Last week Kim and I, two thirds of the Life with Tweens team, jumped on a plane headed for Bali. With our Tweens. We’ve both been here before, we’ve both traveled with our kids before. We all love Bali. None of this is overly new.
What is new, is what has changed in the short space since we last travelled. We’re now both well and truly travelling with Tweens.
In fact, the week before we left, Poss turned to Husband and I and said “you know, I think we need a break from all these…. holidays. We do one EVERY YEAR”. A first world problem if I ever heard one…
However, it showed me that maybe this time, things would be different. At 10 and a half (don’t forget the half) she has her own opinions, her own thoughts about what is fun and what isn’t and massive sigh that tells us the difference.
And while there’s a plethora of information out there for travelling with babies, toddlers and even kids, travelling with this new breed, the tween (or even the teen) is seriously lacking in information. Maybe it’s because we don’t realise until it’s too late (i.e. when we’re here) that things have shifted, however subtly and that’s where we set ourselves up to fail.
So I’ve put together some tips on travelling with Tweens, which will hopefully be helpful whether you’re jetting off overseas or just to a caravan down the coast… and I’d love to hear your experiences too!
- Before you even leave home, let them be part of the planning. They are small adults now and the more you include them, the more they’ll feel like this adventure is something you are all on together, rather than something being forced upon them.
- Busy days can lead to forgetting to fit in meals. And as adults it doesn’t really matter; we’re big enough to work out when we need to eat. But for a tween, after hours swimming they tend to get super hangry. Much like a toddler actually. Just because they are bigger doesn’t mean they’ll remember to eat when they’re having fun.
- Studies show that tweens and teens need between 9 and 10 hours sleep a night. While we certainly don’t get that our house; fitting in a nap in the afternoon is a good way to try and get a few extra hours. And if you have a tween that does sleep, try an let them whenever you can. It’s their holiday too!
- Let them stay connected: wifi, i-devices, whatever takes their fancy. Like it or not, staying connected to their peers is super important to tweens and teens. If you can help facilitate this (with some balance of course!) you’ll have a happier holiday.
- This is a tip we’ve always believed to be true – maybe because we’ve got an only – but holidays are easier with two. If your tween isn’t the type to strike up a friendship with others on the side of the pool, it might be worth taking a friend or cousin.
- As much the urge to hold them close (especially when you’re away from the safe confines of home) is strong, it’s great if you can give them some independence. What that means for every family will be different; an hour by the pool by themselves, a quick walk to the corner store, ordering what they want off the dinner menu…. let them have a go. If we want to raise strong, independent adults, then it starts here.
- And at the end of the day, remember, you’re still the parent, so what you say goes. And it’s your holiday too. It’s ok to remind your tween of this occasionally, and take time out for yourself.
Of course, if it’s all too much, you could just do what we’ve all dreamed about at different points of this holiday… leave them at home and enjoy a break without kids altogether!
What tips would you add to this? Is your tween a holiday lover, or a holiday hater?
