Let’s delve into the prospect of a family holiday.
Whenever parents flirt with the idea of family holidays, plenty and contradictory thoughts arise. Does a family vacation mean an “unbearable” financial expense? Will it, after all, be truly a holiday, if taking into consideration the fatigue that it portends? Or would it be better for the children to go to a camp? For sure, there are several factors to consider (e.g., the age and number of children, financial factors, timing of parental leave, etc.) before a family vacation is fully organized, yet it is not easy to decide. However, if you finally manage to plan a family getaway this year, one thing is certain: both parents and kids will benefit from this decision!
Benefits of a family holiday
Family holidays – in addition to being great fun – provide family members with valuable time for meaningful interaction, which leads to a variety of benefits relating to the development of strong and positive personalities. Time spent together, when daily routine is paused, is a great opportunity to invest into future family bonds. Among the other benefits, we wish to underline that family vacations:
Boost productivity: There is no need for long-term vacations. Research shows that even short breaks from the daily routine constitute an excellent opportunity for mental, physical and emotional relaxation. As a result, when the time to return to your daily schedule comes, you will feel more productive and able to better manage your obligations.
Reduce stress: It is true that many parents deal with their work duties past the scheduled working hours. However, this stressful daily routine does not affect only them. Research shows that parents who are highly stressed find it difficult to manage their children’s negative emotions and, as a result, children can get affected too. Moreover, depending on their age, young family members also experience a busy and stressful daily life (school obligations, extracurricular activities, tutoring, etc.). Therefore, family holidays provide all members with the opportunity to relieve stress.
Strengthen family bonds: The alienation of family members, due to endless daily life obligations or – even worse – due to spending their free time engaging in screens, is a worrying modern phenomenon. However, what really determines all human connections, especially family relationships, is not exactly the quantity but the quality of time people share with each other. Consequently, family holidays contribute to the building of healthy bonds. Visiting nature, playing games on the beach, taking a nice family bike ride, enjoying board games, or indulging in family meals can bring family together, reducing the distance brought about by the demands of everyday life.
Encourage the healthy development of children: Family vacations provide children with multiple new social, physical and cognitive experiences. These experiences work to enhance key executive functions in children’s brains. Thus, when parents spend quality time with their kids, discovering new places and environments, these new experiences can help them to build their self-esteem, become smarter, adaptive, self-reliant and independent. Do not hesitate, say ‘yes’ to family holidays!
Create memories that last forever: How many of you, when you recall your childhood, realize that your memory is dominated by beautiful moments of family hangings or holidays? What defines these memories is neither the destination nor all the luxurious amenities you enjoyed. What makes them unique is that you lived those experiences and enjoyed them with your beloved ones!
We encourage you to give your children and yourself the gift of a family vacation. Have a great time!
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