single parent holidays - Page 2

One major effect of divorce is the decline in spending power.

Holidays in foreign lands may have become rarer as the purse strings are tightened which means that a day at London Zoo may feel like an evening at the Opera when you have to consider transport, lunch and entrance tickets.

But that doesn’t mean that an outing is out of the question and simply impossible.  There are actually plenty of things you can do in and around London that will cost you next to nothing or the price of a bus ticket.

Of course you will need lunch which you can always take from home along with some water – much cheaper than stopping on the way to buy sandwiches and fruit.

Well, here we go  – almost free staycation ideas for single parents:  most of them are about London as that’s where I live and know but I’m sure most major cities have similar opportunities.

• House sit for a friend:  This can be fun even if it’s in your neighbourhood.  You know the old saying – a change is as good as a holiday.  I’ve tried it and loved it.  The positives were I knew where everything was in terms of shops and restaurants yet I really didn’t because they weren’t my usual hangouts but places I had driven past several times.  While in the house, discovering where the plates, spoons etc were made it feel like I was holidaying in some apartment somewhere else in the world.  I have to say that the fact that my friend’s apartment is simply gorgeous helped plenty!

• Discover a new neighbourhood: If you live in a city as huge and spread out as London is, then I can bet you, no matter how long you’ve lived in here, there are areas that you have not been to.  Pick a borough or area, narrow it down to a particular neighbourhood and plan your journey from start to finish.  Go by bus if you can as this allows you to see much more as you travel.

• Discover a new park or outdoor area:  There are 8 Royal Parks in London and ample more outdoor areas including

  

  commons, heaths and forests.  Pick one, heck, pick two, pack a lunch, walking shoes and go explore or just take your picnic rug and go sit and enjoy the view, people and various free events that are being held there.

• London Free events:  One of the most fab things about living in a major city is the availability of great free summer events for children – indoor and outdoor.  These include venues such as SouthBank, Westminster Abbey,  Hackney City Farm and other London Farms.

• Take a nice long walk along the closest river or body of water to you and enjoy a home prepared picnic while watching the ripples on the water and listening to others around you or just to the birds and nature.

• Explore a cultural community or festival in and around your area – Visit China Town, The London Irish Centre and on the 24th and 25th August attend the Notting Hill Carnival followed by the London Mela on the 31st of the same month.

So enjoying a staycation in your city doesn’t have to be long and boring or cost an arm and a leg.

Whatever you choose to do – enjoy to the fullest!

Soila is the founder of The Divorce Magazine and creator of the online course – Helping Children Cope with Divorce

She is known for taking away the pain of trauma and loss in children, adolescents and their families and is the author of “When Love is Broken. A read-together book for children and parents going through divorce and separation.

You can contact her on 07850 85 60 66 or via email soila@thedivorcemagazine.co.uk 

Don’t forget to subscribe to our youtube channel www.thedivorcemagazine.co.uk  today

When it comes to going on holiday as a single parent and for the first time, it may feel quite different, daunting and unfamiliar.

You may even find yourself looking over at other families and for a brief moment envying them for being “intact” and wanting “one of those.”  All very normal reactions.

I remember the first time I went on holiday with my girls, just us, no one else.  It was a self-catering holiday in Corsica.

It was fun, exciting but I did get extremely tired as all planning, looking after and decision making lay on my shoulders.  There was no one there to ask, “What do you think?”  or “Where shall we eat tonight?” That was hard.

But at the end of the day, when I lay my head on my pillow, I could only smile and feel happy, glad and grateful that I managed to do this and that my girls were having a good time.  It was truly worth it.

Those were also the moments where I would ask, “would I want to go back “there” and be married to him?”  I would imagine if him with us right now and an uneasy feeling would immediately wash over me and I knew what the answer was.

I would acknowledge the challenges but be grateful for the opportunities of a new life that I alone can create and write.

If you’re going on holiday for the first time this year as a single parent here are some things you might want to keep in mind:

4 Top Tips on Single Parent Holidays:

• If you want an easy life, choose an age appropriate destination that your children will love and enjoy. Don’t take a toddler to walk the beautiful ancient streets of Rome.  That’s asking for trouble. Water and child focused events and activities are all that matter to them.

