And so, on our last full day in North Carolina, we visited the site where the Wright Brothers flew the first power-driven aircraft to successfully make a controlled, sustained flight.
Kai had learned about the Wright Brothers from a Peanuts video. But I don’t think he was all that interested in seeing the actual place. Still, he sat through a 20-minute film about the first flight.
But once we started walking around the grounds, he started complaining.
We didn’t take more than a few steps toward the monument at the top of the hill when he started saying that he was tired. We scrapped plans to see it.
But, no.
He insisted that he wanted to leave. I, stubbornly, insisted that he at least see the markers.
We finally got him to walk to each marker. He wasn’t happy. But he saw it. Whether he got anything out of seeing them is an open question.
It certainly would have been a lot more pleasant just to let him stay at our rental house and play Mario with his cousins (who visited the Memorial earlier). And maybe I’m trying to treat him like any other child when he really isn’t.
It is something that I will ponder before we take our next vacation.
What I do with my son is to have him participate in the planning process of our trips. With him being in the planning stages...he knows that he has nothing to complain about. He will also have a vested interest in making the trip a success as his planning skills are on the line. He will want to, at least, give the impression that "his" trip went well.
ReplyDeleteOf course...I also get cranky on long vacations.
That sounds like a good approach to involve your son in the planning process. So far, though, involving Kai doesn't make him have a vested interest. Perhaps he will as he gains maturity.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I know what you mean about getting cranky on long vacations. :)