Going on holiday with your family can be a magical bonding experience or one long, frustrating sibling squabble. If you’re not prepared for the experience, you can all end up happier to get home than you were on the trip. Whether your children are young or old, there are unique challenges to be overcome while travelling if you want to enjoy every minute. Here are some ways you can enjoy your next family holiday more.
Act positive and expect a positive attitude
While you don’t have to be the annoyingly cheerful parent, you should try to keep a positive attitude about your holiday. A defeated attitude at the start will make for self-fulfilling expectations as your children act bratty, the hotel doesn’t offer the amenities you wanted, and the thought of returning to work stresses you out.
If you instead approach the holiday by thinking about how positive it is, determined to overlook the little things that go wrong, you will appreciate every moment far more. Other family members will pick up on this and reflect it. This also applies when you’re dealing with everyone else. If you avoid snapping at your spouse for making a wrong turn or lecturing your children about their poor packing choices, they will be more lenient with you and everyone will be happier.
Give freedom to your older children and teenagers
While six-year-olds shouldn’t be allowed to explore on their own, older children and teens should have some measure of freedom in their holidays. A teenager may be able to stay in a separate room, help plan outings, or be assigned a responsibility such as trip photographer or navigator if you’re driving north for a holiday in Scotland, for example. Teens may also want to bring a mobile phone or gaming console with them. Think about allowing this as long as they use it at night and during downtime only.
Older children can give their input about whether they’d rather plan more downtime relaxing and playing games or fun day trips at your destination. Even young children can be consulted when it comes to planning outings – you could ask them which of two options they prefer. Many will be able to clearly express their wishes, so letting them “plan a day” will often keep them calm and cooperative on the other holiday days.
Think about different types of holidays
Before you started a family, you might have gotten used to the kind of holiday where you sit on a beach with a martini. Now, with kids along, you can’t always get away with lazy holidays. Think about holidays like camping pods or caravans, stay in a holiday park or look up self-catered castles! Staying in an unusual destination isn’t the only possibility; you will win extra coolness points if you plan day outings to zoos, ski hills, or Dark Ages-era museums. Don’t be afraid to try a holiday that’s a little out of the ordinary.
Travelling with a family doesn’t have to be an ordeal if you plan ahead of time and go into it with a positive, open attitude. Allow your children and teenagers some input into the planning process, and make sure that the destination you choose is family-friendly.
Lydia Clarke has a passion for Scotland. When she is not on holiday, she loves to share her experiences with other travelers on family blogs.