With not long until we are getting ready to go away, it’s time to start thinking about what we need to take with us, the essentials for a summer holiday with children are obviously the children and this time, the puppy and all of her associated requirements (nobody said it was going to be easy!).
Since I can remember Asa has always suggested that we have a holiday list to work from, at the beginning I was totally against it, until the year I ended up with none of my clothes!! Needless to say, we now have lists for different types of holidays, and each year we update it, this year will be the first time we no longer require a pram/buggyboard, but instead we have replaced with dog bowls/dog food/ toys!!
I have thought long and hard and here are four essentials for a Summer Holiday With Children.
-
Clothing
Ensure each member of the family has enough clothes to see them through the holiday, i’m not saying take an entire outfit per day, as that would equate to 63 outfits, but enough underwear (and usually a few spares too) ad socks to last the length of the holiday, if like us, you are going to a cottage, then its up to you if you consider washing whilst on holiday, I must admit it is quite nice to pop a load on in the evening, knowing I won’t be faced with a mountain of washing when I get home, especially if you are going straight back to school/work on your return.
-
Swimwear
Regardless of if you are going abroad or having a staycation, with the weather being so lovely lately, you may be heading for the beach or swimming pool, so swimwear would be a good item to pack, the boys are easy with a simple pair of swim shorts, but there are so many different choices for girls from full swimming costumes, to bikinis, or tankinis, and if your children are anything like mine they never seem to stop growing, so ensure you check that clothing and swimwear fit before embarking on your journey, going shopping on holiday for swimwear is not fun!
-
Insurance
Until 2001 I would have argued that insurance was an essential, I mean, of course you will be going on holiday and not cancelling it, and what could possibly go wrong? That was until our honeymoon, which turned into a holiday from hell, cockroaches in our first room, a break-in in our second room and all night parties in the second hotel we got moved to! Never have I ever been so grateful for insurance and compensation… Bupa Global offer various travel insurance options, so i’d definitely check them out before embarking on your travels.
-
First Aid Kit
One of the essentials with children is a first aid kit as you can guarantee that one of them will cut, scrape or graze themselves, so some plasters and antiseptic are definitely recommended, as well as bug spray, to stop the mosquitoes and horsefly’s snacking on you! I usually tend to take a pack of steri strips too, having a rugby player for a husband means I am quite competent at sticking him back together!
this is a collaborative post