Our family recently traveled half way across the world to Cyprus (near Greece), where my husband is from, for several weeks. As our son was almost 2 years old when we traveled this time, let’s just say that the terms “vacation” or “holiday” are just a figure of speech. As Kelly Ripa put it, these are more like trips, once you have children.
Anyhow, here are my tips to make your vacation or holiday a success, or at least a bit less stressful.
1. Embrace the potential chaos
When you travel for holidays, or accommodate friends and relatives in your home, expect your routine to…shift, for lack of a better word.
If there is a time difference, you will have to adjust.
You will also have to learn to share space with others and deal with the different energy levels. This was a big thing for me. I thought my son was high energy. Once we had been in my in-laws’ house for a few days, his energy level was duplicated. I didn’t recognize my kid. I literally thought he was possessed. And it went on for the entire trip. So, instead of making a case out of his behavior, I had to let him be. Otherwise, I was policing him all the time, which is exhausting, and I was not a happy mama. I just told myself that as long as he is not getting hurt and having fun, it’s all good.
2. Find things to do with your kids
Before leaving, research playgrounds and kid events and classes. This helped a lot. Even a 2-year old gets bored at the beach, so having plans B, C and maybe D was really helpful. And it also gave us a different experience compared to what we were used to at home in terms of activities.
3. Indulge!
If you’re going out of town or out of the country, try the local wines and foods. We went to the bakery far too many times to account for, but, hey! we only live once.
Also, if you’re not staying home for the holidays, enjoy the cultural differences. Listen to the radio, do some people watching while sipping your coffee or ouzo. It’s amazing how much you can learn by just being a spectator of your surroundings.
4. Make time for yourself
This made a world of a difference. I am used to being in my house with just my son during the day, and then Daddy comes home and life as a family carries on. Whether visiting family or family visiting you, make sure to make time for yourself, and that your kids get some time to themselves as well. I was beyond overwhelmed with the constant buzzing of people and things going on in the house. I had to isolate myself in a neutral place to quiet my mind. Getting my little guy away from his new surroundings also helped him to quiet down.
5. Last but not least: packing
Even though our trip lasted 6 weeks, we still packed light and we made sure that we bought doubles of our son’s lovies. You never know if you lose or misplace it, Amazon might not be readily available where you are heading to…and you want to avoid repercussions from your favorite tiny person, right?
I hope these tips will help you on your next vacation or holiday. Most of all, enjoy and make beautiful memories!
