Co-authored with Zack Davisson, travel expert over at AllTheRooms.
Where can I take my kids in Texas?
Texas is HUGE. Almost 30 million people inhabit the 268,000 square miles. The 2nd largest state in the United States (Alaska is 1st), is roughly the same size as all of France.
So all that is to say, there’s a lot of ground you can cover and a wide variety of stuff to see; especially with kids.
My family and I live in the Hill Country outside of Austin. I have 3 kids (a toddler a teen, and a tween).
Here are some of our favorite places to go:
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area – A breathtaking pink granite mountain range outside of Fredericksburg less than 2 hours from Austin
The Waco Zoo – A world-class Zoo, and hour and a half north of Austin, that we actually prefer over the San Diego Zoo (click to read my article that explains why)
Big Bend National Park (more on this below)
Six Flags (outside of Dallas or San Antonio)
NASA Space Center in Houston
The Kemah Boardwalk (near Houston but close to Galveston) – A great old-school amusement park and boardwalk near the ocean, similar to what you see along the New Jersey shores.
What can kids do in the Hill Country?
I live in the Hill Country with my 3 kids, so I know a thing or two about this!
Specifically, I live in Wimberley, which is less than an hour from Austin and about halfway between Dripping Springs and San Marcos.
The Texas Hill Country is defined as “a geographic region of Central and South Texas, forming the southeast part of the Edwards Plateau”. In plain English, it starts just west of Austin and stretches down almost reaching San Antonio, sticking to the west.
It’s much hillier than the eastern parts of the area and features rocky ground and features a lot more cactus, bald cypress, live oak, mesquite, and Ashe juniper (cedar) trees.
But for family fun, my wife, kids and I love the following spots:
Swim in a spring-fed area along Cypress Creek surrounded by huge bald cypress trees. Rope swings, picnic areas, and a nearby playground complete the area. Reservations required.
Jacob’s Well used to be privately owned, but now is run by the city and requires a reservation.
Basically, it’s an area along Cypress Creek that opens up in 1 spot and goes down, hundreds of feet, to an elaborate system of caves (professional divers are the only ones allowed cave access). Jump off the nearby rock cliffs into the year-round 68° spring-fed water.
Not just for Willie Nelson anymore, this “town” just has a quintessential Texas feel to it and is very family-friendly. Grab a beer and some grub, listen to some live Texas music, shop the general store, or just stroll around the grounds with the roosters.
West of Austin lies this favorite swimming hole. Like the other’s I’ve mentioned, it usually requires reservations (but some months only on weekends) as they have all gotten extremely popular.
The good news is the reservation system ensures you’ll enjoy your visit and it won’t be overcrowded. It’s a giant swimming hole with an encroaching rock cliff formation that partially covers it from high above. Check out those enormous turtles swimming with you!
This is a chain that has campgrounds all over the place, including 3 in the Texas Hill Country (Canyon Lake, Fredericksburg, and Kerrville).
Much more than a campground though, they have cabins, campsites, disc golf, tubing on the river, basketball, heated pools, water parks, and much more. Tons of fun!
What is there to do in Fredericksburg for kids?
Fredericksburg is about 75 minutes from Austin, to the southwest.
It’s a quaint little town big on its German heritage, so expect lots of businesses with German or German-esque names (think restaurants with the word “haus” at the end.
Tons of shopping, antique stores, boutique candy shops, and tasty restaurants.
The kids might get bored with all the antique and home decor shops, but history buffs will love the Nimitz Museum. Officially, it’s called the National Museum of the Pacific War.
Named for Admiral Chester Nimitz (who was born in Fredericksburg) the museum has over 33,000 square feet dedicated to the US presence in World War II, specifically in the Pacific. There are 40 multi-media installations, over 900 actual artifacts, and hundreds of pictures.
Plus there is the Plaza of Presidents and the Japanese Garden of Peace.
Beyond that, you’ll for sure want to hike up nearby Enchanted Rock State Natural Area which ought to be an actual National Park. It’s known for its pink granite mountains that are fairly easy to climb, the tallest one in the middle has a cave at the top that my kids love to explore.
But there’s also easy hiking around the base, and you can camp there as well (reservations are a must). They also hold star parties occasionally too. We’ve done those, and it’s a blast getting to look through all the giant telescopes.
What is there to do in Dripping Springs for kids?
Dripping Springs is about 20 minutes from my house, on the way to Austin.
Originally a quiet little town, it’s grown a lot due to how close it is to Austin. Austin is so expensive these days (compared to when I was a kid) so many have moved further north or south. Dripping Springs makes for a perfect commuter town.
While there are lots of distilleries, wineries, and restaurants, it’s a tad light on activities for kids. That being said, most wineries are kid-friendly.
Luckily, it’s close to a lot of nearby areas, but here are some of the things we like to do there:
Almost Grown Play Cafe – Basically an indoor play area for younger kids where parents can sit in the nearby cafe and keep an eye on things
Loco-motion Inflatable Play – A typical (but fun) inflatable bounce house park (technically Austin, but close to Dripping Springs)
Little Speedsters – Dirt Bike classes for kids (also, technically Austin, but close to Dripping Springs)
And the Austin Java here has a playground and great food & coffee! So hereis the . . .
13 Family Fun Vacations in Texas You May Not Have Known About
1. Big Bend National Park
Even Texas’ national parks adhere to the “Everything is Bigger in Texas” moniker.
This is most evident in Big Bend National Park. Big Bend likes to brag about being about the size of Rhode Island.
In the main tourist destination, the Chisos Mountains, families can embark on a number of hikes of varying difficulties and visit a fossil discovery exhibit.
The hike known as the Window Trail leads to an especially breathtaking view!
— State Fair of Texas (@StateFairOfTX) June 14, 2018
The Natural Bridge Caverns may be slightly busier because of their vicinity to San Antonio.
However, many will argue that the Caverns of Sonora are the real underground gem of Texas. The names of the stalactites and stalagmites, like Popcorn and Bacon, are silly and accurate enough to get some laughs from the younger crowd.
Money a little tight this year?Remember, it’s easy to still have a great time when you vacation on a budget. If that’s the boat you’re in (been there, done that), check out that post on the Middle Class Dad site which walks you through just how to do that.
3. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
Outside of San Antonio, on the road from Austin, is the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, a long-time favorite for local and visiting families.
Travelers are able to drive their car through the ranch that harbors a number of wild animals. So don’t be surprised to get paid a visit by wildebeest, giraffes, zebras, and ostriches.
The Natural Bridge Caverns listed above are right next door, and both attractions are easily completed in a single afternoon. Both are well-worth being on anyone’s family fun vacations in Texas list.
For the really young ones, the Barton Creek Greenbelt is a good option as the waters are still and create a number of shallow swimming holes.
For those with slightly older children, consider floating a bigger river.
The San Marcos River just outside of the city is probably the most family-friendly option, although the Guadalupe & Comal rivers are closer and more popular. The day of splashing, relaxation, and soaking up the sun is sure to make the whole family bronzed and happy.
5. Cockrell Butterfly CenterThis is a beautiful tropical atrium adjacent to the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
The inside of the Cockrell Butterfly Center is a lush rainforest complete with a fifty-foot waterfall. The main attraction — the butterflies — fly freely throughout the exhibit, and with many hundreds of colorful species, as well as other insects, visitors will be hard pressed not to be wowed by the display.
For the butterfly-obsessed kid who doesn’t get their fill in Houston, head down south to the National Butterfly Center in Mission, near the Mexican border.
— Visit South Padre (@visitsouthpadre) July 29, 2018
An incredible project on South Padre Island, Sea Turtle Inc is a center that focuses on the rehabilitation and conservation of the world’s sea turtles.
Take a casual trip to see the resident turtles or plan to stop during one of their many releases. The most amazing visitors see either a reintroduction of a rehabilitated adult or an early morning hatchling “frenzy” where newborn sea turtles make their run to the sea.
7. Zero Gravity Thrill Park
Calling themselves “the most extreme theme park in the world”, this Dallas destination is definitely for families with a collective adrenaline addiction.While a couple of rides do have height requirements, most of the attractions only require a parent signature for kids to participate. This eliminates the often dream-crushing minimum age requirement.
A favorite is the “Nothing but Net” experience, which is basically bungee jumping without any ropes.
That’s right, participants free-fall 130 feet, or 16 stories, into a landing net without the help of any parachutes or straps or cords. Parents watching may have to be braver than the kids jumping.
For families who like to get their hands dirty, consider a trip to Mineral Wells Fossil Park.
Mineral Wells (birthplace of Middle Class Dad founder Jeff Campbell) is about an hour outside of Dallas.
The large rocky bowl allows kids and adults to sweep through the gravel for fossils. The park is one of the very few places in the world that allows people to remove and keep their findings.
If you routinely find yourself paying for vacations on a credit card, there a better way!Paying cash for a vacation just takes the right vacation planning steps. Trust me, it’s easy to just reach for the plastic (been there, done that). But eventually the bill comes due and if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself heavily in debt.
Nearly everyone in the country has a strong reaction to the Dallas Cowboys — whether it’s admiration or absolute repulsion.
Whatever your feelings may be, it’s a fact that the Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise in the world and have the stadium/sports palace to match. AT&T Stadium is plenty famous for being the biggest domed structure in the world but not everyone realizes they give tours of the behemoth space.
Young sports fans are sure to love taking a look around the locker room and stepping onto the field surrounded by 80,000 seats.
10. The Magicians Agency
Many magic shows are in clubs that feature cheeky, inappropriate comedy in an adult-only atmosphere. However, this San Antonio show is welcoming to everyone aged four and older.
The shows are usually an hour long. You’ll see magicians wandering around the venue before and after the show to entertain crowds. The show itself is funny and baffling, and sure to inspire young’uns who can later buy a training video with their allowance money to get their tricks started.
11. Palo Duro Canyon State Park
This one is up in the panhandle of Texas, somewhat close to Amarillo.
Palo Duro Canyon retains the calling card “The Grand Canyon of Texas” and offers tremendous opportunities to go camping with the family. The heart of winter and summer can bring about extreme weather, so plan accordingly!
