There is nothing more exciting than booking a trip with the whole family, and yet most parents kind of dread it! Bringing the kids on a break as a family is a great way to make some memories, and have fun, but for parents it’s basically the same parenting in another place, and that can often be difficult to do. Kids feel excited and extra charged when they get to go on holiday, and while this is fun, it’s also going to take them out of their routine.
When children are out of their routines, it’s difficult for all parents everywhere no matter how patient they are. You can arrange car leasing with car seats, book all your tickets and pack the tent to be able to camp, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t have to manage the kids’ routines better. There has to be some grace given to children about to have their usual routines pulled out from underneath them. So, how can you work on managing the kids while you’re on a trip together? Let’s take a look!
- Keep it. The routines of meals and sleep can stick while you are away. Just because you’re not at home doesn’t mean that you can’t ensure that your routines are the same. The kids can have the same bedtimes, the same nap and sleep routines. The difference is that you can build your routine around that! You know that without their sleep, kids will get cranky.
- Hire sitters. Most resorts will have babysitters on site to help so while you stick to your children’s bedtime routines, you can still go out for a meal together as parents and enjoy yourselves. Sitters are usually 100% police checked and have their First Aid certifications, too.
- Bring home with you. If your children have some comforts that they settle better with, then you can bring them with you! Blankets and pillows, noise machines and special teddies can be brought along with you – just make sure that they don’t get lost along the way.
- Be honest. If you’re bringing the kids away, make sure to let your family know that you are planning to keep to their routines so that you can avoid disappointment! Make everyone aware of the usual routine that you stick to at home and the one that you’re planning to stick to while you’re away, and you’ll be able to have a much more relaxing holiday.
- Make sure that you set some limits. Everyone goes a little nuts when they’re away on holiday, and just because you’re away doesn’t mean that you have to have no limits on things like junk food and sugar. This also isn’t you being a killjoy; this is you being smart about hopped up children screeching and unable to sleep. Whatever your routine is with sugar at home, do it away, too.
It’s so much easier to manage kids when you go away if you can stick to a general routine as much as possible.
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This is a contributed post.