• You will find it awkward not being with your ex-partner at times but that’s normal and that’s ok.  Remember that one time it was you, as a family, where the other people are around you are, but you were unhappy.  Would you want to go back there?  Not for anything I would assume.  Isn’t it funny how you notice other families on holiday much more now than when you were married?

• Don’t feel guilty if you go to a hotel and drop your child at the holiday activities centre from 9 – 5.  If your child wants to go, let them.  Hurrah for you! They will have a blast and you can sit, breathe, swim and do what you want, all the while knowing that they are having a great time.  Enjoy.  When you come together at the end of the day, they will be able to share the most wonderful stories with you!

• If you forget some important something or other at home, like your child’s favourite teddybear, it’s ok.  It may be hard at first but they will manage.  Don’t be too hard on yourself because you forgot his/her pyjamas but brought yours.  It’s fine.  It happens.  You had plenty to organise and think about, forgetting a couple of things is really not a big deal.

Single parent holidays can be fun if you keep your child’s age and interests in mind.  So enjoy, have fun and don’t feel too bad if at times you wish you had stayed at home and that you really don’t like your children and wonder, out loud, why you even bothered!

It’s normal, very normal because at the end of the day, we are only human!

Enjoy!

Soila is the founder of The Divorce Magazine and creator of the online course – Helping Children Cope with Divorce

She is known for taking away the pain of trauma and loss in children, adolescents and their families and is the author of “When Love is Broken. A read-together book for children and parents going through divorce and separation.

You can contact her on 07850 85 60 66 or via email soila@thedivorcemagazine.co.uk 

Dreading your first holiday alone with the kids? Travelling as a single parent doesn’t have to be a chore!

Holidaying on your own with your children can be difficult and lonely, especially the first time around.

The last thing you need after the breakdown of your relationship is finding yourself surrounded by happy two-parent families in a large, impersonal hotel complex.

Instead of relaxing and having a good time, you end up trying to be entertainer, squabble breaker and waitress (think food buffet), slapping on sun tan lotion and developing eyes in the back of your head!

You can’t read your book by the pool for fear of losing sight of your children and spend the evenings alone at the hotel bar.

So how do you get to enjoy the holiday, too? There are so many factors to consider: Destination, climate, safety, accommodation, things to do – to name but a few. Ask yourself what would make your family holiday successful and prioritise accordingly.

Keeping the kids happy. Most single parents will immediately respond that first and foremost they want their children to have a good time. So a holiday with friends or a group holiday where the kids have ‘instant’ friends of a similar age might be the answer. The bonus is that you get to spend quality time with your kids, yet can also relax and have conversations with adults whilst they are playing with their friends!

Destination. When you have kids, the destination becomes somewhat secondary. Most kids love routine. It gives them a sense of security so they want to go to the same place year after year.

If this is the case and you fancy exploring new places, involve them in the planning, show them brochures and tell them about things to do in the hotel or country you fancy visiting. They will soon become excited!

Some of my favourite destinations are the Canaries and Austria – both safe, all-year round destinations with a mild climate in the summer and offering a huge amount of attractions and activities for parents and children alike.

Price. Booking early can save you as much money as booking last minute but the former is certainly the safer option when you are restricted to the school holidays and might need to negotiate with work and an ex-partner.

It also means that you can pay in instalments of your choice and have something to look forward to!

Good value-for-money destinations in Europe are Spain, Portugal, Greece and Austria. They offer a good standard of accommodation and are very family friendly.

Italy, France and Croatia although very popular with English holidaymakers offer a lot less for your hard earned money and to get a reasonable standard of accommodation, cuisine and facilities there, you need to dig a little deeper into your purse.

There are so many destinations and holidays out there suitable for single parent holidays.

Think outside the box of standard package holidays. Try a small family hotel where you and the kids will be made to feel at home, a cycling holiday with your teens or a family adventure holiday.

If adult company and playmates for your kids are important to you, you could consider a single parent group holiday with a specialist travel company. Remember, travelling as a single parent doesn’t have to be a chore. It just requires a tiny bit more planning.

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