Going on holiday with children is a very different ball game to going away on your own, with friends, or with just your partner.
Gone are the days when you plan to relax by the pool with a good book all day before getting ready to go out and hit the town at night.
Just because it’s different though, doesn’t mean it’s not as enjoyable. Family holidays can be such an important and enjoyable time, life is so busy these days and for kids to have their parents switched off from work and life chores can result in relationships becoming stronger and lots of fun times.
It can take a lot more planning though as everything with kids seems to!
Here are some tips when it comes to booking a family holiday..
Have a rough idea of what everyone wants from a holiday
This obviously varies greatly depending on your interests and the ages of your children but holidays can be really expensive and you don’t want to come home feeling like it wasn’t worth it. This area will usually involve some compromise, for example if all you enjoy about being on holiday is lying in the sun with a book then having to chase your toddler around and watch them non-stop to make sure they don’t run into the pool isn’t going to be much fun. So maybe look at staying somewhere with a kid’s club or nanny service so that you can at least have a couple of hours a day of relaxing.
Think about taking a relative
We spent a week in Spain with Matt’s mum and it was great as she was able to help out with the kids meaning we actually felt like we had a bit of a holiday.
Think about the accommodation
Hotels are great, especially if staying all inclusive as then you don’t have to worry about cooking or cleaning up after, which I know really makes it feel like a holiday for me! But if you have young children that don’t deal with staying up past 7pm then having to go back to your hotel room whilst they sleep isn’t much fun. A villa or apartment might be a better option as then you can put them to bed and have more space to enjoy yourselves. You could even share a villa with friends that have kids too and allow each other a night out alone by babysitting for each other. This also makes the cooking and cleaning easier as you can share it.
Try new things
Maybe you only think about hotels or villas when it comes to a holiday because before having kids that was what you opted for. Sometimes doing the same thing you did before but with kids can make you compare it too much. Trying something means you treat it like a whole new thing though. How about something like glamping where you get to spend lots of time outdoors, I know my kids love it. Or why not look at family friendly cruises? They can be a great option as they have something for everyone, entertainment to make sure no-one gets bored, play areas, and if you have young kids they will just find the whole concept of staying on a cruise ship very cool. I know my youngest was fascinated the first time we went on a cruise ship, and that was just an average ferry crossing!
Stay closer to home
If the idea of travelling abroad with kids feels too overwhelming then why not just look at holidaying closer to home, at least to start with so you feel more comfortable with it all. You might end up discovering places you never knew about! It doesn’t even have to be for a long time, sometimes just a night or two away can make you feel refreshed and ready for everyday life again.
In collaboration with Rol Cruise
