When you really think about it, booking a family break can look weirdly easy when it’s still just tabs open on a laptop. Meaning, you got the nice photos, a tidy little description, maybe a pool, maybe a view, maybe some line about “perfect for families”, and yeah, okay, that all sounds lovely. Well, it probably will be a lovely time too. But keep in mind that it doesn’t take much for a kid to get bored; it doesn’t take much for them to immediately want to gravitate towards wanting to use a screen. Which, probably, wasn’t what you intended to happen.
That’s usually when it clicks. The stay itself really does matter, like, it matters a lot here because if the place gives kids absolutely nothing to latch onto, then the adults end up doing all the heavy lifting. Which, sure, is normal, but you’re supposed to be relaxing too, plus, they should have some independence as well. So, what should you consider before booking anything?
Kids Usually Do Better When Every Minute isn’t Micromanaged
You probably don’t like being micromanaged, so just imagine how your kids would probably feel. But just generally speaking, though, there’s often this pressure to make a family trip feel worth the money, so it’s like everything needs a plan, which includes breakfast, outing, snack, activity, lunch, another activity, maybe some forced family memory on top. Which, you could probably assume here, that it gets super tiring super fast.
A lot of kids are actually better when the fun isn’t all laid out for them like a meeting agenda. Sure, most kids like structure, but kids also love breathing room too, so you should really give them a place where they can wander a bit, look at things, spot odd little details, make up strange games, and just generally poke about, and they’ll often do more with that than with some packed schedule anyway. That’s the sweet spot, really, when the stay itself gives them enough to work with.
Just Have Things Going on Without Trying too Hard
Again, it’s not about having some giant schedule; while a lot of families do that, it usually ends up with everyone overstimulated, frustrated, tired, and sometimes just looking forward to the whole trip being over. So, instead, when you’re looking at an accommodation, just see what it offers to entertain kids, well, the whole family.
For example, it’s pretty common for an RV resort to have an outdoor space for mingling (including picnic tables, playground, sometimes an indoor billiards/ pool table), sometimes theres a pool, at hotel resorts it’s not too uncommon to have walking paths or little trails, sometimes even a court for tennis. These are examples, of course, but there’s nothing that has to be overdone here.
Sometimes the Most Convenient Stay is Also the Flattest
Which, sure, that sounds a bit rude, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s true, though. So, some stays are very tidy, very easy, very straightforward, and also a bit dead for children. Adults can look at a clean room and think, it’s all sorted. Kids can look at that exact same room and think, right, something like ‘now what?” That’s usually when things have the potential to go down here.
If the place itself feels too bland, too contained, too samey (like those chain hotels), then all the entertainment has to come from somewhere else. Usually, the parents. Which, sure, maybe that’s a bit annoying, because the whole point of a break is that it’s meant to feel at least slightly easier than normal life (but for parents, it’s usually the same, if not harder than normal life).
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