More of an oddity worth a visit than a concrete destination, the Cathedral of Junk could be the poster child for the “Keep Austin Weird” movement.
Towering in the backyard of Vince Hannemann, a South Austin resident, this undertaking began in 1989 and has grown from a casual collection to a head-scratching monument of human consumption. In fact, no list of family fun vacations in Texas would be complete with this one.
Now comprised of some 60 tons of trash, the Cathedral is an amazing place for anyone, young and old, to explore for an afternoon.
Since it’s in his backyard, you can’t just show up whenever you want. Call (512) 299-7413 to set a time to visit.
The Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco is not just a tribute to a favorite American beverage, it’s also a fun, interactive experience for kids.
While the museum offers a number of traditional tours, kids love the Little Peppers Tour or the Create a Soft Drink Tour, where the little ones work in teams to bottle their own creative take on soda, and then design its logo.
Whatever tour guests choose, everyone will be pleased to know it comes with some free Dr. Pepper.
Final Thoughts
In this post, we walked you through some of the coolest, most amazing & least known gems in Texas.
These family fun vacations in Texas are a little off the beaten path. That means they’ll be less crowded and more enjoyable. Whether you spend 2 weeks in Texas or just a few days, there really are some amazing things to do and see.
These spots will have your family talking about this trip for years to come.
About the co-author of this post:
Zack works for AllTheRooms, the world’s first vacation rental search engine and is a recovering technical recruiter who traded in his suit and tie in Silicon Valley for salsa music and a passion for writing in Medellin, Colombia. When not writing for AllTheRooms you can find Zack with his nose in a book, puttering around nature, or getting ultra-competitive while watching Jeopardy.
Want to write for Middle Class Dad too? Check out everything you need to know on my Guest Blog Page.
I love a good deal on home goods and don’t always want to wait for Black Friday. I had heard of Woot, but not having checked it out, wondered how does Woot work.
Here’s what I figured out after digging in:
Woot has been owned by Amazon since 2010 & offers home & electronics products anywhere from 30-80% off. Amazon Prime members get free standard shipping & you can log in with your Amazon account. They also have a daily deal with a super discount, and occasionally offer site-wide events like Woot-Offs.
But there’s a lot more to know about Woot, how long Amazon has owned them, and how they work.
So in this article, we’re taking a look at the Woot website. We’ll examine why you might want to shop there, how Amazon works with it, and how they get those great deals.
Ultimately, we’re answering the question of how does Woot work?
Let’s get started!
What is Amazon’s Woot?
Essentially Woot offers 1 main product each day with a crazy low discount; most often (but not always) in the electronics category.
Back in the pre-Amazon days, they literally only offered 1 product per day. But these days they have other products in various categories that are also discounted too.
For example, on the day I wrote this post, they were featuring the Greenworks Cordless lawnmower at 50% off on their home page.
They do have a few other offshoot sites in other product categories, such as Home.woot and Sport.woot. Some of their offshoot sites change from time to time as new categories get introduced or phased out.
While Woot has been around since 2004, it was bought by Amazon in 2010.
Since the site is owned by Amazon, you can read Amazon reviews on Woot and see Amazon star ratings. The product shipments are also handled through Amazon.
And Amazon Prime members get free standard shipping.
And yes, in case you were wondering, you can simply log in with your Amazon account info to purchase on Woot.
Why is Woot.com so cheap?
The average discount offered on Woot’s pages and categories os anywhere from 30-80% off; crazy cheap, right?
Now to be fair, they do sell some refurbished items (clearly labeled), and many are in limited quantities, so they do sell out.
Woot works with all the major manufacturers to get their best deals. These could be closeout models the company wants to get rid of in advance of the new model they are releasing next month. It could also be perfectly new and working items that got returned.
But you have 30 days to return most items if you wish to. You’ll get a full refund minus the shipping costs they paid to get the item sent back to them. If the item is damaged or defective, they don’t deduct shipping.
They do have some exceptions to the return policy, so make sure and review their return policy before purchasing.
What is a Woot bag of crap?
Woot has something (literally) called a Bag of Crap (abbreviated as BOC).
If you order one, you’ll get a random assortment of stuff in a box. But sometimes those boxes of crap contain laptops. Other times, junk like old batteries or just 1 shoe; so it’s a total roll of the dice.
They don’t offer this as an option to purchase all the time, so you’ll have to wait and see when the next time pops up. Of course, you can sign up for their email list to get notified, or download their app and get notifications that way too.
Does Woot sell fakes?
No, is the short answer. But given most products are made in China by the same manufacturer’s what is “fake” really?
But generally speaking, they sell the brand of item it is advertised to be; they do not knowingly sell knock-offs pretending to be a name brand. If you think about it, given they are owned by Amazon, it would be incredibly dumb on their part to knowingly sell fraudulent products.
Since they do sell refurbished products, it is worth noting that sometimes these items may break down sooner than a brand new item might; but that’s what you get when you pay up to 80% off the suggested retail price.
They do have an A+ rating with the BBB and an almost 4-star rating with ConsumerAffairs based on 85 reviews. So clearly they are doing a lot of things right, and selling fakes isn’t part of their business strategy.
But it is worth pointing out they do have some critics as seen on the BBB site in some of the reviews and complaints lodged. That being said, they do appear to be very diligent in responding to all complaints and doing their best to resolve them.
I also see a number of complaints that just don’t make sense, such as:
1 person wanted a full refund for an item he claimed was defective but he was unwilling to return the item
Someone wanted to buy a product but didn’t buy it in time (before it sold out) and wanted the product anyway
Someone was mad that a friend or family member sent them an anonymous present
Anyway, read the product descriptions carefully; especially if it’s a refurbished item. Also, understand refurbished items may not last as long as a new item.
But you’re getting a killer deal, so take all of that into consideration. And they also offer extended warranties on electronics too.
Did I cover all you wanted to know about how Woot works?
In this article, we took a quick look at the world of Woot; an Amazon company known for rock-bottom deals on electronics, home gadgets and more.
They are also known for a slightly irreverent and humorous style across their website too, rather than a totally corporate feel, which is nice.
We examined what they do, how they do it and answered some of the most common questions people have about Woot.
Ultimately, we answered the question of how does Woot work? Ready to check them out and see how much you can save?
Here’s my affiliate link (just click to go to Woot). An affiliate link doesn’t cost you anything or raise the price. But the company will pay me a small commission if you purchase anything having come from my website.
It’s a great way to say thank you to me for introducing you to Woot, and they’re happy to get a new customer, so it’s a win-win-win!
What’s your favorite product you’ve bought on Woot?
Middle Class Dad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases if you click to Amazon from my site and choose to make a purchase. This is no way increases the cost to you.
My family and I just returned from a visit to the San Diego Zoo. Since we’ve been to a lot of zoos and this one was, by far, the most expensive, afterward, we began to wonder is the San Diego Zoo worth it?
A family of 4 can spend over $200 for a 1-day pass, making it one of the most expensive zoos in the US. The Atlanta Zoo, which is comparable in size and style, is roughly half the cost. The Safari Park has lots to do but could cost a family of 4 an additional $1,000. So overall, the San Diego Zoo may not be worth it.
But there’s a lot more to know about the San Diego Zoo, costs, animal habitats, and yes, whether the giant pandas are still there.
So we’ll get into all the details below, so let’s get started!
No matter where you’re traveling to, take a moment to check out my travel recommendations?
I take the frustration out of having to check multiple sites to be sure you’re getting the best deal. These sites are tested and proven by me and my family, and they always provide us with not only the best prices but also the best experiences.
Why I’m not sure the San Diego Zoo is worth it for me and my family
I haven’t priced every single zoo in the US, nor have I been to every single zoo in the US.
I have, however, been to several zoos including some of these great ones:
Atlanta (where they still have pandas)
Oklahoma City
Waco
Ft. Worth
Dallas
San Antonio
Now not every one of those zoos is stellar. I’d also have to say that most are also not as large as the San Diego Zoo (and I’m not counting the San Diego Zoo Safari Park which is a totally separate facility).
BUT, all of those zoos are roughly half the price of the San Diego Zoo. So it shouldn’t go without mentioning that the San Diego zoo is pretty costly for a zoo.
Now in a recent list of the 30 Best Zoos in US News and World Report (one of those irritating posts that makes you click through each of the 30 listings), they did, of course, list San Diego. But they also listed Ft. Worth and Dallas (although odd considering how much better Waco is than Dallas).
USA Today also lists the top zoos in the US and unlike the previous article, USA Today actually ranks them.
They gave the top spot to someplace I’ve never been called The Living Desert in Palm Desert. And while they did list the Safari Park, they actually didn’t include the San Diego Zoo at all (or any of the others I listed).
But for me and my family, we enjoy wide open spaces for the animals to roam in a natural-ish habitat. We like minimal concrete and to experience the animals in a hopefully happy setting.
While San Diego delivered the goods in that area, so do all the other zoos I listed, at a fraction of the price. So make no mistake. The San Diego Zoo doesn’t charge what it does because it’s worth it; you’re paying for the high cost of California Real Estate and taxes.
How much does it cost to go to the San Diego Zoo?
We literally just went last week, so I can tell you for a family of 4 plus a baby, for a 1-day ticket, we spent about $200.
But here’s their specific breakdown of prices:
1 DAY
1 DAY+
2 DAY
3-FOR-1
ADULT (12+)
$56.
$62.
$89.60
$149
CHILD (3-11)
$46
$52.
$79.60
$139
The 1 day and 2 day are obviously fairly explanatory. The 1 Day+, however, gets you everything included in the regular 1 day, plus you can pick one of their 4D theater experiences. So essentially for a family of 4, you’ll spend an extra $24 total to watch a movie.
Now I happen to like 4D movies, but if we’re already paying $200 bucks, surely they could have thrown that in already?
It’s also worth noting that with the 2 Day ticket you can choose one or both; the actual San Diego Zoo and/or the San Diego Zoo Safari. The Safari is a drive-thru safari (their vehicles, not yours) but also has zip line adventures, and high-wire obstacle courses and is NOT located near the zoo itself. But it is kind of cool that you could do the zoo one day and the safari the next.
