Tips for Planning a Holiday When You Have Young Kids

Planning a holiday can be stressful and time-consuming at the best of times. But when you have little ones to consider as part of your plans, things get even trickier! I think it’s important not to get overwhelmed.  Otherwise, you will quickly lose the enthusiasm for what is meant to be a fun and relaxing break for you and your loved ones. So, if you are planning an Easter or summer holiday with your kids this year, here are my tips on how to make sure it all goes smoothly. Reputation, recommendations and reviews Whenever I am booking hotels, restaurants and other parts of our family holidays, I always rely on reputation, recommendations and reviews. This means that I always book with companies that I have worked with before, or that I know have a good reputation. For example, Venere hotels are a trustworthy accommodation option for families. If we are traveling somewhere new to us, I will ask my family and friends for recommendations on things to do and see with children. And, I also always check out reviews from previous customers before booking anything. This means I have peace of mind that I am booking a holiday that is suitable for my family. Use your spare time While juggling the many commitments of looking after kids (not to mention any work commitments you may have) it can be difficult to find time to even think about your holiday. Unfortunately, a family trip can’t be planned in a rush. My advice is to start early and do what you can, when you can. When the kids are at school, in bed or when you are commuting to work, you and your partner can use this time to start investigating potential destinations and booking what you can. Divide up the planning between you if possible. Start packing now! It may sound silly to start packing for a summer holiday now. However, when you’ve got you own suitcase and your children’s suitcases to get organised, it can be a potential disaster if you leave it until the last minute. One holiday I was so concentrated on packing summer clothes for my daughter, that I completely forgot to pack clothes for myself! Of course, you won’t be able to pack everything now. But items like towels, swimwear, flip flops, etc. are things you can root out now and save yourself stress and time on the lead up to your holiday. Be flexible It is important to book the important things in advance, like flights and accommodation. But, when it comes to the smaller details of your holiday, I think it helps to take a flexible approach. Kids are unpredictable. One minute they want to go to the park, the next minute they are demanding to be taken home. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to stick to a strict itinerary. Instead, have a few ideas in mind of what you might like to do as a family and take each as it comes. Most importantly of all, enjoy the quality time with your nearest and dearest! Bon voyage! Follow me: BlogLovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Google+ // Pinterest // Instagram *This post may contain sponsored or affiliate links and PR samples.