The secret to a successful holiday with the kids

Travelling with children can be a challenge, or at least a completely different experience to travelling without them.
Perhaps it will be a holiday that proceeds at a slower tempo, and in all likelihood it will be quite different to your previous holidays when the kids weren’t along for the ride – there aren’t usually as many late nights when you have a little travel companion. On the other hand, you now have someone by your side who will be curious about most things, and with whom it is wonderful to share so many new discoveries and experiences!

Plan your trip based on your child’s needs

The secret to a successful holiday with kids is actually quite simple: plan and adapt the trip around the needs of the youngest member of your group. There may be a lot of things that you would really like to see and experience at and around your holiday destination, but the chances are that your child is likely to have other needs. Visiting yet another cathedral, or milling around the third picturesque little village for the day, is probably not something that is high on your little one’s wish list – but resting at regular intervals and exploring the greatness of small things very well might be. And who knows – perhaps having to cater to your child’s need for rest and a slower tempo will do wonders for the whole family? Your holiday might not be full of (from an adult’s perspective) awesome activities, but a child’s ability to be present in the moment can mean that even the beautiful stones you find on a beach or a new flavour of ice cream can become a different type of awesome experience.

Have reasonable expectations when travelling with children

Another key to achieving a successful holiday experience is to have reasonable expectations. If everyday life at home is intense, the chances are that life on holiday probably will be as well. Something magical doesn’t suddenly happen to children just because they are on holiday – they rarely become calm and relaxed, as is often the case with adults when holidaying. On the contrary, it is perhaps more likely that children will be excited by all the new things they are experiencing, and also a little stressed by the fact that everything is different to the way things are at home. So it could be a good idea to reassess what a holiday actually means at this particular point in your family’s development – it might not consist of lazy days spent lounging by the pool, but rather the luxury of being able to spend more time together with the other members of your family, enjoying each other’s company and getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

If you and your spouse or partner are both on the trip and have dreams of reliving the freedom and undemanding nature of past holidays, it is a good idea for each of you to schedule some time on your own during the day. That way, you will both get to enjoy a period of much-needed relaxation during the day.

Some helpful travel tips

Regardless of whether you are travelling by car, train or plane, some planning is required when packing prior to departure. Food, changes of clothing (and nappies if relevant), water, wet wipes and toys are just a few examples of things that are good to have close at hand – you never know when there might be delays or unexpected stops along the way. Small snacks to invigorate their mood and various toys to play with are usually popular with kids when they’re strapped into a seat and are finding things a little boring. Books, drawing paper and some fun apps and movies on a tablet are usually also popular and effective forms of entertainment. It is usually nice for children if the opportunity arises to unstrap them so that they can walk around a little from time to time during the journey – walking up and down the aisle while checking out the other passengers can be a fun way to pass the time. If you are travelling by car, it can be nice to make short stops at regular intervals – rest areas often have playgrounds where the kids can play for a while, which can be much needed after sitting still in the car for a couple of hours.

Routines at the holiday destination

Young children are usually comfortable when life is structured around established routines, and they may become a little disconcerted when their normal routines and habits are shaken up. It is therefore a good idea, if possible, to try to maintain your child’s daily routines even when you are on holiday. Eating at roughly the same times as usual, and following more or less the same routine in the evening, can help make the trip go more smoothly for children and adults alike. Routines provide a sense of security and familiarity, and it can therefore be nice to be able to lean on them in an otherwise completely new environment.

At the same time, it is of course important not to fixate entirely on your child’s usual habits and mealtimes when you are on holiday – it must be possible to make a few departures from the norm in favour of a little holiday fun! Most children are more than capable of coping with a few late evenings and the odd dinner in a restaurant at nine o’clock in the evening, and a little advance planning can also help in this regard. For example, if you have booked a table at a restaurant and know that your child will be eating and staying up a little later than usual, perhaps it is a good idea to let the child have an extra little nap and an extra snack during the afternoon? It is up to you to assess what is best for your child, and you must decide the extent to which you should maintain or adjust your usual routines based on how your child functions in different situations. Even though we stand by our advice that you should plan and adapt your holiday around the needs of the youngest member of your group, it is also important to remember that a holiday should be enjoyed by everyone – the best holidays are usually those on which children AND parents have their needs met!

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.