Ask any working parent about single days off on the school calendar, or 4-day holiday weekends, and a furrowed brow creeps across the forehead. That is because schools have more off days scheduled into the academic year than a working parent has in vacation days at work. Teacher planning days, national holidays, fall and mid-term breaks along with Christmas and spring vacation make it difficult to take off from work. It also becomes quite expensive to pay for caregivers.

A trending and timely solution to this challenge for modern parents, and one that bridges Baby Boomers to upcoming Gen Z-ers, is “gramping” or “grandcations”. Gramping is the latest trend in vacationing that allows retired grandparents to travel while bonding with their grandchildren, not to mention alleviate the stress of parents who are tasked with figuring out what to do with their kids on days when they are out of school. According to a 2017 survey by AARP, research found that 83% of retired Baby Boomers put travel as the number one thing that they were looking forward to when they retired. The advantages and price rate reductions that kick in at retirement age allow senior discounts on hotel accommodations, entrance fees to parks, meals and airline tickets. It’s a win-win option for grandparents, parents and kids!

The next time you are caught by surprise about a school break or “day-off holiday”, ring up the grand folks and see if they are up for a mini-vacation with the kiddies. It doesn’t have to be anything over the top. They can spend a few days in the mountains, visit a free national park or even sign up for an art class over the weekend. Kids and grandparents can have a fun adventure while mom and dad have peace of mind knowing their kids are not bored out of their minds or glued to screens for 8 hours straight at home. And don’t forget to say “thanks” to the grand folks: A heating pad and bottle of Advil might do the trick!

Check out this website with great information on 11 gramping getaways: https://www.familyvacationcritic.com/great-gramping-getaways/art/.

Resources: https://www.southernliving.com/travel/gramping-grandparent-vacations


Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas on Pexels.com

Aimee Serafin, editor of the Augusta Family Magazine.