So you are going on your family holiday? The kids are excited and want to bring the world of toys they have with them, the wife is busy packing for everyone bar you and you are still struggling to pack one bag, weigh the other 40 to avoid excess baggage fees at the airport.

You are still thinking about all the work issues that you should have got done before you left the office and outlook is still pulling for your attention on your phone.

Take a breath. Take another one. And then read my top tips for navigating the family holiday. Enjoy!

Tip 1 – Bring less

The more you bring the more you have to manage. Set an example and bring alot less than you usually bring and encourage your misssus to do the same (not easy I know).

Tip 2 – Overlap

Overlap a part of your holidays with some friends. We booked our holiday this year and overlapped the dates with friends of ours who have kids of similar age. We overlapped by about 4 days so out of a total of 13 nights away, this was a good amount of time. Overall everyone agreed it was a total success. The kids got on great and the adults had more time to socialise together.

Tip 3 – Prepare for much more kids time

If you are a man and you work for a living, chances are you probably spend about an hour a workday with your kids (for bedtime) and some time with them at the weekends. Going on holidays with them amps this up to 24 hours a day and if you are like me, I enjoyed this for the first few days but started to struggle a bit towards Day 8 or 9. It’s a big adjustment, especially if there is no kids club (see next tip) to help with this.

Tip 4 – Kids club

Make sure there is a kids club there that will mind the kids for you for an hour or two a day so the adults can get a break. We really missed this one this year and you could tell by about Day 8 or 9 (read I’m starting to get a bit cranky).

Tip 5 – Bikes

Rent bikes. They give you the freedom to see more of where you are staying and you are less likely to just hang around the campsite itself.

The holidays are precious so make sure you give yourself the best chance of enjoying your time OFF from the working world.

Yours in health and happiness,

JP