Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time, before kids and before the responsibilities of running a house we used to have a lot more expandable cash, much more than we do now. Life was all about taking risks and enjoying holidays. We didn't have to worry to much about how long the flight duration to our chosen destination would be, or whether the hotel would be child friendly. In fact back then we would have probably preferred a grown up only retreat with no children. It's funny how becoming a family can sway your idea of the perfect holiday, instead of spending the day exclusively by the pool or trying our hand at scuba diving in the red sea... Or even hopping on a bus to see the Pyramids of Giza, we are looking at different aspects, and we are doing this because we are now a family, and because we have to cater for Leo's needs too.

Last summer we took Leo to Cyprus on a 4 and a half hour flight. We had planned ahead and packed a Trunki full of goodies that would hopefully keep him entertained along the way. I even invested in a portable DVD player so that when all else failed we could sit back and let the screen take over for 5 minutes.

Of course when kids come into the picture you may decide that you don't want to take them abroad until they are older. You may decide that you would keep the hair on your head in tact if you take your family holidays closer to home. We have done both and they both take just as much preparation in my eyes, if you aren't stuck in a airport or on a plane, you will most likely be sat in the car and maybe even stuck in traffic (if you dare venture on your trip the Friday of a bank holiday weekend!).

My pearls of wisdom before booking any kind of holiday are simple..

- Carefully select a destination where there is lots for everyone to do. If you are flying or even driving, take into account the traveling duration before hand.

- Get the kids to help you pack a bag together full of things that will entertain them along the way. Books, colouring pencils, paper, games consoles, travel games and so on.

- Don't forget to pack refreshments, you will want snacks and drinks along the way.

We are now getting to the time of year where Summer is not a million miles away, and we are even encountering some Blue skies for the first time in a long while. Luke and I have definitely been pondering the idea of a Summer holiday, but the jury is still out on whether we will go abroad or have a stay-cation within the UK with Hotel Direct.

There really is so much more that we have to take into consideration these days, and for the moment those adventure holidays that we used to jet off on are on hold. Now is the time for a whole new adventure, an adventure with our toddler in tow, opening up Leo's eyes to the wonders of the world. Leo adores being by the seaside and he doesn't care if he has flown 5 hours to get there, we could take him an hour down the road to Western Super-mare and he would be just as thrilled. 

And as long as we get away on a family adventure, we could be absolutely anywhere in the world.

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