What is actually important on holiday?
Truth 1: Just laying in bed is nicer than few would dare to admit
The pressures of everyday life can easily follow you on holiday: there is so much to see and experience, that it seems there isn't enough time for calming down and relaxing, even on holiday. While browsing social media, it can even feel as if the family friends have already gone jogging, to a museum, and shopping when you would still like to lay in bed for a while after breakfast.
Few would admit that one of the best parts of having time off is laying in bed, alone or together. "We slouched in bed and ate crisps while watching Frozen for the five-thousandth time" might not be the most ideal greeting for a postcard, or the social media status update with the most likes, but it's still quality family time just the same.
Truth 2: The significance of a functioning WiFi for keeping the peace among family members must not be underestimated
How does the weather look this afternoon? Which tram takes you to the Linnanmäki amusement park? How late is the toy store open? What kind of vacation greetings should we post on social media? The internet is an inseparable part of the modern traveller's tool kit.
Many dream of a holiday without the internet and electronic devices, but few dare to follow through with it. The cartoons, your spouse's sports scores and the opportunity for the teens to fill Snapchat with hotel selfies, besides being important activities, also do their part in keeping the peace within the family. It's also difficult to justify your own vacation posts on social media, if others are forbidden to use the internet.
Truth 3: The Joneses are the Joneses, even on holiday.
Many imagine everything being different while on holiday. Children behaving like angels and even the adults are completely different than they actually are. In reality, the family going on holiday is still the same family — which is good because it is what makes the family unique. Nobody should be forced into a strange vacation mold. Sports crazy people can keep doing sports, even while on holiday, which is another good reason to choose a hotel with a gym and swimming pool. If a family can't be described as quiet and patient, not even in the furthest reaches of the term, the children can be excused sometimes from the dinner table to the play room.
How does the holiday look through the eyes of a child? Watch the video series!
You can also read the ABCs of traveling with children, part 1: the packing list for families with children
