Suddenly springing a family holiday as a surprise on your teenager might not warrant you with the response you were hoping for!
The reason is due to the fact that teenagers are at the age in life where they would prefer to be with their friends while on a school break – rather than travel with their parents.
Travelling with their parents means that they have to say goodbye to their closest friends for a few weeks, and this can lead to them becoming cranky and difficult to manage.
It’s important to let your teens know about any upcoming family vacation well in advance. This way they can get used to the idea and most will end up becoming very excited at the prospect of visiting a new country.
In order to keep teenagers happy on holiday, the parent must set routines and boundaries so that everyone knows where they stand.
Obviously you must allow your teenager sufficient alone time while on vacation as they will become smothered and will kick up a fuss at having no freedom.
Remember, it’s their holiday as well so you need to accommodate their expectations as well as your own.
Managing any conflict that occurs must be done in a controlled and calmly manner. It’s no good shouting your head off whenever an issue arises as they will only create unwanted tension that could possibly ruin the whole trip.
One of the most common causes for dispute that teenagers have while on holiday centers around the money issue. Before you leave, hand them whatever money you think they will need during the duration, and let them spend it as they please.
This is important, as you are giving them the responsibility of buying whatever they want. This creates an easy to work situation where they won’t have you watching over them all the time.
Don’t set any bedtime hours for them. Instead, let them go when they want, and equally let them wake up whenever they want. Remember it’s not an army camp. However, if there’s a family excursion planned for the next day, make sure you let them know that an early start is required so it’s up to them to go sleep in time.
One last idea that could prove very beneficial for a peaceful holiday is to include a close friend of your teenager on the trip. This will undoubtedly keep them happy and content for the whole trip as they will not be totally cut off from their friends! It’s a win-win situation if your budget can afford it.
Keeping a stress free holiday is the key to enjoying family time, and the above tips should help you on your quest.