How to enjoy family vacations

Throughout the year, when we are immersed in the daily routine of work, school and extracurricular activities, there are many occasions when we think “when summer arrives... I will rest, I will carry out this task, I will spend more time with my children, etc. ”.

However, Can we carry out all those plans? Can summer be a time of stress?

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Possible family problems before the holidays

Although, in general, we associate holidays with relaxation and enjoyment, there are many families who may feel some anxiety or stress during the summer. What are the main causes?

• School holidays are longer than those of fathers and mothers.
• The minors, having more free time, present a greater need for attention.
• Planning trips or activities to do during the summer.
• The family's own coexistence for longer than usual.

Therefore, it is important that each family dedicate time to identify if any of these factors may be negatively influencing family dynamics, causing more irritability or anger.

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What can we do to enjoy the summer vacation with the family?

These are several tips that you can help enjoy family vacations.

• Identify the needs of each of the family members, both adults and children or adolescents.
• Provide a space for communication in which you can express how you feel and what you need to enjoy your family vacation time.
• Value resources that allow facilitating family conciliation (activities, camps, going with other relatives / friends).
• Establish a routine: on vacation the structure can be more flexible, but it is important that the minors know what the organization of the day is as it provides them with security.
• Maintain rules and limits that promote self-regulation, taking into account the behaviors that you want to maintain during the summer.
• Encourage collaboration in household chores, delegating responsibilities according to age. In this way, the autonomy of the minors is favored while a cordial family atmosphere is achieved, with more time for leisure and rest.
• Propose activities and games that allow children to entertain themselves, thus favoring their creativity and an individual time for the father and / or mother.
• Spend special time with your sons and daughters. Agree with them at what time of the day or week you are going to play or do an activity, it will help them to be less demanding by knowing that you will spend time together.
• Carry out activities with other children so that they continue to develop social skills and emotional regulation strategies, through peer play.
• Establish individual leisure and rest time; as adults you also need a space of calm and disconnection from day to day.
• Organize what "to-dos" you want to do in vacation time, adjusting expectations to be able to finalize them.
• Plan the trips and activities that will take place during the summer taking into account all the members of the family. Final decisions will be made by adults; However, if the opinion of the minors is taken into account, favoring the negotiation of some aspects, they will feel included and the family atmosphere will be much more pleasant.

In conclusion...

Enjoy summer as a family, taking into account the needs of all members and by promoting communication, it generates a higher level of trust, well-being and strengthens the emotional ties established in the family nucleus.

Likewise, the evolutionary development of children and adolescents, rest and the feeling of belonging to the family structure are favored. Disconnect from the daily routine, to connect with yourself and your family!

Author: Victoria Jariego Cordero, General Health Psychologist and member of the TAP Center.