A holiday should be about getting a break and having a chance to relax.  However, if you have a family it is easy for this goal to be forgotten.  The stress can start before you have even booked the holiday.  So how do you make sure that all the family have fun and that you get a chance to chill.

Planning your holiday
You know your family better than anyone else, so if you don’t think something is a sound idea then it probably isn’t.  We have all seen the adverts of happy families all cycling and doing family activities and smiling, or the kids in kids club and thinking it great.Just remember that these children only had to look euphoric for the length of the commercial and even then it could have taken a couple of attempts.  If your children are not of ages where they want to play together then don’t think that you will get to your destination and they will suddenly want to share a tandem.When choosing your holiday you need to make certain that there is something for everyone, and that includes the adults.  You don’t have to have a perfect activity for everyone every day.  It is very acceptable to tell you pony loving child that today we are cycling and that tomorrow will be their day and they can go pony riding and choose the lunch on their day.  So keep your expectations realistic and go with your gut instincts.

Packing for your holiday
What ever you think you need, you can probably halve it.A helpful trick is to always dress your children in layers.  This saves taking bulky jerseys which then will probably not wear.  Also if it is warm I have often found that my sons put on their Bermuda style swimming shorts in the morning, and since they dry so fast, they actually end pretty much wearing them all day everyday.  Equally, pyjamas take up space and kids are often quite happy to bath, pop on a t-shirt and soft jersey shorts, and then have a last run around and fall quietly into bed.  So now I don’t even bother packing pjs.  Remember, this is a holiday, you can break any rules you want, just make sure that it makes it easier for you and they think that it is a treat.

Next, you need to be ready for the actual journey.  Do not expect your children to be perfect, holidays are exciting so don’t ask too much of them and then they will probably surprise you and behave far better than you expected.  Do however, be prepared and buy some special activity packs, sticker books or whatever they will see as a treat and don’t let them have it too early.  If you are in for a long day then you need to manage the treats.

Finally, don’t worry about anyone outside of your family.Kids much prefer to play eye spy with you, than have to hear you constantly reminding them to keep quite because of the other passengers.  However boring the other passengers may find eye spy, it is a lot better than hearing a parent shouting or a kid screaming.

Now you just need to make sure that you are calm enough to have fun and relax.