SO, YOU’RE GOING ON A FAMILY HOLIDAY … or maybe you’d like to organise one … or (most likely) you realise your kids will be at home for two weeks at the end of term, so you have to make a plan!
Your Grapevine team’s got this – and we’ve all been there! So, here are our Top Tips for Family Holidays …
1. KNOW YOUR LIMITS
Firstly, we all have different amounts of time, energy, and other resources. The ‘great family getaway’ to Disney theme parks might be nice for some – but for plenty of us, an overseas holiday is out of the question. A camping trip might be more affordable … if you’ve got the gear – but if you’re an introvert allergic to mosquitoes and campfire smoke, that might not be for you. So, figure out what’s doable financially and within your time and energy constraints. If it’ll blow your budget or cost you your sanity – it ain’t worth it!
2. CHECK YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Before you’ve even thought about checking your baggage, you’ve gotta check some expectations … First beach holiday after having kids? Brace yourself for an experience unlike any other summer break you’ve taken before. Besides being a beach and you being on holiday, there will be no similarities. There’ll be no swanning around in bikinis alternating between working on your tan and catching up on gossip mags in the shade … No. Now you will be required to stay on top of SPF 50+ applications (which will feel like wrestling a greased alligator), remain sober and vigilant at all times by the water’s edge, and coax your offspring out of the sun and over to the dining table at reasonable intervals throughout the day.
If you’re lucky, you’ll be allowed to build a sandcastle for them to kick over. You have been warned.
3. KNOW YOUR TEAM
So, you’ve got the best daytrips and ‘staycation’ on earth planned for the upcoming school holidays? Awesome. But if your dreams for family bonding are going to materialise, you have to be realistic about YOUR family members and how all their quirks/likes/dislikes, etc. are going to play out in your imagined scenario. Trust us – we’ve had a kid threaten to throw themselves out of a car door when we surprised them with a simple Sunday drive once upon a time!
Knowing your team means understanding that some of your travel companions might need regular pitstops because they suffer from TB (tiny bladders); others (OK, I’m talking about myself here) will need to know where and when they’ll get to pause for coffee. Some families would swoon at the idea of an afternoon in an art gallery – others would quite literally rather jump out of a plane.
So know your team, and plan for the family you’ve got – not the family you’d like your neighbours to think you have!
4. SET THE BAR LOW
I mean – this is just good advice for parenthood, right?! The kids went to bed before midnight? That’s a win. You had a big belly laugh or two with the littlies, and even a cuddle from the teenager? Huge hit. Miniscule, wilted lettuce leaf consumed? Full points for dietary enrichment.
Especially on holiday, don’t sweat the small stuff. Have a think ahead of time about what really matters, and plan to let the less-than-critical things slide. Does the baby need a bath every night – or can you count them clean if they’ve had a dip in the sea and a rinse in the shower afterwards? Do you want the kids to limit their screen time to two hours during the winter holidays – or do you want to retain what little sanity you have left? You decide.
5. AVOID COMPARISON
All jokes aside, this is crucial. “Comparison is the thief of joy” isn’t just worthy of a picture-quote; it’s advice worth heeding. We envy the Instagram posts and holiday snaps of others, but forget that they’re all curated to share the highlights and edit out the less picture-perfect realities. And if you’re still tempted to compare, consider this perspective:
Someone holidaying in an exotic location had to brave a (probably cramped) flight there … and if they’re in the tropics, they’re probably sticky with heat, reeking of mozzie repellent, and dealing with gastro issues (Bali-belly anyone?). Even paradise has its downsides!
The ‘fun family’ posting amazing photos – fabulous meals out and thrilling theme park adventures – have channelled their resources towards those things. And while it’s worth it to them, your family, resources, and priorities will differ from theirs. If something in their posts looks fun and doable, take it as inspiration – but don’t feel bad about your own efforts.
Realistically, a week or two at home – with the kids having too much screen time, eating junk, and wasting time while you juggle home and working-from-home duties – is just fine. A trip away – making memories together in between passing snacks to the back of the car, settling wars over seat-space, and plotting bathroom-and-coffee breaks along your route – is also time well spent. So is a blow-the-budget getaway to a place with palm trees and a Kids’ Club, for that matter! The point is, there’s no perfect way to have a family holiday – just the way that works for you.
So make a plan: Set your limits … keep your expectations reasonable … don’t sweat the small stuff … and carry on – without comparing with what everyone else is doing! Happy Holidays!
