Summer is officially upon us and it is time to take part in the most anticipated and dreaded activity of the season: summer vacation.

You love your partner, and you love your kids, but spending that much family time can be stressful and create a strain on your marriage. Here are four tips to make family vacations more enjoyable for everyone, including you and your spouse:

• Communicate with your spouse: From organizing the trip to who is going to do what while on vacation, make sure you have an open and honest discussion with your spouse. Dividing parenting responsibilities helps make sure both parents can get a well-deserved break.
  
  
• Have Realistic Expectations: Don’t assume your kids will always be on their best behavior and sometimes plans can go awry. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect to create lasting family memories.
  
  
• Vacation Date Night: Find a way to have a date night with your partner while on vacation. Relaxing for one night without the kids will help create special memories for the two of you.
  
  
• Don’t Plan Everything: Scheduled activities are great but often the best memories are created spontaneously. Some unscheduled time will help everyone relax and make the planned events that much more special.