You cannot, however, do both in 1 day on that ticket.
The 3 Day pass adds SeaWorld to the 2 Day pass. So you can choose between the zoo, safari, and SeaWorld. You can attend one per day, any 3 days total, over a 7 day period. So also not a bad deal.
But not that many families of 4 are going to want to shell out the almost $600 bucks it will take to do that (or maybe I’m just cheap).
Can I buy San Diego Zoo tickets at the gate?
Yes, while you can definitely buy tickets online, we bought ours at a self-serve kiosk right the front gate. As far as I can tell, there’s no benefit to buying your tickets online ahead of time.
How much is parking at the San Diego Zoo?
Parking, thankfully, is free at the San Diego Zoo. On the day we went (mid-August shortly before school started back), we were able to park pretty close to the entrance as well.
They also have some shaded parking spots and a limited number of charging spots for electric cars.
Do note, if you’re going to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, you’ll pay $15 per vehicle or $20 for RV parking.
How long does it take to go through the San Diego Zoo?
Having done a good portion of the zoo in about 5 hours, I can definitely say to really see everything and experience everything, 6 hours or a 2-day pass would be the most ideal given how much there is to see and do.
Plus, while not as hot as my native Texas, San Diego can still get warm. And that heat takes its toll on parents and kids alike.
So unless you want to rush through, if money is no object, get the 2-day pass.
That will allow you to see all the animals and exhibits. Plus you can ride the park on the double-decker tour bus when you need a break. You can also ride the Kangaroo Express Bus and the Skyfari Aerial Tram (which is one of those ski-lift-type cable cars that ride way high over the park (the kind my wife won’t set anywhere near!)
I will say that the San Diego Zoo is a great place for families with tweens. Since my wife and I have 2 tween daughters, its important to find places that tweens love to visit. After all, tweens can be pretty fickle and picky!
Check out ALL my top picks for vacation spots with tweens in a recent article. Just click the link to read it now. Philadelphia made the list and the reasons we chose it will really surprise you!
What’s the difference between the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Safari Park?
Ultimately, they are 2 totally different things, so it’s hard to compare. The Zoo is somewhat typical of many zoos but larger, and the habitats are bigger. But if you’ve seen a bunch of zoos like my family has, it’s not likely to blow you away.
The Safari, on the other hand, features a safari tour of an African and Asian-style outback. But it also has a cheetah safari, a high-ropes obstacle course, zip lines, and even allows you to camp out.
Here’s the complete list of options and features at both:
San Diego Zoo
Cost per person
San Diego Safari Park
Cost per person
1 Day Pass
$56/46
1 Day Pass
$56/46
4-D Theater
$8
Caravan Safari
$171+
2 Day Pass
$89.60/79.60
Cheetah Safari
$57+
3-for-1
$149/139
Cart Safari
$53+
Jungle Ropes Safari
$53+
Flightline Safari (Zip Line)
$77+
Is San Diego Zoo or Safari Park better?
The zoo is basically just one price plus a couple of upgrade options, whereas the safari is priced per event in addition to the entrance fee.
By that I mean if you just do the Caravan Safari, that’s a minimum of $121 each for ages 6 and up in addition to the 1-day pass price of $56 for adults and $46 for kids. The 1-day pass includes the Africa Tram, Cheetah Run, and all regularly scheduled shows.
Add the zip line, and that’s an additional $77 or more for ages 8 and up.
Ultimately, for a family of 4, you could easily spend $1,000 just doing the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. So from that standpoint, this isn’t a casual choice as we’re talking almost as much money as you might spend at Disneyland to get a whole lot more.
For that reason, if I have to choose between the Zoo or Safari, I’m definitely going with the zoo.
What is the best way to see the San Diego Zoo?
The San Diego Zoo is quite large; 100 acres to be exact.
So while you can get around on foot, the guided bus tours are a great way to see it as well. What I recommend is starting off on foot and then jumping on and off the guided bus tours as needed.
The guided bus is an open-air double-decker bus (the top row has no roof, so be prepared for a lot of sun). It drives throughout the zoo and has multiple stops. There are several buses that run concurrently, so it’s pretty convenient to hop on or off one as you wish.
If you have your own stroller, just be prepared to fold it up when you board.
But if you rented a stroller at the zoo, you’ll have to abandon it when you board since they don’t fold up (they are OK with you ditching them in an out-of-the-way area). If you save your receipt for the stroller, you can get another one when you are back near the front entrance.
It would be great if they offered multiple rental locations throughout the zoo.
When your family is trying to decide where to go for vacation, it’s tough. After all, most of the places you want to see are also places a millon other people want to see.
So for that reason, I compiled a list of the 17 Most Overlooked Summer Family Vacation Destinations. These are destinations (and San Diego is on there) that often fly under the radar compared to Disneyland, NYC, and other big tourist spots.
What really surprised me in researching it was just how (relatively) inexpensive Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa is!
Do they still have Pandas at the San Diego Zoo?
Sadly no!
My family and I were all excited to see the pandas on our recent visit and saw no signs or information on the website or at the zoo informing us they were no longer there. Even their map shows the panda area (there are still red pandas there, but those are basically red raccoons).
Even the current Google listing still shows they have pandas. See it here.
In the end, while frantically searching for them in the zoo, we had to resort to Googling the question only to find out they lost the pandas, Bai Yun and her 6-year-old cub Xiao Liwu.
China had them on loan to the San Diego Zoo since 1996 but required their return in May 2019.
There have been several pandas at the San Diego zoo over the years, so this isn’t the first time China has asked for one or more to be returned.
It is, however, the first time in over 20 years that the San Diego Zoo has not had ANY pandas.
Supposedly the San Diego Zoo is trying to negotiate with China for their return, but for now, if you’re in the US and want to see a panda bear, you’ll have to visit the zoos in Atlanta, Washington DC, or Memphis.
What animals are at the San Diego Zoo?
Well, as we’ve discussed, the giant pandas are sadly no longer there.
But there are a lot of other animals to see. In fact, they boast over 4000 species on animals, so there’s no way for me to list them here. I will, however, share the highlights with you.
Bonobo (primates similar to chimpanzies)
Camels
Polar Bears
Leopards and Cheetahs
Elephants
Giant Galápagos tortoises
Gorillas
King Cobras
Koala Bears
Two-Toed Sloths
Komodo Dragons
Pygmy Hippos
Rhinos
Reindeer (they didn’t respond when I called out “Swen!”)
Certainly, an organization like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) doesn’t condone ANY zoos. But their points of view will also seem pretty extreme to many as well, so it’s not a black and white issue like they might have us believe.
Now, you could argue that holding animals in captivity against their will is cruel and inhumane, and you could make a good argument for that. But if we assume for a moment, that all zoos are that way to a degree, then we have to look at each zoo and their mission, beliefs, practices, and how they treat the animals.
The San Diego Zoo is a non-profit organization.
While that doesn’t mean no one gets paid and that some people aren’t getting paid really well, it does tell us that, unlike SeaWorld, their sole motive isn’t profit.
They also claim that one of their missions is to breed endangered species to prevent extinction which is a noble cause. As an example of their work, I see:
44 animals from the zoo have eventually been released back into the wild
180 rhinos have been born at the San Diego Safari Park
The Zoo works with 45 different countries on animal conservation
They have over 1,000 species DNA on file in what they call the frozen zoo
The San Diego Zoo conducts education outreach on animal welfare and extinction on 3 continents
I can also tell you that from an animal habitat standpoint, most of the animals in the San Diego Zoo have larger than normal habitats than you would find in many other zoos. By that I mean they aren’t just in small concrete cells. Instead, they typically have large areas that are more like their natural habitats.
So within the confines of being a zoo where animals are kept, I do think that the San Diego Zoo does a good job of caring for the animals and doing good work on animal conservation around the globe.
Do veterans get in free at San Diego Zoo?
Yes is the short answer.
Active duty U.S. Armed Forces personnel get in for FREE on a 1-day pass upon presenting a Common Access Card (CAC) or Uniformed Services ID Card at the gate. For this reason, you should not try to purchase tickets online.
Military spouses and any eligible dependents get a 10% discount off the 1-Day Pass at both the Zoo and Safari Park. And this is valid even if the military service parent or spouse is not present. Just show the valid dependent ID card at the gate. Again, you cannot get this discount online.
Military veterans do not receive a discount at the Zoo or on the Zoo’s website. However, some local military bases do sell tickets at a 10% discount, so check with the base nearest the zoo to inquire.
Is there a AAA discount for the San Diego Zoo?
Yes is the answer here as well!
You must have a valid AAA membership card and present it at the gate to take advantage. You will receive a 10% discount off a 1-day pass. This discount will apply for the cardholder and up to 5 additional guests.
As with the Active Military discount, you will need to purchase tickets at the gate to take advantage of this as you cannot get this discount online.
You also can not combine this discount with any other offers or coupons.
Final thoughts
In this article, we took a look at the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
We explored why some consider it to be the greatest zoo in the world. But we also looked at it with a critical eye as well as it’s also one of the most expensive zoos too.
Ultimately, we answered the question of “is the San Diego Zoo worth it?” with the answer of probably not. But you should decide for yourself.
Have you been to the San Diego Zoo?
No matter where you’re traveling to, take a moment to check out my travel recommendations?
I take the frustration out of having to check multiple sites to be sure you’re getting the best deal. These sites are tested and proven by me and my family, and they always provide us with not only the best prices but also the best experiences.
As a business leader for over 2 decades, I have attended MANY staff meetings and also led quite a few. Some were great, but many were not, so in my quest to improve mine, I started to look into meeting ground rules for facilitators to see how I could improve mine.
Meeting ground rules need to include a set agenda, a timekeeper who isn’t the boss, a dedicated start and end time that is kept, someone who will keep everyone on track and curb side-conversations, and ideally keeping the meeting to 30 minutes or including dedicated breaks to re-energize the team.
Have you ever sat through a staff meeting wondering why you were there? Did it feel like a waste of your time? Was it as exciting as watching paint dry?
