Children thrive with routine as this has been drilled into parents from the day they were born. But as adults, we like a break from time to time. You have rented the perfect beach family rental home for a week vacation. You can’t wait to get there and begin to enjoy the salt-water air. So how do we as parents make a vacation, a vacation for the whole family? Home rentals can be key to allowing enough routine for the kids with enough space to unwind for the adults.
Enjoying the sunset from the beach rental home
Making that rental feel like home for your children just takes a little preparation on your part and with the assistance of the Time & Place Concierge it should be no problem at all. In planning this holiday you chose that beach house for a reason, the luxurious living space, the ocean view, maybe the perfect pool; and now you want to make sure everyone is able to enjoy it.
I like to focus on the most important times of day for my children, the hours that are make or break. For my family early morning, late afternoon and bedtime are the minefields when crankiness can start. This is when something familiar or known in an unknown place with an unfamiliar schedule makes a big difference in adjusting from routine to vacation.
Waking up on the right side of the bed shapes all of our days but in children no crankiness needs to be hidden and so all parents aim to help their children start their day on the right foot. I find they also wake up hungry; I crave coffee while my kids need their stomachs filled. Whatever it is that puts your day off to the right start, at the very least for the first morning, ask your Time & Place Concierge to have it stocked for you. Sometimes it is nice to mix some local treats in with the things you are your children are used to. Local fruits or juices in the morning give your child a real sense of the locale they have woken up in. Nothing wrong with trying something new but somehow it is more inviting when paired with something familiar. Even if you plan to go out for breakfast make sure there is something available to satiate those kiddos while the beach bag gets packed up.
Have the Concierge pre-stock your rental with fun beach toys
Speaking of the beach bag, what do your kids love to do on the beach? If you don’t want to travel with sand toys, floaties, or a Frisbee; be sure to ask your Concierge to pick those up for you. Nothing makes kids happier than a basket of new toys welcoming them to a house. They will be all the quicker getting their sunscreen on so they can get out and play!
Pack favorite snacks to keep crankiness at bay
Take a break from the beach with games
Adults tend to love an afternoon siesta after some sun and surf but kids can often be overtired and cranky, unwilling or unable to unwind from a day at the beach. Having a couple of favorite books and games can make everyone’s afternoon go smoother. These can either be packed in your suitcase or give that Concierge a few hints as to what would work best. I also always have a box of my kids’ favorite granola bars in my suitcase as I find a snack goes a long way towards relieving that afternoon crankiness. Having a bottle of our favorite wine works wonders for my husband and me at this time of day and when feeling particularly inspired I often fix a mock-tail for my children as well. We are on vacation after all!
Familiar favorites help kids feel more at home at bedtime
Bedtime is probably most important of all and this is where only something from home works. It is amazing how an unfamiliar bed becomes one’s own when the right stuffed animal pillow or blanket is placed on it. Suddenly this new place feels just like home and if all goes well, sleep will come for your children easily. Now it is time to get back to that bottle of wine.
To reserve a beach rental home and start making new family vacations of your own contact the experts at Time & Place.
About the Author
Lizzie Livingston is an avid traveler, a mother of two boys, aged eight and eleven, and a blogger. Since moving to Hong Kong seven years ago, making family travel interesting and fun has become more of a focus of her family’s life and writing.
Visit Her Website at: www.JrMagellan.com