Corralling and satisfying a family of nine is challenge enough on any given day. Sprinkle in a couple of parents and seven kids ages from 4 to 23 and then make one of the 7 year-olds a special needs child, just for good measure. Now take this family on an eight hour car ride and drop them into an amusement park and watch the experiment develop.
This was our family trip last weekend. And I’ll admit to being apprehensive about handling this and keeping my sanity at first. We had traveled to Disneyland in 2016. We had a lot of fun, but the crowds, the lines, the waits and the walking involved in moving from one land to another was tiresome. It was a tough time on a group of adults/teens/toddlers keeping them all entertained and contained and patient as it was sort of an either/or proposition for which age group was able to to do and enjoy the rides at any moment. You couldn’t tackle two at once in a close are. And even if you could, you couldn’t be sure you would start and stop at the same time due to lines and passes etc. Plenty of tears and frustration and cries of ,”Its not fair!”. Not just from me, but from the kids too.
Not having visited Silverwood before, I wasn’t sure what to expect and how to manage it. I put on my big girl pants, wanting to be supermom and make awesome memories for my kids, and convinced myself I was ready for another theme park. I studied the map, read the reviews, and convinced my hubby we could conquer anything- one more time.
Hands down one of the best family experiences we have had. And I enjoyed all of it. I wasn’t worn down by upset kids, my hubby and I weren’t targeting our frustrations at each other, and I didn’t have moody teens giving me the cold shoulder and ice (how come it’s always Mom, not Dad, getting this treatment?) throughout the day. Instead it was a weekend full of laughter. Memories. Lots of happy people in family photos. Manageable lines. Close attractions. Entertainment for everyone. Minimal impatience and fits (I mean, there have to be some. They are kids). So many good things.
We have been back only a few days and the kids are ready to go back. My husband and I are tired from all the walking and driving and supervising- but neither feels we need a vacation to recover from our vacation. We actually feel rested and ready to tackle a new work week. We dont say that very often after a large family trip.
So many other thoughts and ideas to share, but for now its time to finish up all the laundry and finalize the unpack. I’ll go into more detail soon with my tips and observations and experiences to help you plan a great trip for your family to Silverwood Theme Park too (and help me remember for next time).