How To Pack For Your Family Stress Free

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Having just come back from a holiday I thought I would post an article about one aspect all parents dread prior to travelling; packing! Packing is one of the most stressful aspects of travelling with children. How many clothes do we have? Can they stay entertained with all the activities? Having everything in place so you have everything covered is the temptation - but this isn't always the best option! Holiday packing needn't be overwhelming. In case anything does go wrong, we've crafted some great tips for keeping stress levels low. Check out these family travel packing tips: Take Only What You Need, Don't Pack Too Much You probably won't because you are very unlikely to change your mind. Prepare everything you plan on packing, then take out half of what you planned on packing. Do not overpack - you are unlikely to wear everything you bring. Furthermore, if you are going somewhere with laundry facilities, why take along baggage you will not need? If there is anything you forget to bring, such as an extra T-shirt, just remember you can just purchase it on-site if you need it.

Get Your Children Involved 

As we understand, packing (or anything!) might take a little longer for young children, yet providing them with their own rucksacks in which they can accommodate their favourite toys and colouring books can make them feel more involved and useful. I know my children love their personalised T-shirts and I order theirs from Rarecustom. Be Aware Of Your Luggage Weight Allowances Before You Travel

Each airline clearly states its luggage size and weight limits. You may end up having to pay extra fees if you arrive with luggage that exceeds the carriers' limits even slightly. You can avoid surprises at the airport by double-checking your luggage before you leave. Of course, if you are travelling within your own country, you don’t need to worry as much about the weight of your bags. Make Sure There Is Some Extra Space

Your case is filled with a few spaces even though you packed light. Don't rush into filling them in! You may want to bring some souvenirs back home as gifts to friends and family, or even for yourself. Let them back in some space. Have A Spare Pair Of Childs Clothing In Your Carry-on 

The suitcase is not the place to store all of your child's clothes. It is not uncommon for accidents to happen and the only thing you are likely to need if they do is a spare set of clothing. A limited emergency kit including spare clothes, baby wipes, and some nappies if your baby uses them should always be kept in your hand luggage.

Pack Accessories

A single outfit can be transformed into several different looks by adding different accessories. Packing small accessories such as beads, hats, and scarves is easier than packing many outfits. As well as taking up less space! Pack Each Day Separate 

Whenever possible, pack an outfit a day for each child in individual ziplock bags. It is true that it may seem like more work, but it really saves you a lot of time and hassle when trying to put together outfits for all your family members, especially if your family is larger than average. Also, ziplock bags are also a great way to pack away dirty laundry without having to worry if it gets mixed up with any clothes you're going to bring back from your trip. Pack A Basic First Aid Kit

Being prepared for travel with children is always beneficial, so remember to pack a first aid kit that includes plasters, antiseptic cream, bug repellent, infant paracetamol suspension and child ibuprofen. Remember, it is always better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it. Pack Something The Kids Haven’t Seen Before

When your children start getting bored or restless, pull out a few new toys and games from your hand luggage. A few great ideas are card games, magic writing boards (they feature an easy-to-clean screen and a pen attached that won't roll away from the screen like regular pencils), reading books, and travel games. You won't have to worry about them taking up much space either. Make Sure Pack Appropriately

Unless you plan on hiking, you can leave the hiking boots at home if you do not plan on hiking. Additionally, look at the weather forecast before coming to your destination, and make sure that you are adequately equipped to cope with what you will encounter. Have a look at travel blogs before you go to help you pack more sustainable items on your family holiday if you would like more information on that. Always Plan Ahead 

Make a list of the things you need to do. It is always a good idea to keep a mobile device handy so that you can make a note. Make a list of things you need to do and email it to yourself. It doesn't matter what you do, do whatever you find works for you, and start as soon as possible. Even if you are very careful, you are almost guaranteed to forget or overlook something when packing at the last minute, especially if you are running behind a camera with excited kids hovering in the background. Don't wait until the last minute to start planning. Make sure you give it a try, you will be pleased with the results. 

This short guide should help you to pack for your family holiday easily and stress-free. Do you have any other tips that could help? Please share them in the comments below.

Top Tips For Travelling Abroad With Children

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Travelling is a big part of our life, especially when it comes to going abroad - it's one of our favourite things to do as a family. I have fond memories of visiting different countries as a child (although I never went anywhere exotic) so it's always been something I wanted to be able to experience with my own children - create our own memories in new places.

