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How to survive the holidays
With the cost of living rising, incomes reducing and increasing unemployment the pressure on marriage and family life is, for many, overwhelming.
The approach of the holiday season will, no doubt, weigh heavily on numerous families, who simply cannot afford a holiday or who are looking for lower cost options.
With expectant children to entertain over the long summer break, this may well lead to friction for many.
As a compromise, many couples and families are turning to holidays or day trips based in the UK. While the idea may appeal, the inevitable car journeys and delays, combined with unpredictable British weather and limited resources when at your destination, can be stressful.
So, if you are thinking of venturing out this summer, here are a few common sense tips to encourage a harmonious break:
1. Plan your journey and holiday thoroughly. Include route stops on your journey at venues that cater for you. Check out the service stations that provide children’s activities. Ensure your accommodation will meet your needs, particularly if you have a family, and is reasonably close to venues of interest you want to visit.
2. Pack with care. Take a variety of food and drink on any car journey, avoiding overly sugary items that may lead to meltdown. Include picnics for days out and other food stuffs for your stay that are essential. Include a selection of CDs DVDs, PSPs etc but be careful not to allow children to indulge in media overload. Often, simple games can be more exciting. We entertained our lively four-year-old on a recent trip by playing I spy. There are lost of alternative word and spotting games which children will enjoy. Try to continue this approach to more family-inclusive pursuits during your break.
3. Try to position children’s car seats so that they can see out of the windows. This will alleviate car sickness and keep them occupied. Think about taking children’s pillows for any journey and for comfort at your destination. You may also consider travelling at night or very early in the morning.
4. Before you depart, take a few minutes to review behavioural rules with children and consider rewarding good behaviour. It may well amount to bribery but could do the trick.
5. Once at your destination, don’t fall into the trap of overspending. Plan a budget before you leave and stick to it. Let your children know what their daily pocket money allowance will be and be firm with this. Check out low-cost family events before you travel and think about booking ahead, which can save costs on entry fees etc.
6. Remember that the objective of your journey or holiday is to have fun and relax. Your holiday is precious and often the only opportunity each year to spend time together. So make the most of the time to reconnect and don’t allow the stress of travel, poor accommodation or other common holiday complaints to provoke argument and detract from what should be the best few weeks of the year.
7. Finally, if you are a single parent or possibly planning your first holiday post divorce, it can be financially and emotionally draining, rekindling memories of times gone by. Don’t make the mistake of trying to compete with a former partner. Your time with your family is not a contest to see who can provide the best time. Consider trying something new or visiting an alternative destination so as not to replicate past holidays. By doing so, children will be less inclined to compare and more likely to enjoy. As will you.
www.thursfields.com
Photo caption: left to right Nigel Davies and Karen Brennan.