Family Vacation Lessons from the WWE

I owe much of my family-vacation sanity to the WWE.

Back in the heyday of Hulkamania, back before Andre the Giant became Fezzik, the world of professional wrestling created a format I could watch for hours: the tag-team match.

In case you weren’t as crazy about Raw as I, these matches pitted two teams of two wrestlers apiece. Only one member from each team was allowed in the ring at one time. Teammates could switch off at any moment, with hand-slaps or high-fives marking the switch. The action was fast. And furious. And fun.

Fast-forward to today, and tag-teaming is a strategy my wife and I use regularly when we hit the road with our (two) girls.

Our approach is non-violent, of course; the metaphor stops with the notion of taking turns as the primary parent. Still, the notion of “slapping-out” guarantees each of us at least an hour or two of valuable alone-time every day that we spend away from home.

My wife, Powerwoman, generally uses her time to read, hit the spa or hang by the pool. I, on the other hand, use mine to run. Or to sleep.

(I’ve also been known to fly stag at the hotel bar. Especially during Yankees games.)

Sure, we still do most stuff as a unit—sharing the bulk of new experiences together is an important part of any family trip. That said, there’s nothing like a few hours solo on a vacation. In the name of classic tag-team duos such as the Wild Samoans, the Mega Powers and AMW, it’s up to us parents to preserve and protect it.