They are the breaks that we savor; the holidays that we remember for a lifetime. However, when we become parents, the stark reality of family holidays suddenly hits home. As fun, exciting and happy as they can be, they do arrive with stress. Today is all about helping you navigate around such stress levels.
Of course, children being children, and adults being adults, there will always be small elements of stress within these getaways. However, by following the four suggestions below, you can cut these to a minimum and focus on building the memories that are cherished for years to come.
It’s all about the location
First and foremost, we can’t highlight enough the importance of taking time to choose your location.
This rule of thumb applies to absolutely anywhere you are heading; whether it is Swindon or somewhere much further afield! In other words, whether it is a tourist destination or not, you need to be situated in close proximity to all of the relevant attractions. You don’t want to be driving hours on end (with “are we nearly there yet” ringing in your ears) every day – you need something that is conveniently placed to help you along.
Never forget the hunger-factor
It sounds simple, but hunger can wreak havoc with holidays as well. It follows a similar path to tiredness. We all act differently when we have these feelings, but hunger amongst the children tends to (on the whole) result in bad moods.
As such, always have some tricks up your sleeve. It might be taking snacks to each and every attraction you visit, or it might be having a go-to list of restaurants which can save the situation before it gets out of hand.
Keep itineraries down to a minimum
As adults, we almost live and die by itineraries. For some of us, this stretches to our holidays.
Kids just don’t work like this though. They want to carry on living in the present and doing whatever is fun.
As such, as much as you need a plan (more on that later), you don’t have to stick to it. This isn’t a race to check off as many items on your bucket list as possible – this will just irritate the kids and make everyone stressed and tired.
Always have a Plan B
If we revert back to the first point, you’ve most probably chosen a location that is in the thick of the action when it comes to family activities. However, what if most of these activities are outdoors and the weather turns sour – what is your plan B?
One of the worst things that can happen on a family getaway is that all options go out of the window and nobody knows what quite to do next. The result is bickering between the kids and before you know it, that dream getaway is anything-but. Sure, you don’t have to plan for every eventuality, but don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.