When it comes to planning a family holiday, does it fill you with dread? Trying to work it so that everyone from the age of 5 right through to 50 is happy can be a logistic nightmare. It is possible, however, to survive such occasions and actually have lots of fun.
Family holidays aren’t something you’ll have to experience forever, so it’s important you do what you can to enjoy such rare and special moments together. Follow a few golden rules and your next family get-together will be a memorable one.
Pick the Right Accommodation
When it comes to choosing accommodation for your holidays in Portugal, there’s plenty to choose from. All-inclusive family hotels, exclusive resorts, self-catering chalets, and luxurious villas. If you’re holidaying as a family, it’s going to be nice if you can live like a family; so booking a villa, house, a log cabin or castle is going to be preferable to booking several hotel rooms. It’ll also make you all feel more like locals because you’ll get to know the local baker, grocer, markets, restaurants and bars.
Allocate Certain Responsibilities
Rather than one person being responsible for everything, it’s good if the load can be spread and everyone plays a part in the organisation and planning. Agree who is going to be responsible for cooking meals, doing the washing up or the laundry, and a person who’s in charge of all the travel documentation. The theory is that when you’re working together as a team, there will be fewer arguments.
Go Out for Lunch Rather Than Dinner
When the family group includes young children, lunching out is much less stress than going out for dinner. If you’re holidaying in Europe, expect evening dining to be very long and drawn out affairs which can be very difficult if you’re trying to stick to a sleep schedule. Cooking your own meals in the evening can be quite a lot of fun and it means different tastes and appetites can be better catered for. All the family can also get involved and enjoy picking out ingredients for dinner at the local produce markets.
Value Alone Time
Just because you’re travelling as a family doesn’t mean you have to be in each other’s pockets for the whole of the time. Feeling the need always to be together is one of the things that makes family holidays so stressful. You don’t spend every waking hour together when you’re at home, so why put added strain on the family by trying to do it when you’re on holiday? Allowing family members to have time to themselves is important, especially when you take family relationships and sibling rivalry into account.
Family holidays can be very special times together as long as you don’t expect miracles. With some careful planning and lots of thought, it doesn’t have to be stressful. You’re not always going to be able to enjoy holidays together as a family, so making the most of them while you can is very important. Before you know it your kids will have flown the nest, and you’ll be holidaying as a couple once again.
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