Family Members on Vacation

Vacation is something we dream about all year. The beach, slow mornings, new memories and experiences, sunshine…and family. Have you ever realized how each family member has their own agenda for vacation? Those different agendas often clash and when we’re not in the heat of the moment, it’s pretty funny to look back and reflect on. That’s why I wrote this sketch. I was laughing while writing this, because it reminded me my family and myself so much! I’m sure you can relate to one of these personalities (if not all of them), and can name which family member belongs in which category.

The Planner

“We are going to BOND on this trip!”

This is the person that cannot rest until they have planned out every single minute of their day, including when they will rest. You know the type. It’s not a vacation unless every hour is planned and there is no downtime…unless it’s planned downtime. They are going to drink in every last drop of this vacation, and that usually means waking up early. They want the family to bond together, so they plan a lot of family events, like family games, family workouts, and family beach time. They’re also the ones who research the “history” of the town (like a town having the second largest beef jerky factory in the world) and they turn that into an excuse for a “family bonding” event. They can be intense, but we are thankful for the memories they help cultivate.

The Beach Bum

“…probably just going to lie around on the beach all day.”

Say hello to The Planner’s worst nightmare. They are the complete opposite. They don’t want to plan anything; they want to see where the waves and the wind take them on this vacation. Maybe they’ll sleep until 2pm, maybe they’ll lie around on the beach all day, maybe they’ll eat cake for breakfast…it’s vacation so in their mind, anything goes and calories don’t count. This week is for them to relax, chill, and eat some good food.

The Sunscreen Police

“Am I red? Am I burning?!”

The title pretty much explains this family member. They are constantly yelling at everyone to put on more sunscreen. Oftentimes this is the mom of the family but not always. They’re the ones who become distraught if their skin becomes red at all. Their skin is their baby, and they plan on keeping it a baby until they are well advanced in years.

The Productive One

“I brought my laptop. I’m working on my book as I lie on the beach.”

Now here is the Beach Bum’s worst nightmare. They are not here to rest. They’re here to PROGRESS. The Productive One may seem at first like they might get along with The Planner, but really, their agenda is personal. They want to progress in their goals, and they are not letting a week of vacation stop that. They bring 5 different self-help books to the beach and are constantly “improving themselves.” They feel guilty taking a vacation and bring their work with them. They don’t want to eat anything unhealthy so they bring their own food and excuse themselves from any unhealthy family meals. They might have an entire suitcase for their Vitamix, supplements, protein powders etc. I’ll admit it, if you’re not in the mindset to be productive, this person can be very irritating on vacation.

The Artist

“I’m going to go for a walk on the beach ALONE and maybe write a poem.”

For this creative soul, vacation is finally their time to recharge as an Artist. They like long, poetic walks isolated from their family and secretly want to meet their soulmate while they’re watching the sun glisten on the waves. How romantic. How poetic.

The One Who Brings it Back to Politics

“Vacation is just a ploy made by the government to distract us during election season.”

They might be resting from work, but they will not take a rest from discussing politics. They’ve sent you articles all year and you haven’t responded. So FINALLY, this is their time to unload all of their opinions and conspiracy theories on you. Trust me, they can find any reason to turn any subject of conversation into politics. If you are this person, you know what I mean. And that takes a lot of skill to bring any topic back to politics, so bravo.

I’m sure there are other plenty of other types of family members not mentioned in this article or video, so if you think of any, please share!