Is it really a holiday if it’s a holiday with kids?
As we come to the end of the school summer holidays, I bet many of us are asking - when you’re on holiday with kids… is it even a holiday? Perhaps it’s more like parenting in a different location. Stressful, sweaty and not very relaxing…
Get in touch with me with any questions! hello@andbreathewellbeing.com
On one of our first family holidays as a three
The picture postcard of a carefree family holiday as painted on saccharine TV holiday ads is just not my bag - even though I am a loving mum of two spirited little ladies.
Resonate?
Sure, creating beautiful memories is so important and I feel very blessed that my two children are company for each other, despite their seven year age gap. For many years we had an only child, and it can be a different experience if that’s you too. Either way, as parents today, we often feel the pressure to keep them constantly entertained, not helped by the picture perfect insta-holidays posted by our favourite friends and influencers.
Remember that holidays with your kids will become their memories, precious flashbacks when they’re older, no matter how rubbish they seemed at the time. So no, you don’t need to be the hands on mum, you don’t need to be everything - you just need to be there.
Holidays were always going to be different with kids. It’s inevitable. The halcyon days of being single or being a carefree child-free couple are a distant memory! And as mums, it’s in our DNA (or societal expectation) to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves.
Which is why (yes, I’m banging that drum again) it’s important you make time for yourself too. You can’t pour from an empty cup. So make sure you plan self-care on your holiday - it’s your holiday too!
Annoyingly, getting some time for yourself whilst you’re away does require planning, and it’s important to make sure you set your expectations before you go away.
Come up for air.
Book our award-winning retreat, for your body AND mind. Click HERE for more >>>
Here are my top tips if you are planning a family holiday with little people:
Pick somewhere with a kids club;
Plan a holiday with groups of friends who have kids around the same age too - that way your offspring have a ready-made gang to hang out with;
Bring a holiday nanny;
Join us on an &Breathe retreat! Enjoy time as a family but also enjoy time on yourself. You can secure your spot on a family well-being retreat in 2024 right now.
I’ve written more about how I hate playing with my kids on holiday for The i Paper, check it out here.
An &Breathe Family retreat!
If you are going on holiday over the next few weeks, don’t force ‘fun’. Enjoy the time away from the stresses and strains of daily life, soak up being with your family and permit yourself to recharge, read that book you’ve been meaning to, have lie-ins or go for a solo wander.
Being happy is an job you need to take care of yourself, and in the same way you’re advised on the plane to put on your oxygen mask before helping others, challenge yourself to do the same on holiday.
Allow yourself to come up for air.
Join a retreat? Click here for more info or drop me a line at hello@andbreathewellbeing.com
Want more support on your postnatal or motherhood identity or sexual wellbeing? Book a 1-2-1 consultation with me HERE.
At &Breathe we’re passionate about wellbeing for postnatal, families, and peri-menopause. Click below to learn more about our RETREATS and my BOOK: