Throughout this article I will be providing tips and hints on how to have a less stress free holiday with children. I can see how this might be seen as a little anti-children and this is simply not the case. Going on holiday with your children opens up your inner child and makes everything 10 times more fun and it is one of the few times that a child will have real quality time with you that they will remember forever. This article is just sort of going over how to make this happen rather than spend the entire trip arguing and fighting with your little ones. So without further ado let’s go through the trouble stages.
The Airport
The airport can be the start of your stress-free holiday going a little less free. One of the first things a child will do when bored is start playing up to get your attention. This can be frustrating especially in a frustrating situation such as trying to catch a plane.
There are some preparations you can take to make sure this does not happen to you. You know your kids better than anyone but some examples of what may distract them for a few hours could be books, iPods, iPads, portable gaming devices, magazines, snacks & money (this one works really well). On top of this a lot of airports have arcades and such, these are perfect to let your kids have fun and more importantly for you to relax at the bar.
The Jet-lagged Phase
The jet-lagged phase can go one of two ways:
- Your child will fall asleep at any opportunity and be extremely tired
- Your little angels sole aim has just become a contender for the most grumpy person international competition
Both factors have their strengths and weaknesses but you can be sure neither is stress free. While both completely different situations the goal is the same, to get your child that desperately needs sleep back to the hotel.
A tired child can be difficult to carry around especially with all the luggage you are carrying, the new territory and trying to find your hotel. One method to tackle this is to try and be as prepared as possible when landing at the airport. This will streamline the whole process of getting your child from point a (airport) to point b (hotel). The next important tip is to try and have some kind of vehicle transport at all times. This will give the child time to have a nap and for you to sort out your bearings.
The Actual Holiday
The actual holiday is the easiest phase of having a stress free holiday and spending quality time with the family.
The only important factor to note during this stage is that kids enjoy spending time with their parents. They may not admit it but they do. I remember going to Benidorm and although we did let the kids go off and do their own thing (with supervision of course) we also spent a day at the huge theme park as a family and another day at the water park and another day at the zoo. You will find if you leave your kids with contact with you they will naturally become very clingy and try not to leave your side as well as doing anything to get your attention. And as you may well know a bored child who wants your attention is not what you want from your stress-free holiday.
The Trip Home
The trip home can be one of the most difficult times of the holiday. No one wants to go. No ones excited. You have to deal with the airport. And more than likely you have very little foreign currency left. It is basically like going on holiday except everyone is upset instead of happy.
So how do we make sure our children are on their absolutely best behavior? Wear them out. The day and night before you set of back to your home country give them the time of their lives. Activities, treats, swimming and anything else you can think of. Not only will they be tired tomorrow and probably just sleep at the airport but they will forever look back on the holiday as a cherished childhood memory and that has got to be the most important thing of all.
