One More Weekend: Why a Back-to-School Getaway With Your Kids Matters
Summer is slowly winding down. The school supplies are filling the aisles, backpacks are being packed, calendars are getting crowded again, and somehow those long summer days suddenly don’t feel very long at all.
And if you’re a Florida parent, you know something else: summer doesn’t really end just because school starts.
We still have sunshine. We still have pools. We still have beaches. And sometimes, all we need is one weekend away to feel like we squeezed a little more summer out of the season.
But more importantly, it gives us a chance to reconnect with our kids even as the back-to-school craziness begins.
Why a Getaway Before Back to School Is Worth It
Back to school can be exciting, but it can also be a lot for kids.
New teachers. New schedules. New expectations. New friendships. Sports practices. Homework. Early mornings. And for our teenagers, there may be even bigger pressures surrounding grades, college, friendships, and simply figuring out where they fit. As parents, we feel the shift too.
One minute we’re wondering what everyone wants to do today, and the next we’re coordinating school drop-offs, practices, activities, homework and everything else that comes with a new school year.
That’s why I love the idea of taking one last little getaway together. AFTER the first weekend! It's a missed opportunity to see how the first day/ week went! Did they make a new friend? Are they liking their classes? What are they excited about this year?
It doesn’t have to involve plane tickets, a week off work, or an elaborate itinerary. In Florida, some of our best family escapes are only a drive away.
Put down the school-to-do list for 48 hours. Let the kids sleep in. Get in the pool with them. Order dessert. Stay up too late. Talk in the car.
Because sometimes the conversations that don’t happen around the dinner table happen when you’re floating around a lazy river or driving home from the beach.
3 Florida Weekend Getaways to Reconnect With Your Kids
The Don CeSar: A Tampa Bay Staycation That Feels So Elegant
Sometimes you don’t have to leave Tampa Bay at all. The iconic pink Don CeSar on St. Pete Beach is one of those places that immediately makes an ordinary weekend feel like a vacation.
Spend the day on the beach, relax by the pool, walk along the sand, and watch one of our incredible Gulf Coast sunsets together. It’s a splurge, but it can also be the perfect place to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of a new season.
And there is something pretty wonderful about waking up next to the beach knowing you didn’t have to get on an airplane to get there.
Pro Tip: Splurge on one night at the Don Cesar and make the most of it! Come early, enjoy the pool, and order lunch by the beach. Take a walk on the beach for sunset (one of the best beaches in America) and connect with your kids in a peaceful environment. Bring back the JOY of back-to-school.
Related: Tampa Bay's BEST Beaches for Kids and Families
Gaylord Palms Resort: A Vacation Without Leaving Central Florida
Gaylord Palms is another great option when you want that “we went somewhere” feeling without going very far.
The resort itself feels like a destination, and that’s one of the reasons I love it for a quick family reset.
Spend the afternoon by the pool, wander the atrium, enjoy the water park, grab dinner together, and you never even have to leave!
It’s especially great when you have kids of different ages because there’s enough happening to keep everyone entertained while still giving you opportunities to be together.
Sometimes a change of scenery, even for one night, is exactly what everyone needs.
Pro Tip: Book one night at Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee when you literally want to show up and never leave!
Anna Maria Island: Go Back to the Basics
There is something about Anna Maria Island that makes you exhale. No giant itinerary required. Pack the swimsuits. Grab the sunscreen. Head to the beach. Spend the day swimming, looking for shells, eating something delicious, watching the sunset and remembering that your kids don’t need every minute of their lives scheduled. And neither do we.
For families around Tampa Bay, Anna Maria Island is close enough for a spontaneous overnight or weekend getaway but beautiful enough to make you feel like you’ve traveled much farther. This is the kind of trip where I encourage you to put the phone away for a while.
Get in the water. Take the silly picture. Walk the beach with your teenager. Ask them what’s on their mind and then actually listen.
Pro Tip: Waterline Villas & Marina, Autograph Collection in Anna Maria Island is the perfect place to land for a beach getaway on the most perfect island for some connection time. Just an hour south of Tampa!
But, wait…there's MORE! Explore even MORE awesome hotels and resorts for families near Tampa Bay.
Don’t Try to Make the Weekend Perfect
Here’s the part I think moms sometimes need to hear most. Your kids don’t need you to create the perfect end-of-summer memory. They don’t need matching outfits, a packed itinerary, or an Instagram-perfect vacation. They need you.
They need time when you’re not rushing them out the door. They need conversations that aren’t about homework, chores, or what time practice starts. They need moments where everyone gets to simply be together.
And as our kids get older, I think those moments become even more important.
We spend so much of their childhood preparing them for what’s next that sometimes we forget to enjoy exactly where they are right now.
Welcome Back to School, Kids! You’ve Got This!
As another school year begins, I hope we remember that back-to-school season looks different for every child.
Some kids can’t wait to walk through those doors. Some are nervous. Some are starting a brand-new school. Some are worried about friendships. Some are putting enormous pressure on themselves academically. And some may not even know how they’re feeling yet.
So before we start asking, “Did you finish your homework?” maybe we also make room for:
- How are you doing?
- What are you excited about?
- Is there anything you’re worried about?
- What can I do to make this year easier for you?
Our kids are carrying more than their backpacks into school. Let’s give them a soft place to land when they come home.
Florida Summer Isn’t Over Yet
The calendar may say it’s time to go back to school, but fortunately for us Florida families, summer sticks around a little longer. So take the weekend.
Head to Gaylord Palms, Anna Maria Island or The Don CeSar. Or simply pick somewhere close to home where everyone can unplug for a night. You don’t need seven days. You don’t need plane tickets.
Sometimes 48 hours, a Florida sunset and your favorite people are enough.
The emails, practices, homework and alarm clocks will all be waiting when you get back.
Take it from this Mom of four who has a college graduation before the year ends. Our kids won’t stay this age forever, so soak it all in.
Take the weekend. Make the memory. And then send them into the new school year knowing home — and Mom — will always be their safe place to land.
Welcome back to school, Tampa Bay. Here’s to giving our kids a little extra grace, a little less pressure and a whole lot of love this year.