Our family travels often throughout the year. We seem to travel a couple times per month even if it?s just a quick camping trip, one night road trip or a longer vacation. Before we had our son, we would travel during the Christmas holidays and take turns going to each of our family?s homes. But, we decided the last few years to stay closer to home to avoid airline delays, long lines at the airports and travelling with gifts. Last year, we drove 2 hours to Big Bear Lake, California and enjoyed a ski vacation. It seemed easier to pack up the gifts into a car rather than flying across country. However, this year, we have booked a trip to Florida to visit family and are flying Christmas Day.
The question is ?Does Santa visit our house before we travel or does Santa surprise our son in Florida??
Our son is 6 years old this year. So, he can easily figure out the calendar and he is already preparing for his Santa wish list thanks to media and toy commercials. It was easier to ?manipulate? our child when he was younger, but now that he is older and wiser, we wonder the best way to handle travelling during the Christmas holidays.
So far, we have thought about a couple options and are looking for advice from parents who have experienced similar travel dilemmas.
Option 1:
Although I am normally against switching around dates or changing traditions in order to accommodate travel needs, I may have to consider some fun ideas so that we can enjoy Christmas at home and with family in Florida.
Since we are flying on Christmas Day, could Santa visit our home the night of December 23?
Our son could wake up Christmas Eve morning with a surprise visit from Santa leaving his gifts a day early. This would solve the ?shipping of gifts? and travelling with extra baggage question. But, how will our child feel Christmas morning, when we load up the suitcases and leave all his new presents at home to fly to Florida? That may cause more stress and tears than it?s worth.
Option 2:
Santa leaves a letter under the tree at our house on Christmas morning saying that he visited Florida and his gifts are at the grandparents? house?
This situation could go either way. Either he is completely excited and can?t wait to get on that plane or he breaks down into a sad and upset child that Santa did not visit his house and leave any gifts. Our stockings will be hung, so perhaps Santa can fill it with some fun goodies for the airplane ride?
The hardest part about this option is shipping all our gifts to Florida and then shipping everything back home. I also want our son to be happy visiting with family and enjoying time together instead of concentrating on toys and gifts.
Option 3:
Santa has gifts at both houses.
Perhaps Santa can leave a few gifts at home Christmas morning that are easy to pack in a suitcase and take along while travelling and also visit Florida leaving a couple gifts there? We will still have to travel with all the gifts and ship them back, but it may avoid sad feelings Christmas morning or questions about Santa and why he did this or did that? Santa could always have a few gifts under the tree for when we arrive back home after our Christmas vacation?
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Although we believe that Christmas is about family, spending time together, eating too much and laughing together, there is still a question of where Santa fits into the picture. Enjoying Christmas Eve at home still allows us time to attend church services, light luminaries outside of our home, hang the Christmas lights, put up our tree and continue with our normal holiday traditions, but, we do have to think about what night we lay cookies out for Santa. We have offered our son the same holiday traditions for the past 5 Christmases and want to keep that spirit alive, but are excited to be with our extended family Christmas Day as well.
In the future, as our son gets older, it will be easier to explain to our child that the Christmas vacation is actually a family present so there will be fewer gifts because we chose to enjoy time experiencing family and vacation rather than purchasing materialistic items. At six, not getting gifts from Santa might be more difficult to explain.
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What would you do or how has your family handled holiday family travel in the past?
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Source: http://www.travelrink.com/travel-tips/santa-holiday-travel
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