What does your dream holiday look like? Uninterrupted relaxation on the beach, evenings with drinks in a stylish bar, romantic walks along the seafront, leisurely visits to monuments? That’s not exactly what a holiday with kids looks like. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it! Plan your family holiday to keep both parents and kids happy. We have 10 family travel tips on how to enjoy your holiday as a parent.
Why is family travel important?
In addition to building lifelong memories, traveling with family allow you to experience new cultures, foods, and experiences, and according to research, they’re also beneficial to your health. Several studies have shown that vacations make people happier and more relaxed.
Family travel is important because it reduces stress levels as well. It’s easy to get stressed as a parent, but do you ever think about how stressed your children are? Their daily lives are also filled with major stresses.
So, you ask “Why is family travel important?” Easy, because you’ll all get rest and build closer family relationships.
What are your top 10 travel tips?
- Make it fun for the kids
How to entertain your little ones while riding in the car or on the bus? Let them pack their bags at home with their favorite toys, stuffed animals, tablets, crayons, papers, colouring books, books, in short, everything they like to keep them entertained. Leave the choice entirely up to them. There is nothing worse than a bored, naughty child. Don’t forget medicines for motion sickness, or, if the worst happens, an ample supply of plastic bags and paper or wet wipes. You don’t just stop on the highway, so don’t let your next stop be a car wash.
- Make the most of your holiday
From home, you are used to a certain routine, diet, and sleeping pattern. Forget all that now. You’re on holiday and everything is different there. Do the kids crave ice cream or something fried? Then give it to them. Do they want to sleep with you? Let them. There’s no need to be in bed at 8 o’clock when, for example, in seaside areas, the real, busy life doesn’t start until after dark. Let the kids soak up the atmosphere with you.
- Give children pocket money
Money with which children can buy anything they want. This tip has several dizzying effects. Children get a sense of freedom and trust. You become beloved parents, unlike when you don’t want to buy them a stuffed animal at the airport.
Give them money for the whole vacation. But make your conditions clear. For example, they can buy whatever they want, but they don’t get more money.
You’ll see them suddenly start to consider what to buy and what not to buy. They might even buy the stuffed animal at the airport, but believe me, it will cost you less this way than if you resisted the pressure every day. Plus, kids learn to understand the value of money this way.
- Rethink your expectations
A holiday with children is not the same as an adult holiday. You need to clear your mind of the ideas you have about your holiday. On a seaside holiday, you don’t necessarily need to watch a romantic sunset on a beach.
When you do this mental exercise, you will avoid the frustration that would surely catch you on a vacation with kids. A vacation with kids can be awesome. For example, if you and your romantic intruders come to the beach at dawn.
There is no need to set small goals because children limit you. You need to set different goals because you can show your kids the world.
- Involve children in the planning
Just as we have ideas and expectations, so do children. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to see the ancient monuments in Greece. I’ve learned about it, read about it, seen some of it on TV, and I kind of know what to expect. But for a seven year old, Greece and its monuments are completely uninteresting. So show your kids pictures, watch a movie, give them a map or a guidebook and let them choose what they want to see and experience. Plan together your family trip.
- Make an itinerary
Part of preparing for your trip is making a plan for the trip itself. Wherever you’re traveling, it’s worth thinking through your itinerary. Missing an interesting place is a shame. So carefully write down the places you want to visit, as well as the activities and accommodation, and for more distant destinations it is advisable to include an approximate time range for each activity. Invite the children to write the itinerary so they know what to expect and what to look forward to.
When planning, take into consideration the age of the children, their physical fitness and health, so that your dream seaside holiday doesn’t turn into hell on earth.
- Research the safety and health risks
If you are planning to travel to an exotic country, consider the area’s safety, the level of hygiene and any health risks. Also, remember to check the longer-term weather forecast for the location. While the forecasts may not be 100% correct, you will have some idea. At the very least, you’ll avoid the rainy season that prevails in some overseas areas. Or, on the contrary, the extremely high temperatures of the period. However, high-factor sunscreen is a must, even if the temperatures are not extreme. One of the things that can make a holiday reliably unpleasant is sunburnt skin and a grumpy child who can’t bathe.
- Enjoy romance for two
Just because you’re on holiday with your children doesn’t mean you have to take them with you all the time.
There’s always a way to make time for just the two of you. Whether you find a hotel that offers babysitting, bring a babysitter from home, or get the best baby monitor app for traveling.
If you’re unsure about leaving your kids with strangers, then a baby monitor app is the babysitter for you. For example, while your kids are sleeping in their room, you can go out for a romantic dinner or pop into the wellness center for half an hour.
- Be calm
Plans are one thing. Your children’s wishes and desires are another. If your children like a place so much that they want to spend more time there, let them. Let them enjoy the magic of the place they’re visiting to the full. Slow down, there’s no rush. You don’t have to complete every item on your itinerary. It doesn’t matter how many places you visit, how many monuments you see. The important thing is to really enjoy and embrace the places you visit.
- Write a travel diary
Writing a travel diary is a great idea. It can be a simple notebook or one of the amazing pre-made travel journals.
You can always carry a diary and pull it out when boredom is on the horizon. It doesn’t have to be a literary work, but maybe just pictures. Kids can stick photos in there, print a sample of a shell, and stick a ticket in. Creativity has no limits.
Which is the best place for family trip?
Where? Wherever they won’t get bored. Find places and hotels in locations where there are plenty of excursions and entertainment. Choose accommodation with a playground, play area, swimming pool or sports complex. Some hotels offer animation programs or babysitting. So while the kids are having fun, you can go to the spa. Check out our top 5 amazing family travel locations.
