Amanda Lamb: Teens on vacation

When your kids are little, the challenge over the holiday break is to entertain them. But when they are teenagers, the challenge is to get a moment of their time.

With teenagers, if you don’t consciously make a plan to be together, they will go off with their friends.

We took our kids on a short trip in between Christmas and New Year’s, and everywhere we went, my husband said to anyone who would listen: “If we didn’t do this, we would never see them.”

And he was right. The vacation turned out to be one of the best ones we’ve ever had because as they get older, we enjoy their company more. We visited the Grand Canyon, we took in a show, we had some good meals. But it wasn’t about the activities, it was about the fact that we had their undivided attention for a rare few days.

Wednesday, our lives will return to their busy schedules full of school, work and other activities. A few days after that, my college freshman will return to campus out-of-state. It will be hard to get back into our routine, But soon it will be seamless, and we will forget what it felt like to be together without the push and pull of everyday responsibilities.

There are never regrets about time well-spent with your family and with your children. Even as we speak, I continue to plan for our next family getaway, and think ... until we meet again.