5 Steps To Planning A Momcation
When: Decide when you’ll go
One very important decision to make after deciding that you will take a momcation is to decide when. At present, my children are aged 10 and 6, so school plays a role in deciding our vacations whether the children are vacationing with me or not. For me, the two overarching options to consider for when to take a momcation are as follows:
When school is on vacation, so the person caring for my children while I’m away won’t need to take them to and from school. This works well if the person is older, is retired, works from home, or has taken time off from work to stay with the children, and so this person would usually not be leaving the house for work, etc.
NOTE: This is the option I opt for because my “go to” person to care for my children while I am away is my mom, and she is a retired nurse. While she can drive the boys around, if necessary, it is much more convenient if school is on vacation, so that she doesn’t have the juggle their two different school schedules while also managing cooking and cleaning for them as well. I know my boys, and they are a handful. While my husband would also be at home, he works, so having my mom care for our boys works best.
However, there is another option…
When school is in session, so the person caring for my children while I’m away won’t need to take time off from work if that’s a concern. This works well if the person works a part-time of full-time job and won’t be off during the time I’m away, and so would usually need to have the children in school during the workday, but is available to drop off and pick up the children because he or she is usually commuting to and from work as well.
Where: Decide where you’ll go
As discussed in my October 2021 blog article, there are a variety of options, and the choice is truly a personal one. Take into consideration what you need in terms of atmosphere and the amount of time away, while also considering the age and needs of your children and the capabilities of the person you’ll entrust to care for them.
Quick recap: The three momcation ideas I shared in Moms Want To Run Away Too are:
Fly Solo To Anywhere In The World
Book A Local Hotel Stay For Yourself
Book A Solo Cruise
The option you select for your momcation depends on what YOU want to experience during your time away.
Who: Decide who will care for your children while you’re away
Deciding on who will care for your children while you’re away may be the most difficult part of planning a momcation. Honestly, for some, it may actually be an easy decision. Either way, it’s a decision to be made and a conversation or series of conversations to be had in making the decision. Will it be your spouse or co-parent? Will it be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, Godparent, or adult sibling? Whoever it is, your momcation should NOT be the first time that the person is caring for your children. So, that, right there, should narrow your list of considerations, easily.
The person selected must be trusted, willing, and able to care for your children. As loved as we all may be by family and close friends, not everyone is suitable to take care of our children if/when we are away. From the moment we are expecting to become parents, we are charged with thinking of who we would trust to do these things, and often times, that results in selecting those trusted individuals to be Godparents. That said, Godparents may or may not be the first “go to” caregiver in mind when going on a mom-cation. All options should be considered. The saying it takes a village to raise a child is truth! Who is in your village?
Consents: Provide written consents for situations that may arise while you’re away
Prepare signed and notarized consents for medical care, school/education, and general decision-making while you’re away. Here are examples of consents I’ve prepared in the past. Make sure to provide these signed and notarized consents to the person who’ll be caring for your child while you’re away - yes, even if they’re family members too - and keep a copy of each consent for yourself.
Book Your Trip & Enjoy!
Make sure you book the trip, sis! Let’s not sit here daydreaming about a momcation without putting it into action. If you can secure your trip with a deposit while you work out the details we’ve discussed above, then do so. Knowing you have something booked helps to motivate you towards making it actually happen.
Also, book trip protection/insurance. It gives added peace of mind after all the other items above have been solidified. I recommend using insuremytrip.com which allows you to insure your entire trip, not just the airfare, not just the hotel/accommodations, not just the cruise, and not just your excursions, but the whole trip! You can get quotes on the website of call insuremytrip.com at (800) 487-4722. The company usually provides at least three different insurance options for your specific trip, and you can then select the one that offers the coverage you’re looking for. The pricing is always reasonable, and the coverage options are great!
With all the above figured out, you can truly enjoy your momcation!