If you are in a career job, the answer is almost assuredly yes to those questions. But there IS a better way! I was a leader at Whole Foods Market for 20+ years, and have led or attended hundreds of staff meetings.
Almost businesses have meetings.
Why? Because they think that’s how they are supposed to run their business.
We just accept it and don’t question it. Most leaders don’t even research meeting ground rules for facilitators.
So in this post, we’re taking a hard look at business meetings.
We’ll examine why most don’t work, but more importantly, we’ll examine the top meeting ground rules for facilitators so that your next meeting will be a hit with your employees and actually accomplish something.
Why are ground rules important?
Meetings are designed to impart information to groups of people.
In some cases, the top leaders want feedback or buy-in from the people attending. Other meetings it’s simply about passing on policy changes, etc.
Occasionally they are more brainstorming sessions where lots of ideas get bounced around the room.
If you consider the goal and how many get executed, you can see why in most cases, meetings are horribly inefficient. They are not the most productive way of accomplishing the mission.
So it’s vitally important we learn meeting ground rules for facilitators.
I’ve spent most of my adult life attending meetings.
In my former life as a GM for Whole Foods Market, we had weekly meetings with department heads. Department heads had monthly meetings with their own teams.
We also had monthly store meetings with all the employees of that store (often 150+).
Then we had quarterly regional leadership meetings. Lastly, we had irregular national meetings; costly affairs where all top leaders from around the globe were flown somewhere for a 3 or 4-day gathering.
I’ve run a number of these meetings. Many were run by people who had no clue about meeting ground rules for facilitators, as it wasn’t anything we were ever trained on.
Most of these meetings were big time sucks.
Yes, many were fun; especially the out of town ones. Often they involved food and drink.
The meetings that occurred outside my own stores often allowed me to see and visit with folks I didn’t get to see every day. I very much enjoyed the social aspect of these.
But most of what we enjoyed had nothing to do with what we were there to accomplish.
More importantly, did they provide enough value to offset the huge expense some of them require?
How do you run an effective meeting?
The store-wide meetings were probably the worst of these meetings.
These were mandatory meetings of all store personnel and most of the time were held in the early morning hours.
Thus people who had been there until 11 pm the night before (or later) were required to come right back the next morning; not the happiest of campers.
Then the folks who were already there that morning getting ready for the day had to stop their work for an hour to meet as well. Also not the happiest of campers.
Somewhere along the way, the company added breakfast and prizes to the mix; basically an incentive to be there and keep the grousing to a minimum.
The more inventive of the meeting runners would at least insert a few jokes or get a little crowd interaction going (I’d like to think that was me).
We had additional expenses such as language interpreters for non-English speakers or sign language translators.
Inclusive for sure, but efficient or effective?
Many of those meetings have been spent simply listening to an awkward public speaker dryly read from an agenda down a boring list of topics.
Meeting ground rules for facilitators were thankfully left up to me as the GM (for the store-based ones), but having them in the first place was not optional.
What is the purpose of having ground rules?
Often meetings turn into social gatherings.
Many of us go through our weekly work schedule without a lot of personal interaction with our co-workers.
So meetings can often just turn into big gatherings. Side conversations and drifting from tasks or agendas are common.
Thus getting meetings back on track can take a lot of time.
Many a meeting has been spent only covering a small part of what was actually on the agenda.
Then the leader either extends the meeting longer (groan) or table those items until the next meeting. Inefficient and not productive in either case.
All because they lacked proper meeting ground rules for facilitators.
Going back to the store meetings I mentioned above, many of these topics are deathly dull; changes in HIPPA laws, changes to company 401k matching, etc.
Often the information was something that had previously been emailed, posted by the time clock and maybe even sent home attached to paychecks.
So it was not even new information.
If you find your meetings just devolve into unregulated social gatherings then schedule monthly or quarterly social get-togethers.
These can be potlucks at each other’s houses, card games after work or other social gatherings.
Once the team starts to feel a regular social connection, they will be more apt to stay focused at staff meetings.
How do you facilitate a meeting?
You may have heard of Robert’s Rules of Order.
Originally created over 100 years ago by Henry Martyn Robert, this is still considered THE guide for meeting ground rules for facilitators.
The association that bears his name updates the guide periodically.
What is a good meeting?
A good meeting, very simply:
Starts and ends on time
Has a written agenda that is realistic for the time allotted
Also has a facilitator who goes down the agenda
Stays focused and on-task
With meeting ground rules for facilitators, people feel informed & heard. They feel like their time is valuable and they walk away more motivated than when they came in.
How do you chair difficult meetings?
A difficult meeting could be one with a contentious topic such as cutting back on overtime or a change in the break policy, or the loss of some aspect of the benefits package.
In short, a meeting where the topic(s) are likely to hit people personally and get them riled up.
But it could also simply be one where you know the team will be divided such as whether to continue hold meetings in the morning or evening, which was a common dividing point with the store meetings I ran for Whole Foods Market.
To chair a difficult meeting, I think it makes a big difference to let the team know ahead of time what is going to be discussed.
This could be in the form of a short email, or if you routinely email the agenda topics out before the meeting, make sure it’s clear what will be discussed.
Then have a dedicated Q and A portion of the meeting at the end, with a set end time; that way it doesn’t just turn into an extended grouse-fest or argument that never ends.
If it’s a corporate-type decision that’s already been made and you’re just imparting the news, there really isn’t much point in discussing. But it does make a big difference to help the team understand why the decision was made.
If it’s a good company that they believe in, they’ll accept the decision a little better once they fully understand.
How long should a meeting last?
Anything over 30 minutes is risking boredom, cell-phone checking, and side-conversations.
Mentally, that’s just about how long we can expect our brains to stay focused on one person reading a list of topics, rules, or changes to policy and procedure.
Sure you can amp it up by having prizes or contests, but in a way, those are just gimmicks and aren’t really part of the overall purpose of the meeting. Yes, they get people excited, but they would probably be more excited about not wasting any more of their time than absolutely necessary.
So strive to keep meetings to about 30 minutes.
For some companies, that won’t be possible though. If you have a large group or a lot of topics to cover, you may find your meeting stretches well over an hour.
In those cases, I do think some sort of physical and mental break is a good thing, so a 5-minute stretch break, or have the coffee and snacks in an adjacent room, and have a set (and short) time slot dedicated to that.
If you feel like your meeting needs to be over an hour and a half, then consider either holding additional meetings at a later time or splitting the group and holding different meetings for each group.
After all, if you’re planning a 2 or more hour meeting, the chances are really good everything on your agenda doesn’t apply fully to everyone on the team.
They’ll be much more attentive and happy to participate when you consider what’s on the agenda and how it relates to their job and tasks.
How do you keep meetings on time?
What I do now in my current job as Academy Director for a large martial arts school (I run our weekly staff meeting) is to actually have each agenda topic blocked out for a set length of time.
So we all know before the meeting starts that topic A will be 5 minutes, but topic B will be 20 minutes.
If at the end of the time limit, we’re still talking, I stop everyone and let them know we are at time. Then we collectively vote on whether we will:
Table the topic
Keep it on the agenda for next week
Take time from one of the other topics so we can finish it
I keep my cell phone out on the table during our meetings for the sole purpose of monitoring the time and holding everyone, including the boss, accountable to our timetable.
So what are my . . .
9 Best Meeting Ground Rules for Facilitators You Should Know?
1. KEEP IT SMALL
In general, the smaller the group, the more effective and productive your meeting.
If you have a large team, break down the components and have meetings with each group that is specific to their goals and needs.
Not everyone is working on the same thing. Your IT person doesn’t really care about changes in HR policy. On the flip side, your social media manager doesn’t care about changes to your product inventory systems.
So why should they all attend the same meetings?
2. HAVE AN AGENDA
A written agenda for all meetings is a must.
Ideally, this would be a cloud-based document all could review or add to at any time before or after the meeting.
Make the agenda specific for this group, keep it focused and a reasonable length for the allotted time.
This is a must for meeting ground rules for facilitators.
3. HAVE A SYSTEM FOR FOLLOW UP
Depending on your meeting, detailed notes may not be necessary.
But if Joe is taking on tasks A, B & C and Jolyn is handling tasks D, E & F, you need a system for follow up.
For instance, a month from now will you remember who was doing what? Even if you do, do you have a system to check in and make sure it was handled?
NEED A GREAT WEB-BASED ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEM FOR YOU OR YOUR TEAM?
You can create many different lists, or queues, and share them with whoever you like. When a task gets completed, they can check it off and it gets archived.
You, in turn, can see what has been archived and what is still pending. Sync it with your Google calendar and set due dates for all tasks.
That’s what I use and it’s a great way to keep track of your to-do list and the lists of others. See more in my in-depth Gqueues Review (just click the link to read it on my site).
4. KNOW WHEN TO HOLD IT, KNOW WHEN TO FOLD IT
Some topics just naturally turn into big complaint-fests.
They are reviled, divisive topics that can splinter an otherwise great team. Some topics are best shelved to their own meeting. Others might work better if the boss gets input one on one and just makes the call.
Knowing what to put on the agenda and what notto is one of the most important of the meeting ground rules for facilitators.
5. START AND END IT ON TIME
Nothing says “I don’t respect your time” more than starting way late or a meeting that runs way over the allotted time.
There’s simply no excuse for starting late or not ending on time. Further, if you have written the agenda well and have a good chair running it, there’s no need to go over.
If you do run out of time, figure out why that happened, and take a vote to see if they prefer to plow through, table until next time or call a special meeting for the final topics.
4. DOES IT REQUIRE FACE TO FACE?
Many a meeting has been held regarding topics that could just as easily been emailed.
If the items are simply notifications that don’t require input or buy-in, consider emailing the team rather than just going down a boring list of FYI’s.
5. KNOW WHEN YOU NEED TO ATTEND
If you’re the boss you might feel like you have to attend all the meetings.
I want you to reconsider this. As the boss, you wear a lot of hats and have your hands in a lot of different aspects of the business. A successful boss is one who works ON the business and isn’t always IN the business.
Show me a boss who feels like they have to be IN the business all the time and I’ll show you a micromanager who isn’t running their business as effectively as they could.
