Family travel can be one of the most stressful things to plan when you’re a parent. Every single day of being a parent can be quite the stressful thing in the first place, but the moment you decide to take the whole family away on holiday in the hopes of relaxing and having fun? That’s when the real pressure kicks in!
No matter how old your children are, there’s always going to be that last minute panic when you think you’ve forgotten something, or someone says they need to go to the toilet in the middle of a five hour drive. Kids don’t tend to understand just how much these situations turn holiday planning into an awkward and complicated thing!
And the worst day for panic and stress of this magnitude is the day before. The eve of your family trip will always have that sense of last minute rush about it, but can you lessen the pressure that comes down on you when there’s less than 24 hours to go? We think so!
It’s why we’ve made the list of stress busting, last minute worry-soothing tips down below. Check them out if the eve of a holiday always turns out to be a problem for your family in particular!
Triple Check the Bags and Then Put Them Out of Reach
Triple checking means you pack the bags and leave them for an hour, then come back to double check you’ve got everything ticked off of your packing checklist. The triple check comes in another hour after that; have one more look through so you can be sure, and then zip the cases, put the travel locks on them, and pop them out of reach.
Not only will this prevent you from checking them one more time just in case, but it means the kids won’t be able to take things out of their suitcases without telling you.
Say they’ve packed a toy they want to take on holiday, but they suddenly decide they want to play with it now as well. If the bag is out of reach – perhaps locked away in the boot of the car. They won’t unzip the case, pull things out, make a big mess, and forget to put everything back in again!
In this scenario, the kids will have to ask, and then it’s up to you whether or not the bags stay packed as they are.
Going Abroad? Stay Close to Your Transport Link
Waking up at 3am or 4am in order to have time to travel to the airport is rough. It’s rough on you, it’s rough on the kids, and if you’re driving, it can even be a little bit dangerous. That’s why you should think about booking a hotel for the night before that’s close to your transport link.
If you can stay in the airport hotel, you won’t have to rush to get to the right terminal. You can simply make sure you’re out of your room and down at customs two hours before your flight is due to take off, and you’ll never have to go faster than a walk. That’s much easier on little legs!
Or if you stay only a couple of miles away, you won’t have to get up at an ungodly hour in the middle of the night. You can get up at a much more reasonable time in the early morning, depending on when your flight is, but you’ll be able to get at least two more hours of sleep before you have to set off.
Book Your Airport Parking Now
If you’re going to be using the airport to get to and from your holiday destination, don’t leave finding a parking spot to chance. Get the kids safely strapped into the back of the car, make sure all the luggage is tucked neatly into the boot, and then use an app like Parking Up to ensure you get a good, fairly priced spot once you’ve arrived.
In fact, everything that can be done in advance before getting to the airport should be done in advance. Check in online, for example, and double check that your airline and selected flight have all the facilities you may need.
Beat Back Stress on the Eve of Your Family Trip
It’s easier to manage than you might think! Get closer to your departure point, give yourself more time to sleep, and try not to get bogged down in an anxious checking cycle.
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