The family holiday can be a great way to reconnect with your loved ones, giving you the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company without the stressful trappings associated with being at home.
Many of us slave away for large parts of the year, getting excited about the one or two weeks when we don’t have to be up at the crack of dawn to sort everyone out. Whilst the bank holidays and weekends are very nice, they cannot compare to the approach of a prolonged spell of greatly reduced responsibility. So, there is nothing more disappointing than looking forward to some quality time, only for it to end up being more hard work than when we’re at home.
On a recent trip round the Balearic Islands I met up with my sister and her family, who had decided to take their annual break in Alcudia. With so many of us there, I foresaw a logistical nightmare every time we wanted to leave the hotel, but it turned out I couldn’t have been more wrong. The kids were good to go before me most days, and the family took everything in its stride, maximizing relaxation, and generally making for a happier bunch of relatives.
While sitting by one of the pools with my sister and her husband, they shared some of their top tips for a more content family vacation.
Read, read, then read some more
Hotel and resort websites always sound fantastic as, obviously, not many companies go to a web designer with the brief of creating an average website to reflect their hotel. Use resources such as Trip Advisor and Travel Republic to get other holidaymakers’ opinions of the potential resorts. These will tell you about any grumpy staff, dodgy wiring, or the building site over the road that the brochures forget to mention.
Dial down the ‘mom mode’
Try to make life easier when you’re packing by leaving the kitchen sink in the kitchen. Kids will need very little while on holiday, and much of what you might consider packing can be purchased locally, often more cheaply. Do, however include a few snacks and a couple of their favourite toys for the journey (preferably ones without noises, to avoid irritating other passengers). The children can carry their own individual backpacks with what they need for the flight, saving you the hassle of having to carry them and search around for the items they want.
Don’t upset the routines
This is especially relevant when traveling with younger children. If the destination time zone only has up to a couple of hours’ difference, then stay on your home time. Messing around with food times can upset the body’s balance and lead to a very grumpy child. Keeping mealtimes and even bed times in line with the home time zone creates one less thing to disrupt your children, and therefore you.
Show yourself some love
When looking at different resorts make sure you consider everyone (yes that means you too). It is all too easy to fall into the trap of only considering the kids. Whilst this is obviously a major factor, be sure not to sell yourself short. This is especially relevant when the kids are older, as you’re more likely to have free time. Does the resort offer activities more suitable for adults, such as massages etc.? Factoring in some ‘Me’ time is crucial.
My sister had chosen the Bellevue Club for just that reason. It has all the facilities needed to keep the kids happy, plus a tennis court for her, and an ice cream parlor , which apparently is all that’s needed to keep my brother-in-law happy. For, me, the hotel-run mini club was invaluable, as it kept the kids entertained, while leaving me with some time to read my novel by the pool.
Create a holiday frame of mind
When at home it is easy to stress about the small stuff, often venting bigger frustrations on irrelevant details. Make a conscious decision to let all the little irritations and inconveniences roll off your back for the next week or two, take them in your stride, staying calm and relaxed throughout. For the duration of the holiday at least, be unflappable.
Enjoy your holiday!
Katie is a travel and cake addicted blogger from the UK. You can keep up with her adventures on foreign shores and misadventures in the kitchen on twitter.