Turn off the TV. Walk away from your phone. Feel the immediate benefits wash over you when you are able to be really present in the moment you’re experiencing and aren’t distracted by a screen.
3.) Say Yes: Why can’t the kids get muddy? They are washable. Why can’t they climb that tree, jump in those puddles, build that sandcastle, build that fort? There’s no reason at all to say no. The freedom you will feel and the joy they will feel in just saying YES to these experiences of childhood will ensure this is without a doubt, a holiday to remember.
Want to increase the effect? Say yes not only TO them, but WITH them! Put your gumboots on and splash in those puddles, Mumma!
4.) Unplug: Turn off the TV. Walk away from your phone. Feel the immediate benefits wash over you when you are able to be really present in the moment you’re experiencing and aren’t distracted by a screen. When we recently spent a week away, we chose to leave the TV off for the duration of our stay and switched off from social media; instead of staring or scrolling, we spent our time outdoors, cooking, talking, reading, adventuring and exploring. When I came home and logged back in to Facebook, I felt my stress levels and anxiety rise almost immediately. The benefits of unplugging cannot be overstated. Switch off everyone else, and tune in to yourself.
…sure, a holiday with children doesn’t involve endless days on quiet beaches sipping cocktails uninterrupted. But it does involve a lot of love, joy and laughter…
5.) Let It Go: A holiday with children is not the same as a holiday without children. This doesn’t mean it is better, or worse, but it is different. Accepting those differences and appreciating this as a new and seperate experience from pre-kid vacations, ensures that you don’t get stuck in a cycle of comparing what used to be, with what now is.
It’s time to let go of expectations that restrict you; sure, a holiday with children doesn’t involve endless days on quiet beaches sipping cocktails uninterrupted. But it does involve a lot of love, joy and laughter if you can release your perception of what a holiday ‘should’ be, and instead, just let it be.
Holidaying with our family give us the opportunity to reconnect with the ones we love – and with ourselves.
So, go on. Book that vaycay.
It’s going to be a good one.
Samantha Johnson is a writer, mother and fan of facts, fiction, feminism and families. You can find more of her articles over at The Huffington Post and follow her on Twitter.