Guess what happens if you try and manage everything?
Your team will feel micromanaged
A micromanaged team will lack the self-motivation to do anything beyond the bare minimum
You won’t succeed in successfully controlling everything (and you’ll kill yourself in the process)
So ask yourself if your being in that meeting is needed? Do you have information vital to the process? Is your presence crucial?
If the answer is no, then there’s probably a better use of your time.
Not sure if you’re a micromanager? Check out my 11 worst Micromanagement Examples and find out! Just click the link to read that on my site.
6. TAKE A STAND
Consider shorter, more focused meetings where you actually stand up with your team rather than sit.
When we sit we induce complacency, apathy and a feeling of tiredness.
Standing keeps us more energized, and (more importantly), everyone will be much more apt to want to finish on time.
7. TAKE IT OUTSIDE
Unless excess noise is a factor, fresh air and sunlight will improve everyone’s mood and energy level; thus making them more focused.
8. A NO CELL POLICY
Cell phone usage, unless it’s an emergency, has no place in meetings.
They are a distraction and will prevent everyone from focusing on why they are there. Request in advance that all attendees either leave phones at desks or minimally turn the ringers off and don’t pick them up during the meeting.
Appoint a rotating meeting chairperson to keep everyone on track.
This person should not be the boss but should keep everyone (including the boss) on track.
When the conversations drift they get everyone back on track quickly. They also keep track of time and know when to move the group forward and when to end.
This is one of the most crucial meeting ground rules for facilitators.
What are the benefits of having ground rules for meetings?
If you can master meeting ground rules for facilitators, you’ll be way ahead of the curve. More importantly, you will start to see:
A more connected and motivated team
Productivity will skyrocket
People will want to attend the meeting and be excited about it!
Your team will feel valued, heard and empowered
The team will feel you respect their time and the importance of not wasting it
OK, I know that sounds a little pie in the sky, and maybe it is a little over the top. But you know what? Most of us HATE meetings. We do.
And if you can learn meeting ground rules for facilitators, guess what? Most of us won’t hate them anymore (or at least nearly as much).
When meeting ground rules for facilitators create more efficient meetings we are happier. We’re not stressed about all the work that’s NOT getting done while we listen to Marge from accounting talking about changes in accrual policy.
Your team will feel like their time is valued.
Final Thoughts
In this post, we took a critical look at why most meetings that most organizations hold simply don’t work.
The average meeting is a time suck that accomplishes little, drains morale and has everyone scrambling afterward to get their individual to-do lists back on schedule.
More importantly, though, we looked at some crucial meeting ground rules for facilitators that will skyrocket productivity and efficiency. You CAN have effective meetings that stay on task and accomplish what they were intended to.
The simple tips in this post will have your meetings truly do what they are supposed to do.
What is one thing you like best about meetings where you work?
Photo credits (that aren’t mine or which require attribution):
Rainwater is an abundant natural resource that can easily be harvested provided you have the right equipment and the proper technique on how to filter rainwater in a barrel.
Here’s what you need to know:
There are many ways to filter rainwater in a barrel. You can use natural filters, such as charcoal, stones & sand, placed inside the barrels where the rainwater flows. But, a better way uses multiple barrels, with the largest barrel collecting under the gutters, and then dripping into a series of smaller barrels.
But there’s a lot more to know about rainwater harvesting, water filtration, and the laws some states in the US have around rainwater harvesting, so let’s keep reading!
Challenges for rainwater harvesting
The main challenges in rainwater harvesting are how to filter and store rainwater properly to make it useful for everyday uses.
Rainwater that is filtered and stored can be used for watering the garden, cleaning the yard, plumbing, cooking, and in some cases, even for drinking.
So what equipment do you need to filter and store rainwater?
Basic Equipment for rainwater harvesting
Your basic equipment in rainwater harvesting will be a reliable water tank to store your rainwater and a barrel or several barrels that you will need to collect and filter the rainwater.
You need to know the proper technique on how to filter rainwater to make sure it is clean and free of waterborne contaminants or dirt that might be harmful to you.
This means you have to set up your equipment.
To break this down further, here is the basic equipment that you will need for rainwater harvesting:
barrels
PVC pipes
water tank
others (tap, a piece of cloth, a fine net, etc)
Laws You Need to Know on Rainwater Harvesting
Before you start rainwater harvesting, there are certain laws that might be applicable to you, depending on where you live in the United States.
Basically, these laws dictate how many barrels of rainwater you can collect. For instance, Oregon might have different laws from say, Utah or Nevada.
In Utah, you cannot just go place rainwater barrels because there are is a ban on rainwater collection in the state.
Interestingly, Texas and Ohio “allow rainwater harvesting for potable purposes.”
Did you know that in Nevada, the state government does not authorize the collection of rainwater using barrels?
Using a Barrel for Rainwater Harvesting
You often see people using barrels to “catch” or harvest rainwater. These barrels are often placed in the corners of houses, barns, and sheds.
Barrels are placed directly below large plastic PVC pipes (downspouts) running down corners and gutters of houses so that rainwater go directly to the barrel instead of through underground pipes or directly to the ground.
A piece of cloth or a fine net is often placed on top of the barrel. This often serves as the first filter, trapping leaves and preventing other debris from falling directly to the barrel.
Barrels for rainwater harvesting may vary in size depending on your need. But aside from collecting rainwater, you can also use the barrels to filter rainwater.
Do I need to filter rainwater?
Yes! So how do you filter rainwater in a barrel?
There are a lot of ways to filter rainwater in a barrel. The most common is using natural filters, such as charcoal, stones, and sand. These natural materials are placed inside the barrels where the rainwater flows.
Usually, there is a separate layer of sand, followed by a layer of stone or gravel, and finally a layer of charcoal inside the barrel. Rainwater passes through these several layers before flowing out of a tap that is often installed near the bottom of the barrel.
Essentially, the natural materials filter the rainwater before the rainwater flows out of the barrel.
The materials provide a natural barrier to trap dirt and other undesirable materials that are still in the rainwater.
The simplest way is to place sand, charcoal, and stone layers in a single barrel which is fitted with a tap.
Using Multiple Barrels to Filter Rainwater
However, a better way is to use multiple barrels placed strategically, so that the first and most probably biggest barrel is placed directly under the pipes to collect rainwater.
This first pipe has an overflow pipe which is directly connected to the second barrel.
The difference between the first and second barrels is that the second barrels have the layers of sand, stone, and charcoal to filter the rainwater.
For further filtration, numerous barrels are often lined up so that the rainwater can pass through multiple cycles of filtering.
What you need to keep in mind is the location of the barrels such that the first barrel is a little higher than the second barrel, the second barrel is higher than the third barrel, and so on and so forth.
How do I purify my drinking water tank?
After you have filtered rainwater using barrels, it is recommended that you either boil or treat the filtered water to make sure that it is potable.
The recommended ways include boiling the filtered water or using chemicals such as chlorine to treat the water. For chemical treatment, there are recommended steps in using chlorine to treat the rainwater that you have collected.
Using a Reliable Water Tank to Store Clean Water
After you have filtered rainwater, the next step is to store the clean water. This is where having a reliable water tank becomes important.
It is not just a matter of choosing any tank. There are several water tanks that you can choose from, it is just a matter of knowing which water tank will best suit your needs.
How do you choose which tank to use?
Atanistank Can Help You!
If you want to spend less time thinking about which water tank to use for what purpose, then it might be better if you go directly to a water tank and septic tank specialist, such as Atanistank.
We are a professional manufacturer of water tanks at Atanistank, and we have the right water tanks to suit your every need.
Atanistank rainwater tanks come in different shapes and sizes including the following:
rainwater collection tanks
rainwater harvesting tank
steel rainwater tanks
plastic rainwater tanks
small rainwater tanks
large rainwater tanks
rectangular rainwater tanks
domestic rainwater tanks
round rainwater tanks
These water tanks are all specially designed and manufactured to store your precious resource, such as clean water.
Conclusion
Rainwater harvesting is a worthwhile effort. Rainwater that you have collected can be used for many purposes, and in some cases, rainwater can be a lifesaver, particularly in areas where is there is drought.
It is just a matter of having the right tools such as water tanks and barrels and knowing the right techniques to do it. Seeking the help of experts, such as Atanistank, is also highly recommend.
Keeping our homes secure is a top priority for most of us. I had heard of security film but wasn’t sure exactly how it worked. I also wondered is security film worth it?
For a home with multiple windows & glass doors, you can expect to pay $1,000 or more for a complete professional installation of security window film. However, burglary deterrence, UV ray protection, energy savings & injury prevention from shattered glass, many homeowners do find the expense well worth it.
Our homes are our sanctuary, our personal space away from the outside world. Having our homes invaded can be quite disturbing.
Whether you managed to catch the intruder or not, you will continue feeling troubled and wondering if it might happen again. For homes with large windows, window tint comes in handy for the overall protection of your home.
Over the year’s window tinting has been perceived as an aesthetic feature, very few could have thought it would offer protection to their homes. Nowadays, window tints have become a must-have for every homeowner.
Security window film makes your glass doors and windows hard to break.
Often, burglars will break into your home by smashing a glass door. Advanced locks might be of no help when the glass is easily breakable.
For burglars, stealing is a no-brainer when you have your large glass door and windows facing your living room, especially when they can see through them.
However, you can prevent this by applying security film.
Window film is a perfect deterrent for any would-be burglar since they have no idea what’s inside your home.
Ultimately crooks want the quick win; easy in, easy out with little to no hassle.
Most smash and grab burglars rely on what they see through the window as many do not have any prior information about your home.
Having a film installed on your windows will make it difficult for anyone to see what’s inside and therefore preventing any temptation to steal from your home.
Window tint films are also quite sticky and help a lot in holding the broken glass pieces together.
This delays further attempts to break in as a burglar will require a drastic amount of force to get in the house.
2. Privacy concerns
Aside from burglary activities, no one likes being spied on. We have all at one time or another been victims of nosy neighbors.
An easy way to deal with these privacy concerns is by having a security window film.
