A perfect family weekend - or not?

Saturday morning is the perfect time to start the weekend relaxed. If you don't always have to consider what to do. Hanging around at home is not an option, because after two hours at the latest, the kids turn completely wild and stop playing with Playmobil, Tiptoi or Duplo and instead start to take the whole house apart and either cry or scream - or both. Altogether, therefore, no option.

It always comes to mind to make a nice family trip. But what do you do with four children from two to twelve? 

• Flea market? Nothing for the little ones. 
• Playground? Not for the big ones. 
• Indoor Playground? Hell for parents. 
• Bicycle tour? Too exhausting. 
• Walk in the forest? too boring. 
• Eating out? Expensive and stressful. 
• Museum? Oh, my God, if they break something. 
• Separate in group activities: Possible, but where is the precious time with the family that the kids will always remember?

You can see that there are several issues involved here. I'm gonna grab two: 

1. Not trying to fulfill everyone's wishes
2. Actually making a decision

It would be so nice to have this legendary family trip out of the picture book. I don't remember anything like this. Not from my life as a child, nor from my life as a father. Family is never perfect, that's why it's family and that's what makes it so special. It's useless to fulfill everyone's wishes, because it never works anyway. So you can leave it right away. My recommendation: Choose an option, press a lolly in the hands of the complaining fraction (mostly either big or small children) and off you go. But that brings us to the second problem:

It is not important to make the best decision, but to make a decision at all. You notice the interaction of the two themes. The best option is either impossible or damned difficult and very laborious. Rather, someone should be able to make a decision at all. Therefore it makes sense to know first of all how to decide. From my point of view, there are two variants: fact-decision-makers and gut-decision-makers. Some decide on the basis of analyses and others on the basis of convictions. I'm a gut-decision-maker. I look at what feels best for me and then decide. I can't make it right for everyone anyway.

For the example of weekend planning with the family, this consideration can be very relaxing. If you say goodbye to the idea of wanting to fulfill everyone's wishes by planning the perfect family trip, you can make a decision depending on your own preference. It doesn't make much sense to be stressed and under pressure here. I can assure all young parents: Most of the time everybody thinks it's good anyway and if not, then that's the way it is. That's family.

What do you think? Let me know!