How to plan holidays for families with teenagers
Teenagers can be difficult to live with. Every parent of a teenager knows that teenagers can often seem to go out of their way to be awkward or moody at the most inconvenient moment possible. Holidays for families with teenagers can often with fraught with tension and confrontation at the time when most family members just want to relax and enjoy their time away from work. The problems can be especially bad with younger teenagers as you can’t just leave them behind while you go on holiday without them so if you are in this situation and want to enjoy a holiday abroad this year it is time to start thinking about how to plan a holiday both you and your teenagers will enjoy.
Planning holidays for families with teenagers may fill many parents with dread but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Teenagers can usually be persuaded to join in with family activities as long as they have some input into the decision making progress.
When your children were younger they may have been satisfied to spend every day on the beach with a bucket and spade or to run around the park and play with their friends. Once they get older life becomes more complicated. Teenagers are often contradictory. One day they may want to spend hours in front of a screen on their phone or ipad. Another day they may be happy to stay in bed and sleep all day. There are also going to be times when they are happy to tag along with mum and dad and do whatever they are doing for the day.
Successful holidays for families with teenagers start with choosing the right destination.It is important to involve your teenager in the choice of destination. It is their holiday just as much as it is yours and they will want to help you choose somewhere that they will feel comfortable and that has things for them to do as well.
For many teenagers an adventure or activity holiday is a great choice. Choose something that you can do as a family. Maybe cycling or rock climbing. Perhaps even white water rafting. The whole family can get involved in the thrills of learning a new skill together.
If you have younger children as well as a teenager then activity holidays are not always suitable for the whole group. If that is your situation then it may make sense to suggest your teenager brings a friend along on the trip. If the teenagers can spend time together entertaining each other then you will have the time you need to devote to your younger children. Your choice of destination is particularly crucial in this case as you have several different groups to satisfy. Talk to your teenager and find out what they want to do during their time away. Depending on how much freedom you are prepared to give them you may be able to let them do different activities to the rest of the family with them meeting up with you later in the day. Alternatively choose Benidorm or a similar location with a theme park nearby. Terra Mitica at Benidorm has rides for all ages and when all your children have had enough fun in the park there is still the beach to relax on for the rest of the day.
