Jane Christmas Offers Tips for Traveling with the Geriatric Set

Planning a getaway with your aging parent(s)? Jane Christmas speaks from experience and tells us there are five things you absolutely must know before embarking on your expedition.

Five Tips for Vacationing (Successfully) with Your Mother

1. Forget about enjoying yourself. This trip is all about your mother, not you. Any expectations or desires you voiced before the vacation will be derailed before you reach your destination.
2. Don’t plan a long trip because neither of you will have the patience for it. Two weeks is usually sufficient. (See Tip #1.)
3. Don’t lose your mother. Let her out of your sight for a minute and she will somehow find a police officer, who will then berate you for your callous neglect of your mother. This will make your mother feel smug. (See Tip # 1.)
4. Practice patience as if it was an extreme sport. (See Tip #1.)
5. Factor in bathroom stops. Lots of them.