The fact that you have children does not mean that you have to reduce the list of holiday options for a few years to organized holidays and apartments surrounded by children's playgrounds and activities specially adapted for the youngest. Holidays, where sand from the sandbox is replaced by desert sand, and pebbles from the coast become rocks on the hill, are not only in the domain of adults, because you can also take children with you to many places.
If it weren't for grandparents, most parents would probably have theirs vacationing put it "on ice" for a few years, or limited it to a very narrow range of options. Apartment, sea, swimming pools, one-day trips... It is true that the child comes first when we weigh the options, but we forget too quickly that children also have quite tough skin and that even at a young age they are quite tough. As long as we don't wrap them up too much in cotton wool and let them spend more time in the virtual world than the real one.
READ MORE: Do you know when the 2015 winter holidays are?
Of course, this does not mean that you drag them to Triglav, but the options are far from ending with those from brochures and advertisements labeled family spending vacations. So before you think about where to put them so that you can have a "real" vacation, ask yourself why you shouldn't take them for yourself. Here are some options where children would most likely end up in care.
Safari
At first glance, it seems that safaris and children do not go together, and many facts speak in favor of this. Not only do they have to spend long periods of time in a Jeep that is tossing about like teenage hormones, but they also have to go without a toilet for a long time (which we know is quite a feat) and have to be quiet when driving past a pack of lions, they are also much more vulnerable to tropical diseases. But these facts are partly misleading.
Tourist safaris in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa are anything but reserved only for the greatest adventurers. Many of them are family-friendly and completely safe, since they all take place in national parks anyway. It is true that not all "lodges" in Africa accept children under the age of 7 or even 12, but a good number do. For those who would like a more wild experience, there is also the option of childcare at many locations, so you can take the child with you in any case.
Hiking
Children are curious by nature, and who, if not nature, best satisfies this curiosity. More and more families therefore decide to spend their holidays actively and go for a long walk in nature, with a backpack on their shoulder or a tent in the trunk. Hiking and camping offer the child to experience the world in a way that is not possible during normal trips or vacations that gravitate around the hotel or apartment, I wouldn't. In addition, this type of vacation is much more affordable, but much richer in content.
Admittedly, just like a backpack with equipment, your mouth will quickly be full of arguments against, saying, what if the child gets sick in the hills, etc. But as said, if you divide the trip wisely, plan stops (e.g. in cabins) and keep the child interested enough, the number of worries will also shrink to a standard size and you will find that you can also experience all the things you and your children did during your vacation tasted before you became parents.
A romantic vacation on the beach
A typical scene of a beach bursting at the seams is a thousand and one children's voices mixing in a cacophony of sounds. Families seem to subscribe to the crowded spas and beaches, while the secluded ones are only suitable for two. Seasoned with snorkeling, dinner under the stars, they are mostly the stuff of brochures for weddings, romantic trips, not family arrangements. But this is just an advertising definition.
Having children does not mean that you have to freeze adventurous and romantic holiday days. Yes, you may encounter strange views somewhere, but many such places, which may be declaratively "child-free zones", are not reserved only for couples and are ideal for families. Are you going to the Maldives with your children this year? Why not.
Motor home
Admittedly, motorhomes are mainly bought by retirees or more affluent middle-aged couples with grown-up children, which in recent years has influenced the development of the interior of the motorhome itself, and there are still many such models available on the market that also satisfy family needs. Since we know that most of you will not decide to buy, the best option is "renting", renting. And why would "autodomals"?
Because this kind of vacation eliminates all those small inconveniences of long drives with the youngest, since everything is at hand, and because it allows for more quality time spent even during the trip. On top of that, it also offers incredible freedom and the possibility of improvisation, which means easier adaptation to the child's needs.
City break
Sightseeing, culinary indulgences with local food, tasting the night life... If you have children, the dynamics of such trips to larger cities change significantly, but they can be completely suitable and relaxing if you adjust the pace to the child. You may have to visit museums, etc. combine with visits to children's playgrounds, but you will also benefit from a little sitting on a bench.
One of the cities that is high on the list of family-friendly cities is Berlin, which is admittedly better known for its nightlife, but is also one of the more child-friendly European cities. So is Stockholm. And another tip for those of you who have really small children. We advise against strollers and recommend the use of a kangaroo, because all those stairs to the subway, as well as many sidewalks, will drink your energy as hungrily as a thirsty mosquito blood from its first "customer". And book an apartment, not a hotel, because it's not over your own kitchen.
Volunteering
Volunteering as a way of spending the holidays is a wonderful opportunity not only for the personal but also the social development of the child. And no, volunteering is not only for those who take a one-year break before continuing their studies, there are also such "packages" that are suitable for children, such as project in Namibia in an elephant reserve.
For more than obvious reasons, which probably do not need to be listed, volunteering is otherwise reserved for the elderly, and it is up to you to overestimate whether your child is mature enough for this kind of (re)experience. And that. You don't have to spend weeks in developing countries, because there are also projects of just a few days and those that are right on your doorstep. Perhaps the best place to start is to see what test your children are from.