Window security film can keep prying eyes out, whether from true criminals or just busy-body neighbors. Walk around your house wearing whatever you like without concern over what someone across the street might be seeing.
3. Fire protection
High temperatures from a fire can leave a glass panel in large shards which can cause potential injuries to people around.
When that happens, it becomes a hazard just trying to exit your home, but also for the fire and rescue crews coming to the rescue.
Window security film can prevent this by keeping the glass in place and ensuring a safe rescue operation without having to deal with shards of glass along the way.
4. Preventing explosion
Terrorism is a threat across many countries that can no longer be ignored.
Hopefully for most of us just wanting to secure our homes, this will be the least important reason to install it.
But for others it could be a larger factor.
The prime targets of terrorist-style actions are schools, sports centers, and even government buildings. In these places, most injuries are caused by flying window glass blown from the buildings.
People located within a striking distance are more vulnerable and in most cases, they end up with serious injuries. It can also be fatal.
The good news is that this can be prevented with a security window film which prevents glass in the nearby buildings from scattering.
5. Earthquakes
If you live in areas such as South Carolina, Eastern Massachusetts and the entire West Coast, earthquakes are not a new thing to you. You get more than your fair share of this natural event.
The most unfortunate thing is the damage that earthquakes are known to cause.
When an earthquake occurs, most houses end up with minor to serious damage. Since glass is not any good at flexing, it tends to crack under mild earthquakes.
If the stress is severe, the glass will often fly out in large shards which can cause injuries to people nearby. A well-done film job helps to keep the glass intact even with severe earthquakes.
6. Heat protection
Summer heat can be a great opportunity to go on vacations, go swimming, and other fun activities. But it’s not always that fun when our homes get hotter and our energy bills go through the roof.
Fortunately, window films can help to reduce thermal heat from sunlight by not only a degree or two but by as much as 50%, thus, making it more comfortable indoors with the added benefit of reduced energy bills.
7. Window film UV protection
UV rays reflection on your screens causes glare which makes watching your favorite TV shows quite uncomfortable. This can be hampered by a troublesome glare during sunny days.
UV rays can also fade drapes, curtains, and furniture if they get a lot of direct sunlight.
So, installing security film is a relatively inexpensive way of helping preserve your home and it’s belongings.
Need a less expensive DIY solution?
The best part about this surprisingly inexpensive solution is that Window Whirl Privacy Window Film (click to see on Amazon) is adhesive-free, installs in minutes, and is easy to clean! Just click the link to see size options and check current prices.
Buyers guide for home security film
Buying a window film can be quite challenging, especially for a new homeowner. Let’s take a look at a few things that you need to be aware of before you buy.
1. How thick should window security film be?
The thickness of the window security film goes hand in hand with the price.
Tip: the thicker the film the better it will serve you, but the more it will cost.
A 4 mil film can provide basic results, but for the best results go for the 8 mils thick film or higher. Most companies offer film up to 14 mil thick for the ultimate combination of durability, privacy, and UV ray protection.
2. Adhesive cling versus static cling
These are two terms you might come across when buying a window tint. Here’s the difference between the two:
Adhesive cling;
This refers to films that stick to the surface more strongly.
They are the best choice of films for security purposes. Adhesive clings are also more versatile and can stick to a wider variety of glasses surfaces, both smooth and frosted glasses.
Static cling;
Static window tints act as a suction cup to stick on surfaces.
They are therefore easier to position and are easily removed. The main disadvantage of static cling films is that they are not as protective as the adhesive films.
Use static cling film when you don’t have the budget to hire installers or if you don’t plan to remain in the property long term and may need to remove it when you leave.
3. The size of the films
It is important that you buy large sheets that will be enough for your windows.
Fitting a window tint perfectly can be quite difficult. Therefore always go for a larger film for your windows tint job.
While you can buy precut sheets, buying the film in a roll, like the pros do, is ultimately much more economical.
4. How much does it cost to install security window film?
It might be tempting to get DIY tint kit for your house windows but the benefits of hiring a professional outweigh any savings you can make.
Just like most of us would not attempt to tint our own car windows, leave the application of window film to the professionals for a perfect job at a reasonable price.
A professional will also give you advice on the best window security film brand to choose for your house.
In most cases, you’ll pay between $7 to $9 per square foot for window security film installed. Just multiply the height by the width and then multiply that number by 9 to err on the high side and that will give a good idea of the cost.
Most windows will end up being somewhere around $100 each.
Need a less expensive DIY solution?
The best part about this surprisingly inexpensive solution is that Window Whirl Privacy Window Film (click to see on Amazon) is adhesive-free, installs in minutes, and is easy to clean! Just click the link to see size options and check current prices.
5. Privacy
There are two types of films to choose for privacy purposes; the transparent and privacy mirror films.
The latter is more effective in obscuring your rooms from view. They also tend to be more decorative and block more sun rays from your home’s interior.
Can you put window film on the outside?
Just like with auto tint, it works far better to install window security film on the inside of the glass.
While there’s technically nothing preventing installation on the outside of the window, your tint will be subject to a lot more wear and tear due to weather.
Also, if you are installing for security purposes, it also makes sense to install on the inside so it’s not easily removed by would-be intruders.
But if there are circumstances that require the installation to be on the outside of the glass, just know that between wind, rain, and radical temperature fluctuations, you will see a significantly shorter lifespan on the film and it may void your warranty unless you are buying film specifically designed for exterior use.
If you have any double-paned windows that have fogged, while you could simply cover the issue with window film, you might be surprised at just how easy it can be to Fix Foggy Windows (click to read my how to article).
Can you see out tinted windows?
The short answer is yes.
The whole reason we apply window tint or film to any window is to help reduce visibility from the outside as well as reducing the harmful effects of UV rays, while still allowing us to see out.
After all, if we weren’t able to see out of tinted car windows when driving, we’d be in trouble.
Of course, there are factors that affect how well you can see out of tinted windows.
Those factors include:
How dark the tint/film is
The brightness of the sun outside the home (if during the day)
How light it is inside the home
Of course, on your home, there are no legalities to consider, but for cars, there are restrictions on how dark the tint can be and on which windows.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we took an in-depth look into the world of window security film.
We examined the pros and cons, looked at DIY vs pro installation and explored some of the surprising benefits that come with having window film on your windows at home.
Ultimately, we answered the question is security film worth it?
If you want to increase the safety of your home, keep out the nosy neighbors and watch your TV in peace, then a security film is highly recommended.
Have you tried window security film?
About the co-author of this post:
Eric is a Freelance writer who loves cars, playing basketball and business. He works closely with https://scorpionwindowfilm.com as a content specialist helping them build their online presence through friendly, engaging and shareable web content. When not hunched over his computer thinking loudly, you can find him playing pop music with his band, reading horror novels or traveling.
Middle Class Dad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases if you click to Amazon from my site and choose to make a purchase. This is no way increases the cost to you.
I am a father of 3 daughters, and as 2 of them enter their tween years, it’s getting harder to find vacation spots that all of us will love. So I wondered what some of the best vacation spots for families with tweens were.
The best vacation spots for families with tweens include a mix of fun, excitement, education, and relaxation. Some of the best destinations for that include:
Yellowstone National Park
Philadelphia, PA
New York City
San Diego
and Disney World
Kids aged between ten and fifteen, now known as tweens, are obsessed with learning new things which later forms a major portion of their personalities.
As a parent, you’re trying to do the best for your kid, but if you’d like to make their vacations just as educational as the rest of their academic year, here are 11 best vacation spots for tweens you should plan for.
Whether it’s summer vacation, winter vacation, or just a lucky long weekend; don’t let your kids miss out on their awesome life-transforming opportunities. What’s more; these places are as exciting for the kids as for adults.
It is considered a haven for outdoor enthusiasts as it’s loaded with geothermal mysteries; the widest collection of hot springs, mud baths, and geysers.
The surrounding mountains feature rock formations that offer an unmatched exploration opportunity and beauty.
You’re also very likely to be greeted by buffalo and elk (elk more in the northern part of the park). Bear sightings are rarer, but I have seen 4 or 5 of them in my 7 trips over the years.
Moose and coyote sightings are fairly common too, but seeing a wolf, while possible, is unlikely.
Despite welcoming millions of visitors every year, the 2.2 million acres of land still remains unexplored in several regions.
There are tons of trails and you can also rent horses and travel by horseback.
Especially if you’re accompanied by tweens, get your hands on a few gadgets like binoculars and compasses to keep them excited. Here’s a good place to start.
Yellowstone National Park is the perfect marriage of education and fun and one of the best vacation spots for tweens.
2. The Grand Canyon
This place is called Grand for a reason.
The Grand Canyon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inviting nature-lovers in hordes. The Colorado River is nothing short of amazing and people from all over the world visit this spot to absorb the reflections of nature’s finest.
While the South Rim is crowded and has all the usual amenities, the North Rim is where you can find peace, camping opportunities, and hardcore hiking tracks.
In fact, of all the visitors the Grand Canyon gets each year, fewer than 10% actually go to the North Rim. The North Rim is only open from mid-May through mid-October.
That being said, it is a trek to get to the North Rim. You get here from the north end of the park and if you’re starting at the south end, that’s 220 miles. You could, however, skip the south rim altogether and just head north.
At the Grand Canyon, you can also:
Take a helicopter tour
Sign up for a Junior Ranger Program
Check out the Grand Canyon Field Institute
Ride a mule down into the belly of the canyon
If you find yourself strapped to pay for one of these tween-friendly vacations, I highly recommend you take a moment and review the ways you can have a great Vacation on a Budget (click to read my best tips).
With Advantage Grand Canyon you can shop for your next adventure rafting trip with all 15 top outfitters in one place.
3. Redwood National Park
Like most other national parks in the country, Redwood National Park has a unique experience to offer.
And summer is the best time to visit due to the low rainfall and warmer temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s (yes, that warm for this area!)
Fog isn’t unusual either which just adds to the mystery of these amazing trees, the tallest of which is 379.1 feet tall!
Redwood National Park is actually side by side with Redwood State Park and together they encompass 38,982 acres of forest, beaches, and grassland.
