The art of a multi-family getaway – top tips for doing it right
Every January for the last several years, our family, and a group of our close friends and theirs head to Ribby Hall Village, a holiday park near the Lancashire coastline in the quaint village of Wrea Green.
Group holidays are chaotic, loud, fun-filled and hectic, and the stuff of dreams for kids who’ve grown up together and love the freedom and relaxing of rules that it brings.
But for some of you, that chaos may be overwhelming, and thoughts of juggling everyone’s wants and needs not your idea of a break. We’ve found our own ways of balancing the mayhem with mindfulness, so that everyone comes home bouncing off each other’s company…rather than bouncing off the walls.
My top tips for embracing the chaos are here:
Make sure your accommodation is next to each other
If possible, bunker down next to or near each other. It means that the staggered bedtimes of differently aged children can be accommodated more easily, and you can shift cottages based on who needs to be in bed – reliant on a good old parent tag team of course.
Kids can all nip between cottages or lodges during downtime without activities, and pick up a playmate without it having to be over planned or scheduled in. There’s always someone else’s child in your cottage at most times, this year we marvelled at the fact that we’ve now got kids old enough to make lunch for all the other kids. Maybe next year they’ll all know how to clear up after themselves too…
But wait, this is your weekend too, and being camped next to your friends mean there’s also always someone to go and grab ketchup/ wipes/ wine/ loo roll from and have a brew or a drink at the same time.
Don’t forget the outdoor wear
Even if the forecast is miserable, even if you don’t think time allows, you can’t underestimate the benefit in being able to throw on coats and go for a stomp either round the site, or in the local area.
At Ribby they have a well pathed woodland trail round the whole site, which is a decent loop to burn off the sugar high/ get off screens/ revive flagging parents. It costs nothing, it resets and refreshes you, and almost certainly will feature someone with wet feet, a fuming teenager, and a youngster stopping every few minutes to pick up sticks. Good job it’s only a short trail really…
Set your rules as a group
Some facts universally known. Kids love arcades. Arcades swallow money. Kids want to do what their friends are doing. Kids get cross if you don’t let them in the arcades. But, if no-one goes in the arcade/ [insert desired activity here!], then the blow is eased. We agreed that there would be no arcades until teatime, and that the same rule applied for all eight children. Yes, you’ve then got eight kids who aren’t pleased with you and that you need to source alternative entertainment for, but at least you’re not getting the side eye from your mate because you’ve said yes and she’s said no.
Another fact – kids are contrary. There is no guarantee this approach will work next year, or in fact ever again.
Book ahead for non-negotiables
It came in with COVID and it looks like it’s here to stay, as in most places now you have to book your slots for swimming and other holiday park activities. Ribby is no exception.
So for the things you definitely don’t want to miss, have a plan – it’s especially crucial when you’re a big group. As a minimum, we have swimming slots booked each day and a meal in one of the on-site restaurants (with a pre-order). And a top tip from one of our gang – work out what each family owes for food beforehand – it saves time and drama splitting the bill, especially once wine gets thrown into the mix. You might not want to be this prescriptive with your time, and it does kill spontaneity a little, but we’ve found that it saves disappointment and ending up with a swimming slot that then cuts into your day in all the wrong ways.
Make sure you cater for your specific needs
Every family is different, and that’s the beauty of life, we all bring our own personalities and interests into the mix.
If you’re a family with neurodiversity like ours, it likely means you have to do things slightly differently to keep your little one regulated, and most importantly, focusing their energy on having fun, not fighting overstimulation.
What are your top tips for group trips away? And where must we check out for future Girl About getaways? We love to hear your tips and recs too, so head over to @girlabout.travel and @girl.about.lancashire and let’s chat.
Factor in breaks away from the group, maybe pick a solo activity with low sensory impact or even just an hour in the cottage on a screen with no background noise. Make sure you’ve got your kitbag when you go out together, whatever that looks like – ear defenders, distraction aids etc., and, try not to overdo it on the first night. You’ll be playing catch up all weekend, and not in a fun way.
And finally…don’t be scared to split up!
See above. You don’t all have to do the same thing at the same time. As we’ve been going for seven years now, what we’ve done during that time has varied significantly. We were still using a buggy the first time we went and Tom had only just taken his first steps, whilst others were already approaching the pre-teen years. Could be a recipe for disaster right, and how do you find something that’s going to suit everyone? Well, you might not. But find the right friends to go with and you’ll find the right blend of activities to suit your needs without any drama.
One year me and a friend with similarly aged littlies had an early morning walk and then pancakes and tea at the café, and it’s one of my fondest memories of that trip. When you’ve been awake since 6am, your day is already well underway as others are stirring!
Ultimately, you all wind up in the same place at the end of the day, sharing a bottle and catching up…and that’s what it’s all about.
By Amy Blackburn
Find out more about Ribby Hall here, read Amy’s other articles here
Image credits Amy Blackburn
