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The Parental Survival Guide For Large Family Travel

Spoiler alert: get ready to travel more n' stress less.


Any parent knows the utter dread that can come along with thorough excitement when planning a family holiday. Sure, it’s going to be a wonderful experience, but the organisation and worry involved with transporting your children from one place to another, in unfamiliar surroundings and perhaps thousands of miles away is always an upheaval.


Now, just think what parents of larger families may have to go through. At this point, your holiday may seem like less of a beautiful getaway and more of a military operation. Making sure all the bags are packed right, that each ticket has been properly approved, and that at least one of your children haven’t left their bedroom window open before you leave, well, it’s amazing that we have time to enjoy the vacation after all that is done.


But of course, we’re painting this experience in fairly sour terms. It’s more than possible to enjoy your best travel experience even with hordes of children and relatives to take care of in the hope of avoiding a Macauley Culkin situation.

Without further ado, let’s consider how to make this process easier on yourself:


Make A Tight Itinerary


It’s good to make a crystal-clear plan for what you’re attending to each day. Otherwise, one goal can turn into a tangent of many, and with many relatives distracted or not going along with the official plan, bringing them back together can be hard. This is why setting a schedule every can adhere to, marking out essential meeting spots, and even making a family group chat in an app like WhatsApp can help everyone remain on the same page, lest you have to worry about corralling the troops with even more intensity.


Delegate Authority, But Check Over It


For your more responsible and trusted older children or siblings, it can be nice to share some of the burden of planning and administration as you head from one place to another. For instance, perhaps your sister will make sure all beach provisions are provided for both sets of children, including sun cream, or you trust your cousin to book the table for your evening meal. When you watch over this but trust them to do such a thing, with your exact needs laid out, you won’t have to run around from task to task without a breather. That might help you remember at least thirty minutes of your holiday, at least.


For Heaven’s Sake, Book Enough Space


There’s nothing more intense than realising you’ve booked accommodation with less room than you truly need, as sitting on top of one another’s shoulders can make even the most intimate couple tire out in a few days. With a large family, connecting rooms in the hotel, or larger resorts like these best places to stay on Hamilton Island can make all the difference.


With this advice, you’re certain to move forward with joy and fun, even if you have seemingly thousands of relatives to manage on your trip out into the world.


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