Noah and Ava have been fortunate enough to go on holiday numerous times already, both abroad and locally. Noah was two years old the first time he went on holiday and Ava was just 12 weeks old - everybody wanted to cuddle her on the plane! We had planned to take them abroad with us every year but of course, 2020 has been a write-off. When COVID struck we knew it wouldn't be on the cards for us this year, like many other travelers, and that was ok. There's always next year or the year after. We've already been pricing up holidays to Spain with Voyage Privé - it's something to look forward to.

I know that many people feel anxious about the thought of traveling abroad with young children - so much so that some of my friends have vowed to wait until their children are older, or refuse to even entertain the idea. Personally, I've found travelling abroad with babies and children relatively easy and it shouldn't be something that needs to be shied away from. With this in mind, I decided to put together some of my top tips for traveling with children.

Prepare everything in advance.

This is a no-brainer, but preparing everything in advance is the key to making travelling a no-stress zone. Weeks before we travel I create numerous lists; items I need to buy, things I need to pack, points I need to remember, and so on. I pack all of our cases at the same time and make sure that everything is ticked off before I zip up those suitcases. The night before we travel, I have the buggy and the suitcases lined up by the door and the passports, money, documents, and tickets secured in my hand luggage. I cannot sleep unless I have done this - travelling is perhaps the only time that i am this organised! I also recommend weighing your suitcases and hand luggage before you go so you don't have to reorganise your belongings at the airport.

Keep them awake at the airport.

We usually book flights for 6am as they tend to be cheaper and it means we don't lose a whole day due to travelling. The early flight times mean that we have to be up and out the door for 2am and although it's very tiring it adds to the excitement - the kids love it! We then attempt to keep them awake during the transfer and while we are at the airport so they have a nice sleep on the plane. It's usually quite easy to do because they are so excited to be going on holiday! 

Pack a flight bag for your child.
Speaking to fellow parents, I know that the flight itself is the part of travelling which they worry about the most. They hear and read stories about children screaming the entire time and them having to be seated next to complete strangers (honestly, just prebook and pay for designated seats for peace of mind.) In all the flights we've taken together as a family we've never had either of those problems and we haven't witnessed other children have them too. It's quite easy to keep children entertained and preoccupied even when in a plane, high up in the sky. My top tip is to simply pack a flight bag for your child - fill it full of new and old surprises for them to discover on your journey. Noah and Ava both have their own little rucksacks that they use every time we travel. I fill them with blind bags, books, stickers, play-doh, toys, snacks, and a favourite cuddly toy or two. I also make sure to take an iPad with me too but more often than not it's not needed as they often fall asleep mid-flight. When they do finally fall asleep, enjoy a gin or a cup of coffee - you deserve it. 

Do you have any tips that you would like to share?

My Top 5 Holiday Photo's

Well we are now officially in autumn! Bye bye summer, it was nice knowing you. You know when you decided to make an appearance those couple of days. Maybe next year you can hang about a little longer? That would be great!

Anyway, less of that. With the colder and darker evenings approaching and after seeing this fantastic blog post I thought I would post a little something to perk me up! Here are my top 5 holiday photo's!

Alcudia beach-

This is my all time favourite holiday photo and possibly one of my favourite photo's in general too. I shot this around 6 years ago now while Nick and I were on a 7 day holiday in Majorca. This is one of the many little piers that go out into the Mediterranean sea. You can always find tourists taking photo's and admiring the views from them and the locals tend to use them to catch fish and sell to local restaurants.

Sailing in the Med-
Another shot from another holiday to Majorca. We were on a boat ride in the Mediterranean sea. It was a scorcher of a day but it was so serene sailing on the crystal clear blue water. You would think this was a photo from the Caribbean if I hadn't told you otherwise!

Benitses Road Tip-
This photo feels like a lifetime ago and was taken roughly 10 years ago now. I went to Corfu and we took a road trip across the island in the blistering heat. We were situated in a small fishing village called Benitses and it was such a quaint little place. Very traditional, peaceful and very rural.

A room with a view-
This is another photo from my trip to Corfu. We had arrived in the night and it had been pitch black. Our hotel was located on a hill and we couldn't really see anything when we got there. When I awoke the next morning I opened the shutters on the balcony to see this view and I remember to this day that I was just speechless. It was one of those moments when a view just takes your breath away.

Arial view of Benitses- 
Wow, right? This photograph looks like it could be a post card. I remember sitting up on those hills after our ride around the island and feeling so humbled looking down at that view.

Looking back at these photo's has me so excited for our holiday next May. It will be the first time we have taken Noah abroad and it's such a huge milestone. Wish us luck!