10/30/2024
The Kovacs Family Rules of Conduct:
Taking a two-week vacation with a family of teenagers can sound insane.
It wasn’t.
It was amazing.
Before we left, I told the kids I had one rule for this trip… then I added a few more, and then I stopped adding because less is more.
Here are the rules that we all agreed to IN ADVANCE.
Rule #1:
When I ask everyone to stop and take a picture, please do so promptly and pleasantly.
Yes, this was my first rule.
I really hate asking everyone stop to pose because they generally don’t like to, but we all always appreciate it afterward.
Rule #2:
No saying anything negative about Jews.
This is always a rule, but going to Israel means being in a country of strong-willed people with lots of opinions, which can be triggering.
(I told them they can feel free to talk negatively about Ara*bs instead.)
Rule #3:
Try to stay in a positive mood when tired, hungry, or when things don’t go as planned.
This was the hardest one, but the idea was to try.
And because we agreed on this in advance, we were all mindful of our mood and our energy and it actually helped.
4. No phones in the no-phone zones, which were meal times, the living room, and the sukka.
Best.
Rule.
Ever.
And that’s it!
And this is how 2 weeks with 5 teenagers was not just sane but pretty incredible.
