This Is How To Have The Most Fun Family Vacation
Family vacations often seem fun when you are in the planning stages, but the reality doesn't always live up to the expectation. Indeed, being hundreds of miles away from home with your kids, in a country with which you are not familiar can be pretty stressful, unless you follow the tips in our post below that is. Keep reading to find out what they are.
Don't pack everything but the kitchen sink
You may think that you need every single item that your kids have at home to enjoy your holidays. However, that isn't the case. Instead, it's much better to pack light, mainly because it's probably going to be you that ends up carrying your luggage in the airport, or outside of your accommodation, something that when you have a couple of kids to keep tabs on isn't easy at the best of times. Indeed, if you add super heavy and large cases to the mix, you are only making things even more difficult for yourself.
With that in mind, packing light and taking washing powder or liquid so you can rinse things through if they do get dirty is a much better idea. Also, remember that while it's worth including things like a specific cuddly toy that your child needs for comfort, most practical products like soap and shampoo, and even things like pacifiers can be bought once you arrive.
Finally, do not forget that in addition to packing light, investing in wheeled suitcases is a very smart idea. Then you will only need to push them along rather than carry them. Just be sure to choose the cases that have rotating wheels as these are much easier to maneuver.
Choose the right kind of accommodation
While it's tempting to find somewhere to stay that is nice and quiet so you get to relax, this is not always the best option when it comes to holidaying with the kids. Indeed, this is why they tend to have separate sections for families and adults-only in resorts now.
The great thing about the family sections is that they are placed closest to all the facilities that the kids will want to use, including swimming pools with slides, snack bars, and ice cream parlors, and even daycare. You're also likely to be surrounded by families so the chances of your kids being able to make some vacation friends are high.
However, if family-centered accommodation isn’t something specifically available, other options can work well. In particular, leasing out an entire property can provide plenty of space for your family, and some privacy too, something that means the kids can make as much noise as they like.
Also, many accommodation options like the apartments at peach garden come with access to shared facilities like a pool which is ideal for the kids. Although, whether shared or private it is always vital to supervise children when playing around water, especially as you cannot expect there will be a lifeguard on duty at all times.
Make sure you always know where your kids are
A lost child is a nightmare at any time, but on holiday it can be a particularly difficult situation. Unfortunately, because of the increased need for concentration when ordering things in another language or navigating an unfamiliar location, it is all too easy for a situation to arise where a child wanders off and becomes lost in a crowd.
Fortunately, there are some tactics you can use to mine this risk. The first is to use backpack or wrist straps that attach the child to the parent. Although obviously, older kids won't react too well to those. Of course, instead, you can always use GPS trackers placed in backpacks or clothing, while for teenagers setting up a location tracking system on their smartphone may be the best idea.
There are some less high-tech options to consider here as well, the most obvious of which is to make sure that one adult is supervising the kids, while the other performs the task at hand. Although, it's best to discuss expectations for this ahead of time as it can be all too easy to have all the adults are drawn into a situation that needs solving, something that will leave the children unattended.
Final thoughts
To minimize stress on vacation it's important to do several things. The first of these is making sure you do not overpack, while the second is picking accommodation that is suited to your family’s needs. Finally, be sure to keep a close eye on your kids and have a way to contact or trace them if the worst does happen and they get lost. I hope you guys have a fun family vacation.
Check out these posts from our travel site Roaming My Planet.
