Going away with kids is hardly a holiday challenging, but rest assured, at Swish we have put together a helpful guide to make sure your next vacation doesn’t stress you out before, during or after your trip.
Before you Travel with Kids
Before you sign on the dotted line for your next trip, viewing the picture perfect families enjoying a beautiful dinner with pristine white table cloths, consider this. You’re going with your own family. Are your little darlings suited to a contemporary pad with cream fabric sofas and plenty of breakables? Do the marble staircases really work with a toddler in the house and is the pool somewhere you can see your lot having fun, day in day out?
Preparing to travel with the family means your mind will be spinning with important questions like “Does each child have their necessary paperwork”? “When did we last have tetanus booster shots?” and “where are Mimi’s swimming goggles”? So, one way to mitigate the risks of anything going wrong is obsessive preparation.
Packing can be an Art Form in Itself.
Always take 20% less than you think you need, as we know you’ll end up using only 40% of what you take!
As for children’s paraphernalia, you can find numerous ways to downsize before you come. Baby and infant items can be sourced locally so do ask us for help at Swish. Cosmetics can be bought in smaller sizes and today’s gadgets save space too. How many books can you fit on a kindle?
You can even check out Japanese tidiness guru, Mari Kondo’s sound advice to become a veritable packing ninja (if you’re that way inclined.)
On the Journey with Children
So you’re off. You made it. Your 4 shiny, well packed cases are nicely checked in and you are on time for your flight and already in your seats. Now is the time to start your in-flight entertainment programme, also known as giving the kids the ipad. We find this prevents arguments, crying, and general embarrassment. During the flight you can also call on the power of sweet snacks on demand to keep the blood sugar up, drinks, and in-flight shopping. Yes, we mean for you not the little ones!
On Vacation with Kids
When you have safely checked into your hotel, apartment or villa the holiday can get underway. We recommend maintaining a sense of balance. Yes, education never stops but if you think your ten year olds will thank you for turning the trip into one long museum tour, think again. Likewise, too much pool time, beach time or sun can make your cherished ones hyperactive, and we all know what that means.
About half way through your holiday you will reach that sense of “aaaaand relax”-it can take a few days to kick in. You might even find that despite the pre- holiday stress, spending so much quality time together is what you all needed to remind you that there is no such thing as a picture perfect family.
If your bunch don’t give you that sense of zen, however, the main thing to remember is we can help! There’s plenty of things to do in Marbella, from the obvious sea and sand related to adventure safaris and fantastic experiences for children. If it all gets too much – outsource! Our nanny service could save the day.
After the Trip with Kids
After your holiday is over, it’s going to take you a day or two to re-adjust. Your suntan will fade but those quality moments spent together will stay with you a great deal longer. If you have played your cards right you could even find your picture perfect family being selected for our brochure next year!
