De-Vacation My Children!

Do you ever have to de-vacation your children after a trip?  You know what I mean - sit them down and explain that the world does not, in fact, revolve around them and their every whim, that we do actually have to get stuff done around the house, and that the pocketbook is not a bottomless reservoir.  Is it only me that has this problem?  I think not!!  I bet you know exactly what I'm talking about.  I made the tactical error of taking the girls to Wal-Mart yesterday before the de-vacationing speech and got nothing but "Can we get _____?"  "I really like ______," and the ever so subtle "I'm SOOO thirsty - that bottled water sure looks good..."  Yep, it was a pretty quick shopping trip followed by a much needed conversation about real life. 

So, how do we go about de-vacationing? 
Here's my feeble attempt:

1)  Try to get things back to normal-ish.  Monday morning we started back with the chore charts.  It's a way to ease us back into routine without killing anybody.  We're not being real sticklers on bedtimes or wake-ups yet since it's still summer break, but we are taking some time each day to work on math facts and make sure our normal tasks get done.

2)  Don't give in to the gimmees.  It's so easy on vacation to play the sentimental card and buy way more than any one kid needs to have, much less three.  If this happened during vacation you have to put a stop to it once you get home or you will find yourself drooling somewhere in an asylum corner before you know it!  While a little treating during vacation is nice, and even expected, you won't do your kids any favors if you continue the trend when you're home.  Kids need to know that there's a difference between our usual budget $$ and the $$ we set aside for vacation extras.  Otherwise you might as well paste a wallet to your head because that's all they'll see when you're around.

3)  Be honest.  Let your kids know that you had a budget for vacation and you have a budget for home.  If you spend at home like you do on vacation you might find yourself in a bad financial spot.  It's good for them to have a grasp, albeit not dollar amounts, on the budget.  For instance, as a DOD employee my husband is going to be furloughed for one day every week for 11 weeks - yay - which is affecting our budget.  I've sat the girls down and explained that things are going to be tight, and we won't be doing much extra.  It stinks that we have to deal with this over the summer, but what choice do we have?  We could ignore the cut in pay and spend our way right out of a home and into bankruptcy.  Not a smart move! 

4)  Be fun!!  The fun doesn't have to end just because vacation is over.  Try to keep that spirit alive when you get back home.  Let the kids camp out together if they want to.  Fire up the firepit and roast some s'mores.  Turn the sprinkler on and let them loose.  Visit the pool or the library - or both!  Try to remember, even as you get things back to "normal" that you only get this time with them once.  Let loose and have some fun with your kids!