Are We There Yet? Posted November 13, 2013 by Anya Viviers & filed under Insider Guides. Finding yourself planning yet another family holiday with the lovable little ones in tow and somehow thinking that it will be different this time? In our house we equate it to an ice cream headache – something that is oh so painful, yet never seems to dampen the hope for a new day with new dynamics and the almost insane expectations of different results, despite applying the same rules and guidelines year after year. Do not fret, you are not alone. Are we suckers for punishment? Do we just revel in chaos and dysfunction to a degree that is, should the outside world find out, a little frightening and just a tad disturbing? No! We parents know that, through the noise, the fights, and the injuries to knees, elbows and sanity, travelling with kids can be one of the most exhausting, yet utterly rewarding and unforgettable experiences. South Africans in particular seems to love their road trips, seemingly oblivious to who’s in the car with them. If this is your preferred means of travel, make sure the little monst….little ones have enough to keep themselves busy, ensure you get plenty of rest beforehand, stock up on the Energades (not for them!), and get a pair of headphones for those times that you have to zone out just for a minute in order not to turn into the holiday Grinch. It took years of practice before we finally reached the point we’re currently at – where we can pretend (with just a little bit of effort) to be a ‘normal, well-adjusted, TV commercial’ family, peeling out of the car at strategically chosen pit stops. It took many ‘are we there yet’s and plenty of ‘it was him, no it was her’s. It took marbles rolling under the drivers’ seat and toys proudly proclaiming to be suitable for ages 3 and up, yet posing a very definite mortality hazard to the parent it happens to strike in the head at 50 miles an hour. But one day we made a decision to tweak our routine just a little bit instead of swearing off family holidays for the remainder of our and all foreseeable future generations’ lifetimes. The most important thing we realized was that location is everything. It is with apprehension and a little bit of pain that I think back to the December we decided it would be a good idea to pitch a tent in the middle of the Cederberg. Throw in blistering heat, two kids who, at that stage, would rather have been friends with the puff adder under the nearest rock than each other, and a thunderstorm or two during which everyone was huddled into the car for the night, and you’ve got a holiday not easily forgotten. If it wasn’t for the cool respite of the river (2 km away on foot), and the lone tree by its side, the whole thing had the potential to turn into the disaster of the century – an understatement I think. Most people with a profound sense of well-being and the will to survive will surely make better choices than these. Just in case there are parents out there who, as we have done many times in the past, think that for the 9th consecutive year that things are going to look up, we have put together our top 10 tips for making your journey legitimately enjoyable for participants of all ages. 1) Make sure you have plenty of time to stop. It’s imperative that you keep the little ones fed and hydrated, and get them to stretch their legs at regular intervals. Also try to avoid aerodynamic food stuffs that can be disintegrated into literally 1000 tiny pieces. 2) Offer them little rewards for every 30 minutes that they do not ask THAT question: ‘Are we there yet?’ Try remember that there is probably an unchangeable, built-in, Darwinian element in their genes that make them utter these words, and for them to stop doing it all together is just as unlikely as you keeping up the Mary Poppins attitude for the entire trip. Every half an hour deserves at least something yummy…..or maybe a fun game you can all play (if you want to avoid late-onset diabetes). 3) Plan and check out your route beforehand – there might be some awesome little stops along the way (other than the local gas station), for leg-stretching and killing the mind-numbing monotony of the road. Remember how long your childhood seemed compared to the speed with which the years roll by now? An hour seems like eternity for kids. 4) Take the opportunity to teach them stuff. Do your research. Kids love information and are like sponges. See if you can get a book about the areas you’re visiting, or engage them in other forms of relevant learning. What worked for us was a bird encyclopaedia and a pair of cheap binoculars – this will go a loooong way. 5) When they’re old enough, load some of their favourite tunes on an mp3 player. This will keep them occupied for hours. For younger ages, a seat-mounted portable DVD player with some movies might help. 6) When you reach your destination, get them involved in as much as possible; usually anything outdoorsy is a winner. Discovering local fauna, flora and bugs is always a favourite and much healthier than those PlayStation games you dragged along. You would be surprised at how simple things can occupy them for hours, with a little guidance. 7) The most important thing to remember is to choose your accommodation wisely. Only a handful of options that proclaim to be child friendly are really child friendly. What does ‘child friendly’ really mean to the travelling parent? The best deal is a place where you can see them all the time with your glass of wine in your hand, on your deck chair, with your feet up. It is a bonus if there is no raging bull that someone thought would be a great addition to their ‘kid-friendly’ animal park, threatening to impale your three-year-old innocently trying to feed it because either you or Barney taught her that sharing is good. (true story). A proper, bona fide kiddie friendly place is a paradise of relaxation and safety for all ages. A jungle gym and swimming pool 1 km down myriad dirt roads does NOT count. 8) If you are holidaying in the city, make sure that wherever you are there are child-friendly restaurants around. Not restaurants that simply tolerate them with judging glares at the totally innocent practice of throwing food at each other, but places that offer them something special while you enjoy a good meal and good company. If not, do proper research on the babysitting services on offer where you’re staying. 9) Get them tired! Ok, let’s drop the façade. One of the best times of the day (even for super mom and dad) is when you start seeing the tiredness that fresh air and new experiences induce. This is usually called suicide hour, and tends to be the storm before the calm. All we do is focus on what is to come – that glass(es) of wine, the quiet of night, and an ACTUAL conversation. 10) Last but not least, never forget that, as we all know, childhood memories are the most special and vivid most people have in their lifetimes. Make it worth it! Tags: Family Kids road trip Travel
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 11:05:17 +0000
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