Equipped with hiking trails, campgrounds and some of the tallest trees in the world, this place takes a top spot in must-visit places, especially for tweens.
You’ll also likely see elk in the nearby Praire Creek Redwoods State Park.
Several ecosystems exist, with coastal, river, and forested areas all within the park. Talk about fun and education in one place. Redwood is easily one of the best vacation spots for tweens.
Ironically the biggest redwoods are found in Yosemite National Park, so if you’re inclined take the 8-hour drive south to Yosemite when you’re done exploring Redwood National Park.
4. Philadelphia, PA
If you or your children need to experience a chunk of history in a comprehensive 90-minute tour, Philadelphia’s Independence Hall is the place to be.
The Philadelphia’s Ghost Tour takes you through the back streets and secret gardens of the area and talks about popular landmarks like:
Independence Hall
The Powell House
Society Hill
Old City
Not only this, it educates you about the haunted houses, ghostly spirits, eerie graveyards, and unworldly ghost sightings that are documented as true.
It gives the perfect reason to huddle together when your family retires for sleep. And if your child feels too brave, a night ghost tour can probably put them right!
Beyond that though, Philly has great food AND some great museums like my personal childhood favorite (I lived in Philly from age 2-10) The Franklin Institute.
The Franklin Institute is fully interactive; climb on moving trains, planes, rocket ships and walk through a giant replica of a beating heart.
But I also love the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle in nearby Doylestown. It’s like exploring Hogwarts as envisioned through the eyes of CS Lewis.
Lastly, you’re also only about 2 hours away from some great beaches in New Jersey.
5. American Museum of Natural History, New York
As one of the largest museums in the world, the American Museum of Natural History has colossal knowledge for the seeker.
Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, it’s incredibly easy to get to by subway; just plan to get their early as this place gets crowded, especially on days when the weather isn’t great.
Spread over 2 million square feet of land, you can find over 33 million specimens of minerals, fossils, animals, plants, meteorites, rocks, humans, and cultural artifacts.
Catch one of the 120 special field expeditions to gain an in-depth insight into the topic of your interest.
It also features:
Bird, reptile, and amphibian halls
Hall of meteorites
2 enormous dinosaur halls
a stunning planetarium
It’s the perfect place where your child’s fascination can be brought to life, just not quite like it did in Night at the Museum, which was filmed here!
BUT they do offer a Night at the Museum tour AND you can also arrange a sleepover at the museum too!
6. Niagara Falls
Sitting on the border between the USA and Canada, the Niagara Falls doesn’t need an introduction.
As one of the most iconic collections of waterfalls, this place has been a favorite for generations. The Observation Tower, located at Prospect Point, sticks out over Niagara Gorge giving you a spectacular view of all 3 waterfalls at Niagra.
But if you’re looking for an adventure while at it, the Cave of Winds is where you need to be.
An elevator shaft takes you 175 feet into the Niagara Gorge and onto the Hurricane Deck where the Bridal Veil Fall falls at over 68 mph, spraying you in a tropical storm like fashion.
The kids will love it and it’s one of the best tween-friendly vacations on the list.
Oahu features Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii. But it also has the world famous Waikiki Beach. It brings the best of the seas, luxuries, and breathtaking natural beauty.
What makes this place attractive for families is the variety of things to do, from snorkeling, thriving food scene, abundant wildlife, and the Dole pineapple plantation!
In addition to those things though, your tweens can:
Take surfing lessons
Sailboarding and kayaking
Tubing or banana boating behind a motorboat
You can also visit Kualoa Ranch where both Jurassic Park and 50 First Dates were filmed.
It features long valleys, dense rainforests, tall cliffs, and pristine white-sand beaches. All with the Ko‘olau Mountains in the background.
It’s like introducing your tweens to the high-life dream; an experience they can look up to when they’re not feeling their best and still bring back the lost smiles.
8. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho
This place is the weirdest of the tween-friendly vacations on the list.
Created by volcanic eruptions 15,000 years ago, this place resembles the surface of the moon and has several connecting underground passages and lava tunnels.
In fact, in 1969, NASA sent 14 astronauts to train here.
But fear not, while there are more than 25 cinder cones here, the last volcanic eruption was 2,100 years ago.
Like most parks, they have a Junior Ranger program and the kids can earn a Lunar Ranger badge too! If badge re your thinks head over to One Stop Badges.
Hike lunar trails and since they are an International Dark Sky Park, if you’re here at night, the complete lack of light pollution provides a great view of the stars.
But perhaps the best adventure is to explore some of the 5 lava tube caves. These are caves created by lava where collapse created air pockets that are now essentially caves you can walkthrough.
While some easily accommodate multiple people, others are a tighter fit and not a great idea for the claustrophobic. Indian Tunnel is the best lava tube cave for taller people or those looking to avoid the tight fit of some of the other caves.
Hand your kids a searchlight and help them experience the happiness of exploration. It’s like finding your way through a maze! And by far the best part about this place is – it is free for tweens!
9. San Diego Zoo
It is one of the largest zoos in the world housing almost 4000 rare and/or endangered animal species.
This is the most diverse experience with fellow world inhabitants that you can find in one place. And we all know just how much kids love interacting with animals of all sorts.
The San Diego Zoo is also the leader in animal care and conservation.
Visit the 24 koalas in their “Australian Outback”, travel inside Panda Trek and see giant pandas in a bamboo forest habitat.
Journey through Elephant Odyssey and explore the elephant’s natural environment. Tour by double-decker bus or get a bird’s eye view from the Skyfari aerial tram.
A visit to the zoo is always as fun as it is educational and the San Diego Zoo is easily one of the best vacation spots for tweens.
10. Sanibel Island, Florida
The primary reason Sanibel Island makes this list is the abundance of seashells on this beach. Their slogan is 250 Kinds of Shells. 230 Kinds of Birds. 15 Miles of Beaches.
You and your kids can have a rather eventful afternoon at the beach, searching for seashells and bagging some of the rarest ones. The best part is there is always a souvenir you can carry back home. Outdoor activities include biking, shelling, fishing, bird watching, boating, skim boarding, golfing, snorkeling and more.
Sanibel is also home to the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, but when you’re ready to get off the beach, they also have world-class restaurants, theater, arts, and live music.
Make sure you pack a sunscreen – it’ll be a challenge getting your kids back in the car! After flying into Ft Meyers, Florida, you can get to Sanibel by car or boat.
11. Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, FL
This one sits at the end of this list because everyone knows and loves Disney World.
Kids love theme parks! And Walt Disney World Resort is easily one of the best vacation spots for tweens.
Of course, Toy Story Land opened in 2018 and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is coming in fall 2019. So there are more and more reasons to go!
While in Orlando, LEGOLAND and Harry Potter at Universal are worth a visit too!
Do be aware that Orlando is HOT in the summer and while I’ve done a Disney World trip in July, you’ll want to plan accordingly. June-September sees highs in the low 90’s and being on the coast, it’s also very humid.
The best strategy then is to be at the park right at opening (learn about how Rope Drop (click to read my tips) can get you on the rides even before the park opens), take a swimming break back at the hotel during the heat of the day, and then return at sundown to close out the parks.
Disney World, unlike Disneyland, also has 2 waterparks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, but admission is not included in regular park admission. BUT that could be a great way to beat the heat mid-day too.
Also unlike Disneyland, Disney World is made up of 4 separate parks which cannot be accessed by foot. So make sure to plan to drive or take Disney transportation (monorail, bus, or boat depending on where you’re going), and getting their Park Hopper ticket option allows you to bounce between the parks whenever you wish.
My most shared post goes into GREAT detail and I update it frequently as things change.
What age is a tween?
Since we’re looking at vacation spots for families with tweens I thought it was important to also define what a “tween” is.
A tween is a child between ages 9 and 12.
They aren’t quite a teenager yet, but they’re not a little kid anymore either. Thus, as they head towards the teen years, are starting to have raging hormones and may be entering puberty, their needs, personality, and what they do for fun is all changing.
As parents, this can be the start of a challenging road to navigate, so it’s best to embrace it, not fight it, and try and include them in the family discussions so they feel heard and supported.
Road trip activities for tweens
Some vacations require driving instead of flying, and let’s face it. Left on their own, most tweens would be on their phones or tablets the ENTIRE trip.
There’s nothing wrong with technology (without it you wouldn’t be reading this). But a vacation is a time for family bonding, shared experiences, and seeing new sites.
That just won’t happen if they are looking at a screen the whole time.
So while you’re on a road trip, here are some of the best activities to get your tweens off their devices and engaged with you and the experience:
The alphabet game – My oldest daughters still love this one at ages 11 and 12. You probably know this one, but essentially you look for words outside the car that start with a letter of the alphabet, going from A to Z, moving to the next one when someone calls out the word
Have them map out possible stops – I know you’re probably using your phone’s GPS to get you to your destination, but buy a large map for each tween you have and get them involved in the trip planning by encouraging them to find cool stops along the way to your destination. It will not only get them map reading skills, but it will keep them occupied as their search for ghost towns, hot springs, state parks and more.
Get them books about your destination – It goes without saying that tweens need books to read in the car. But when you get them books (it probably helps to allow them to choose from a selection you pick out) it gets them invested in your destination, builds their knowledge as they learn cool facts and gets them excited about the trip
And yes, I would allow some designated screen time so there’s not a complete rebellion. But have it be at set times for a set length of time and be fair but uncompromising on that.
If any of your tweens are budding photographers, I would allow extra time on a device specifically for photo taking.
But you’ll have to monitor that to make sure they haven’t switched over to Tik Tok or whatever the latest craze is. Getting them their own inexpensive camera is an even better solution.
Final Thoughts
Tweens love exploring! Give them a diverse range of experiences to help them uncover their favorites.
Help them get in touch with their personality and passions. You can even help them choose items that are a must-have for camping, perfect for some of the destinations listed above. These best vacation spots for tweens bring a bit of everything within their reach; adventure, outdoors & education.
Stimulate their mind while learning about new things in exciting ways. This post walked you through some of the very best vacation spots for tweens. Places they will want to return to again and again.
Jenny Harrison is a passionate technology and lifestyle blogger.
