THE JACKSON SIX TAKES A TRIP: RISK MANAGEMENT TIPS

Last week, George and I led our family of six on an adventure to Massanutten Resort and Waterpark with my immediate family and in-laws. We had a fantastic time and made it home safely, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit I had a difficult time tuning out the risk management side of my brain.

We want our children to be safe, but we also want them to be adventurous and grow up experiencing challenges. Because we are both in the risk and insurance industry, George and I could have easily talked ourselves out of this trip given the risks of lightening, bad drivers, deer ticks, bears, strangers, and uninspected property, and so on, but we bravely ventured forth (6 hours in the car). After all, life and resorts will always be full of risks, but fear can be mitigated without the use of bubble wrap.?

We're sharing some recommendations to manage your next family vacation:?

Prepare for the worst: Reflect on your life and if any circumstances are life-changing, make sure you've addressed it with the proper resource. In this situation, George and I had a baby since our last family vacation. Since we'd all be traveling together, we decided it best to amend our Will and POAs. The firm I used to work at recommended reviewing your Wills every 5 years, regardless of life-changing events. Other resources could include travel insurance, life insurance, etc.?

Plan ahead and be flexible?– Effective planning in several stages was critical. After deciding on Massanutten, we downloaded the resort's app and began building our itinerary based on 'need to,' want to,' and 'should do' activities. If you follow suit, please know these will need adjusted due to the aforementioned circumstances out of your control, like a child who got stitches the week before vacation (yes, that was our spunky red-head, Allen), sickness, or the weather.?

Proactive safety at home -?This was a short trip, so we stopped the mail with the USPS and asked a neighbor to keep an eye. If you plan to take a longer trip, you might want to hire a caretaker to check on your home regularly. We also put our lights and sprinklers on timers. If you are like us and need to keep the water supply on (Charlotte summers are hot!), consider an automated water shut-off device that detects leaks and alerts you. Nowadays, you could also use a reputable smart-home app to monitor lights, temperature, security systems and more. Also, resist the urge to post itineraries on social media, and wait to post photos until after you return!

Embrace technology?– During this trip, our children were 9, 8, 3 and 8 months, so communicating with technology was tricky because they didn't have cell phones. We bought our oldest son a waterproof Fitbit before the trip, so we could meet at certain times during certain activities (reminds me of being a kid -- come home when it starts getting dark outside!). That being said, texting other family members to keep everyone up-to-date on happenings was crucial. In addition, at the end of a long day, the Nintendo Switches and tablets helped entertain our children, allowing time for some "adulting."

Communicate with co-travelers?– We have a range of interests and priorities in our family when it comes to the experience that is "Massanutten." Some of us like more adventure like zip lines and mountain tube slides, while others prefer a ski lift ride, or hanging by the pool. Our family LOVES the waterpark, but we needed 6-7 hours of childcare for the baby, so we had to coordinate that (thank you, Moms!). Constant communication allowed us to address immediate needs such as hands-on-deck, hydration and nutrition but it also allowed us to make sure that everyone was getting the positive upside of the experience. From discussing our vacation goals during the planning stages to checking in with one another during the various activities, communication played a vital role in keeping everyone engaged and happy.

Go make some memories and enjoy the rest of your summer!