Do you prefer to stay at home???

[paul]

Courtesy of Travelmole.

Trying to organise a family holiday and keeping everyone happy can be such a stressful experience that a third of all parents would rather stay at home.

Sixty five per cent of families admitted they had difficulty trying to accommodate everyone’s tastes and expectations when planning a summer break, with 34% wishing they could opt out altogether and stay at home.

The poll of 600 families Virgin Holidays’ Taste of Adventure brand showed that 32% of parents got so stressed by planning a family holiday that they would rather go with people from work. One in four even rated holiday planning as more stressful than moving house.

Family psychologist Dr Sheila Keegan’s top tips to ‘peacefully brokering family holidays’ are, according to Virgin Holidays:

1. Let every family member have their say and try to incorporate something for everyone

2. Don’t over-plan. Accept that the unexpected is often the most fun – allow time for it.

3. Build in some time when you each do different things. You will have more to share when you get together in the evening

4. Try to incorporate different activities and a different pace – it will make the holiday seem longer

5. Teenagers are desperate to be with other teenagers, so consider group holidays where you can all meet new friends and you can spend time with your partner.

6. Choose holiday where you have lots of contact with local people. It greatly adds to the experience and it can help children develop their social skills and independence.

She said: “Organising Family holidays can be a notoriously difficult and intense time in the family calendar.

“Expectations are high, with a year’s worth of stress to relieve and the pressure to have a good time. But different family members want different things and this can lead to blow-ups.

“Families don’t spend all their time in each other’s pockets during the year, so why do we assume that it will be easy just because we’re on holiday? Teenagers miss their mates, and their Play Stations.

“Parents often fret about their work; they can even miss their work colleagues. Tensions between couples that are diluted when at home, can flare up in the hot-house holiday environment.

“Often the beginning of the holiday is fine, as everyone enjoys the excitement of being away and exploring new territory. By week two, however, it can turn into a Big Brother scenario, with bickering and full blown rows.

“It is possible to create a holiday that everyone enjoys, but it needs careful planning - involving everyone in the decision. It also needs a willingness to accommodate different tastes, perhaps even trying things which are new for all the family. This focuses attention outwards, on the new activity, rather than on petty family squabbles.

“A holiday that is effectively two holidays in one can be an excellent solution to the dilemma, especially if it combines chill out time with activities and adventure which bond the family together and provide great stories and photos when they return home.”

Paul
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[angelro]

It depends on the person.Lots of people like to travel (if they have the money and the time) but there are also people that like to stay home and watch T.V. Most of the people if not ALL on this forum like to travel

[Heartlyn]

I think I would like to travel...unfortunately, we don't have a lot of money, and our traveling involves going as far as the car will take us on a weekend. If I win the lottery, I'm going to Europe, and I'll get there one day even if I don't win any money. :
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[loki]

no way! i think we've cracked the 'travelling in a family' issue, the key seems to be getting a decent apartment rather than a hotel. refer my recent post http://www.aardvarktravel.net/chat/viewtopic.php?p=108389#108389 on travelling with kids in rome.

also, the more you travel with kids, the better you all get at it.
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[robart]

Hi All,

Ya its true but i like travelling a lot. Its good to be out there on vacations, I reccomend u all to have a look at a place called Icmeler. Its a very nice place to be. Icemeler is situated in turkey, hazy mountains, sandy beach and lovely sport in water to see natural look.A place to stay longer and relax to rejuvenate the body and mind in the beautiful Icmeler. The quieter resort of Içmeler, with its wide bay of sand and shingle beach is only a short dolmus ride away. There is more space to sunbathe and a huge variety of watersports on offer. Icmeler has got plenty of shops , jewellery shops selling silver and gold always much cheaper. As you move around in Icmeler, the scene opens out onto the spectacular blue waters beyond the natural harbor.

robart
Icmeler

[MrsViking]

Travelling with small children certainly has limitations, but we still enjoy it!

After having our first 3 years ago, we still travelled as much as before, making it various destinations in Europe, but also Madeira and Oman. I can highly recommend Oman if you're looking for winter sun - it's a reasonable flight, and facilities are good, including health care if anything should happen.

The arrival of no 2 (now 9 months) made things a bit more complicated, and we didn't actually go anywhere for the first 6 months (apart from a weekend break in Rome by ourselves, courtesy of grandparents babysitting). Since then we've travelled to Ireland by car and Sweden by plane (we have relatives in both places). To be honest, I'm not sure when we'll bother booking another flight - the children were great, but flying has just become such a hassle with all the security checks, baggage handling mix-ups and what not. Our return flight from Sweden (the weekend following the London and Glasgow bombings), was delayed by almost 4 hours due to slot allocation problems in Heathrow. In total, we were strapped in our seats for 6 hours, not fun!

For us, I think the answer is going to be holidays by car/ferry, at least for the next few years...
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[Crend]

It depends on such a conditions like total income
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[OnTheGo]

My parents always made sure to take us on a trip every summer. I know it must have been a hassle for them with three children, but I am so happy they did. It has instilled in my siblings and I an appreciation for different cultures and a passion or traveling and trying new things. I hope to be able to do the same with my children some day.

[bigbe]

[Trev]

There are some interesting crosses between self-catering (vacation rentals) and hotels appearing around the UK currently. I suspect these have existed elsewhere for a while, infact Accor have them as Suite 6 brand, but not seen many here.

The main advantage is that you've got the hotel facilities which are handy for the kids etc. but you get the apartment all to yourself with kitchen which is ideal for families.

Trev
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[byokids]

Hi
travelling with kids is fantastic. I agree that apartments make it much easier and also house swapping is becoming very popular for families.
We operate a travel agency in australia that specialises in family holidays and I agree with the stats on parents that just think its too hard or too scary. We spend a lot of time giving families the confidence to travel with kids and when they do they love it.
I think parents are getting more adventurious all the time
leah
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[raven]

Travelling with your kids can be limiting but it can also be the best experience of your life. They really help to bring the wonder back into travel.
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[mrs kitty]

I agree with Rave. Travelling with children is indeed a great experience, tiring but awesome.

You have the gift of re-learning to see and appreciate things through their eyes and their surprise. My son is 2. he is now independent, sleeps everywhere and eats anything. We had a great vacation in a place that maybe is not ideal for kids.

I think that the most limiting time in travelling with young kids is between 6 months and 1 year old. They start eating real food but not yet adult food so you have to take all the baby food around, atc atc. In that case, sometimes, it's better to stay home.

Ciao
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[Fazza47]

My son is just over two now and wants to do everything his way. I love being on holiday with him as I get to do everything I wouldnt be able to do if it were just my wife and I.

He gets tired at about 19:30 and when he gets tired he gets naughty so night time activities are limited.

I wouldnt change it for the worl though as agree with a child you get to see things through their eyes which is always nice.
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[kaka]

I like travel. But the travel should within 2 weeks and the schedule is not too busy.
A three weeks vacation with a tight schedule made me very tired.
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