Contents
Plan everything before departure… or almost!
Make your life easier by traveling as light as possible. Make a detailed list of what you will absolutely need. Take health records, photocopies of identity papers, passports … Remember to take a first aid kit with basic medicines for sunburns, insect bites, stomach problems, motion sickness … you on the temperatures of your destination to plan appropriate outfits, plus a warm and rainy garment, just in case … Don’t forget the darling blanket and games to occupy the children – the game console, the tablet or your smartphone can save your trip, but make it clear that this is only during the trip! Bring something to occupy the little ones in rainy weather: board games to play together, coloring pages, collages, illustrated books to keep them occupied. Take their favorite DVDs and watch them with them. Study your route in detail, schedule breaks to stretch your legs, and grab a bite to eat and drink.
Let go
All moms (and also dads) in the world have intangible rules that punctuate the daily life of the family. The holidays are an opportunity for everyone to breathe a bit, to change their living environment and rhythms. Don’t exhaust yourself wanting everything to be sorted out like you would at home. It’s okay if your baby falls asleep in his stroller in the shade while you finish eating lunch. No need to feel guilty if the children eat less than usual! You can have lunch later if you go on an excursion, exceptionally skip the nap, have a huge snack, nibble on a sandwich as a meal, go out for an evening or two with the family to see the fireworks or eat an ice cream. Accept the unexpected and the new. Don’t blame your man for bringing back barbeque-flavored crisps, pizzas, and dessert creams when you wanted greens and fruit.
Empower children
Children love to participate in household activities, they are proud to help by being useful. Don’t hesitate to delegate responsibilities to them. Placing cutlery, glasses and plates on a table is within the reach of a 2½ / 3-year-old child. If there is any breakage, they will quickly understand the value of controlling their movements. Summer clothes are easy to put on, let them choose their outfits and dress on their own. Have them rinse and dry their wet swimsuits and towels when they get back from the beach. Give them a bag they can put the things and toys they want to take on a ride. They will be responsible for collecting them before leaving. The holidays are an ideal time for them to learn to shower on their own and to independently manage the use of the potty and / or the toilets of adults..
Defuse tensions
Just because we’re on vacation doesn’t mean we’re not going to argue anymore. In reality, it’s like the rest of the year, only worse, because we’re together 24 hours a day! When one is at the end of his tether, he calls the other for help and goes for a little walk to breathe and calm down. Another liberating technique is to write down anything that gets on your nerves, empty your bag, don’t censor yourself, then tear up the sheet of paper and throw it away. You have become Zen again! Do not get tired of the chaos that you are fed up with these rotten holidays, do not complain at the slightest opportunity because it is contagious. Everyone starts to moan! Instead, ask yourself what you can change to make yourself feel better. When you are upset or angry, express your feelings in the first person, replace each “You are lazy, you are selfish” with “I am upset, it makes me sad”. These basic techniques will lighten the holiday atmosphere.
Enchant your days
From breakfast, ask everyone: “What could you do to make your day good today, to have fun?” Ask yourself the question too. Because if it is nice to do activities together, we can also plan activities in groups and solo. Remember to arrange a daily break just for you, a manicure or relaxation break, a nap in the shade, a bike ride … Go for a dip in the sea early in the morning or at the end of the day, in short, do not you do not deprive of a small solo escapade, you will be all the more happy to find your tribe.
Play the alternation from the start
Your man has the firm intention of getting back to sport, lazing around reading thrillers, sleeping in… In short, his plan is to make the most of the holidays. While you take care of the little ones who are literally glued to your skirts and demand your permanent attention? No way ! Otherwise, you will come home from vacation feeling lean and frustrated. To avoid this, calmly explain to dad that you too are on vacation, that you are going to work alternately, 50% you, 50% him. Explain to him that you rely on him to look after the children, take them for walks, collect seashells, watch them while swimming and make sandcastles with them while you sunbathe quietly or go shopping or a jogging. Distribute the tasks, one will do the shopping and the other the kitchen, one will tidy the living room, the other will do the dishes, one will take care of the baths and the other will manage the bedtime … make children and parents happy.
Rest, sleep …
All the polls show, nine in ten vacationers believe that the purpose of a vacation is to recover from the fatigue accumulated during the year.
Children are tired too, so put the whole family to rest. Go to bed when you feel the first signs of needing to sleep, take naps, and let young and old get up late and hang out for breakfast. There is no rush, it’s the holidays!
Simplify your life
Once there, choose simple meals, brunches in the morning, mixed salads, picnics at noon, large pasta dishes, barbecues, pancakes and pancakes in the evening.
Nothing prevents you, from time to time, to make dinner the children at 19 p.m. and to have dinner alone at 21 p.m. Buy from time to time regional cooked meals at the market and frozen vegetables at the supermarket to avoid fluff chores …
Go on a romantic date from time to time
Becoming parents does not mean drawing a line in your married life. Give yourself some fresh air, entrust your child to a babysitter to go out to dinner with your sweetheart or go out with friends. Check with the tourist office to find a list of local babysitters and see several to find that rare gem you trust. Above all, do not take advantage of these escapades to take out all the “sensitive” files that you did not have time to deal with during the year and which degenerate into a row (your mother, the children, your job, your friends, the leaks in the bathroom, etc.). Take advantage of these balmy summer evenings and savor the
happiness to find you face to face, quite simply.
Ludivine, mother of Léon, 4 years old, Ambre et violette, 2 years old: “We take advantage of the children above all”
“We work a lot, so the holidays are to enjoy our children. We do everything together and it’s great. But at night, we sleep like babies ! All the magazines say so : holidays are the perfect time for couples to warm up sexually ! But we are not in a naughty mood, especially with sunburns ! And like the rest of the year, we’re tired and stressed, we feel badly guilty… It’s a real challenge and each time, we reassure ourselves by telling ourselves that we will be on a romantic trip “soon”. “