She loves to get engaged with the readers who are seeking for home, lifestyle and tech-related information on the internet. She is a featured blogger at various high authority blogs and magazines in which she shared her research and experience with the vast online community.
My family of 5 loves to go on vacation, but vacations can get expensive! So I decided to look into some affordable family vacation destinations.
Our list of affordable family vacation destinations includes Washington DC, San Antonio, Costa Rica, Charleston, and Nashville, TN. Those cities have extensive activities for families at much lower prices than other comparable destinations.
These are long on fun, beauty, and relaxation, but short on being costly.
So today, we’re looking at all the best tips on vacation planning for the budget-conscious. We’ll not only explore the best times to plan, the best sites to book travel through and the average travel expenses people are paying.
But specifically, we’re looking at the best and most affordable family vacation destinations for you to consider.
That way you can put aside budget concerns and just get about the business of having fun!
Wanting a great inexpensive family vacation is something MANY families want. Before we dive in fully, let’s look at some recent family vacation statistics:
40% of families are planning to go on vacation this year (according to a recent AAA travel survey)
68% of those families will do a summer vacation
53% of those families will be road-tripping versus flying (to keep costs down)
Gas prices affect 33% of family vacationer’s decision to fly or drive
On average, a family of 4 in the US spends $4,580 total per vacation according to a recent travel survey by American Express. That amounts to $1,145 per person.
Now let’s look at the cost breakdown by category for your family vacation:
FOOD – $132/day (for a family of 4 eating all meals at restaurants)
TAXES & FEES – These vary, but often in the hundreds of dollars
Where you go makes a big difference, so in this article, we’ll be looking specifically at affordable family vacation destinations that come in below the averages, in some cases, significantly lower.
I know. As much as we want to plan 6 months or more ahead of time, all too often we wait till the last minute.
Earlier, I posted specifically about the importance of planning ahead for summer vacations, so I highly recommend you check that post about the crucial Steps to Plan a Vacation (click to read my article).
Whether you’re looking for cheap vacation destinations or not, it can still help with your planning this year. AND if you bookmark it, it can help with next year too!
Here are the best steps to plan a cheap family vacation:
Get online fare alerts (most airlines offer this free service)
Book airfare on Tuesdays at 3 pm (the insider tip for when most airlines discount flights)
Go to off-season locations (Vail, Colorado is beautiful during summer)
Stay at hotels with free parking, breakfast & wifi
Carry on luggage only (to avoid checked baggage fees)
Stock up on snacks (at your destination, hit a grocery store and stock up on snacks and drinks to cut down on eating out)
But even if you are planning at the last minute doesn’t mean that affordable family vacation destinations don’t exist or are all booked up.
It just changes how we go about looking and booking them. Many places don’t fill up and the closer it gets to go time, the more likely they will be to offer some great deals!
Does it cost more to vacation during the holidays?
The short answer is yes.
My wife is a teacher so she pretty well gets the whole summer off as do our kids. However, where I work, we only close the week of 4th of July. Thus, if I want to take any large amount of time off, it has to happen during that week.
Guess who else goes on vacation around the 4th of July?
That’s right; most of the rest of the world! Now I’ve done Disneyland during that week and we had a blast. But it’s not cheap and it is crowded. So if we are looking for affordable family vacation destinations and that is the week we can go, we have to get creative!
I actually checked the costs for hotel, flight, and rental car for the same specifics (family of 4 for a 1-week vacation) during fall, during the 4th of July, and during the Christmas holiday season. I used the same to and from cities for flights and the exact same hotels.
Here are the changes I saw:
Doing a vacation during the 4th of July week was 92% MORE expensive
Vacationing during the Christmas season in mid-December was 41% more expensive
So the short answer is, if you want some affordable family vacation destinations, try to avoid going there during major holidays.
We have to take the road less traveled, to paraphrase Robert Frost.
In other words, we have to think outside the box and look for places that might not be on everyone else’s radar. Little known gems that aren’t highly sought after and thus not going to break the bank.
How do supply and demand affect travel costs?
Pricing on all aspects of a vacation; airfare, hotel, family auto rental, and gas are all based on 2 things. Supply and demand.
When supply is low (like a hotel that is 95% booked up) and demand is high (like everyone wants to go to Disneyland), you can bet that destination is going to be expensive.
So while Disney tickets are in high demand and low supply, there are lots of other options that will be more in your favor.
Think about off-season places. Perhaps choose a mountain destination instead of a beach? Maybe camping at a state park instead of the highly sought after Yellowstone and Yosemite destinations?
In that report, they take a look at air, hotel, and rental car and make projections world-wide about supply, demand, and pricing for the coming year. In the most recent report (linked above) you can see some current takeaways like:
Car rental rates are expected to stay flat in the US (so renting a car might make more sense than flying when money is tight)
Airfares across Europe & Asia are also expected to stay flat
Hotel prices are expected to remain flat except in Latin America where they will drop
Which is the cheapest country in Europe for family vacations?
For many families, a European vacation seems out of reach. After all, prices in places like London or Paris can get a little crazy for us average Middle Class Dads and Moms.
But you’d be surprised to learn that there are some European countries that can be very affordable to visit.
It is true that for people traveling from the US, a European vacation is going to cost a little more than staying in the US. So check out these affordable European family vacation destinations and see if some might make sense for your family and budget.
Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park, Spain – A national park, so it does have campsites, but it also boasts hotels, swimming pools, and restaurants. Or book yourself a cabin at the foot of a mountain and just explore
Porec, Croatia – Croatia is becoming popular, but it’s still amazingly affordable too! Once part of the Roman empire, this area is also rich with ancient historical sites to see. Horseback riding and other outdoor activities are everywhere but you can also take a boat to Venice! But before you start your boating journey, make sure to check the marine battery of the boat.
Alvor, Portugal – Beautiful beaches line this amazing fishing village. Walk the cobblestone streets, canoe the rivers, or for a faster pace, head to the theme parks and resorts in nearby Algarve.
Qawra, Malta – An island off the coast of Sicily in Italy, Malta has a lot of ancient history to see. But it’s also home to a few filming locations for Game of Thrones fans too! Boating, fishing, snorkeling, and other island-based activities are everywhere
9 Affordable Family Vacation Destinations You Must Visit?
1. Charlottesville, Virginia
Known primarily for Thomas Jefferson’s home Monticello as well as what he called the “Academical Village” (the University of Virginia).
However, in recent years, Charlottesville has also become a popular destination for its craft breweries and its historic downtown mall (an outdoor pedestrian mall that rivals any in the nation); feature amazing shopping and restaurants in a historic setting.
2. San Francisco, California
San Francisco may seem expensive, but it can actually be budget friendly if you know where to go. Many of the city’s attractions are free, such as Golden Gate Park and the Painted Ladies. Public transportation is affordable and efficient, and there are plenty of budget-friendly food options to try.
Additionally, for pet owners, San Francisco offers a number of pet-friendly hotels. This means you won’t have to sacrifice quality accommodations just to bring your furry friend along. From boutique hotels to major chains, you’re sure to find a place to stay that welcomes both you and your pet.
3. Salt Lake City, Utah
Float with ease on the salt lake (the salt content makes floating easier) while surrounded by mountains, listen to “America’s Choir”, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, check out their world-class zoo and visit Temple Square; the city’s most popular tourist destination.
The temple is not open to the public but some of the surrounding buildings such as the Family History Library are open to the public.
The Library is free to the public and hosts one of the most extensive genealogical databases anywhere; discover your entire family tree going back hundreds of years!
4. San Antonio, Texas
You’ve got The Alamo (don’t go down to the basement), the River Walk, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Sea World, world-class museums and zoo and so much more!
Outstanding food, shopping & culture and only an hour from Austin if you want to pop over to the Capital City.
What else do you need? The United States’ most culturally rich city and our most treasured monuments.
But you’ve also go the world-class Smithsonian Institute (do the exhibits come alive at night?) including my childhood favorite; the Air & Space Museum.
Culture, great food, excellent shopping and outstanding beaches. You’re also a short drive from the state Capital in Columbia.
7. Nashville, Tennessee
Austin and Nashville may have to duke it out for the title of music capital of the world, but there’s no denying Nashville’s music scene!
Live music abounds as does a rich music culture and history. Beyond that, you have delicious food, Opryland and a full-scale replica of Greece’s Parthenon!
For those of you personal finance fans (like me) pop in to watch Dave Ramsey do his radio show live, get a chance to meet him and enjoy all the free hospitality in his waiting area.
8. San Juan, Puerto Rico
Stay in a 2 bedroom house on the beach for a little over $100/night! If you’re a US citizen you don’t even need a passport to travel here since it is a commonwealth territory.
Flamenco beach is considered one of the best beaches in the world! Plus you’ve got outstanding food, people, culture, and music!
Once nicknamed “sin city” Vegas these days is both family friendly (in most places) and a culinary mecca for outstanding food!
Entertainment galore and because they hope you’ll spend most of your money gambling, the amenities are surprisingly affordable!
Enjoy almost full-scale replicas of the Eiffel Tower and New York, New York’s NYC skyline replicas. Amazing water shows, and performances from some of the most popular entertainers in the world!
10. Costa Rica
Costa Rica is my family’s favorite place on Earth!
I’ve been 5 times and my family a total of 4 times. We’ve mostly been in the state of Guanacaste (the northernmost state on the Pacific side), but we’ve also traveled south some as well.
Outstanding food, amazing beaches, zip-lining through the jungle, friendly people, rain-forests, mountains, and abundant wildlife are just a few of the reasons to visit.
It’s also one of the most ecological countries on the planet and these peace-loving “ticos” abolished their military in the 1940s to just live in harmony with nature and each other.
Want more on amazing Costa Rica?
I love it so much I created the ultimate guide about why you should Visit Guanacaste Costa Rica That post is well worth checking out for more details.
Final thoughts
In this post, we took a detailed look at the world of family vacations and the best ways to save money and still have an amazing time.
Specifically, we looked at the very best affordable family vacation destinations; places you and your family can go that won’t break the bank and will still leave you with precious memories for years to come.
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