A short guide to a great family vacation

That’s it, summer is well established. After the stress of the school year, parents now want to spend quality time with their children. Between the activities to organize, the expectations to meet and the need to relax, how do you go about having a great family vacation?

Adopt a slower pace

Are the children enrolled in day camp or going to daycare this summer? “There is still a way to have a different rhythm from that of the rest of the year,” emphasizes psychoeducator Solène Bourque. It can be enough to “add a little special touch to the routine,” she suggests. Like a picnic in the park for dinner or an evening bike ride.

“On vacation or traveling, we live in the present moment,” says Camille Desrosiers-Gaudette, mother of two boys. Maybe it’s an opportunity to see your child in a different light, she says. Or the opposite: the child may discover a less stressed parent who wants to have fun.

Something for everyone

“The child suggests an activity, and we [le parent]we decide, explains the D^D Nadia Gagnier, psychologist. It’s super important that the child feels listened to, that their wishes are considered. » Our budget does not follow his desires? We open the discussion by explaining that certain activities are special and that choices will have to be made.

The little one wants to have fun at the water games while the older one hopes to go to the amusement park? We try to compromise. If we enjoy the activity less, “we put ourselves in curious mode, because sometimes we can be surprised to find pleasure in it,” says Nadia. Winner. “We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be with family all the time, but we can separate to do activities,” says Solène Bourque. And we then do duo activities with the child.

In discovery mode

Camping in Gaspésie, backpacking in Vietnam, road trip On the Côte-Nord, for Camille Desrosiers-Gaudette’s family, summer rhymes with adventure. “We can dare to go off the beaten path, it’s possible with children and I think it inspires them,” explains the mother.

“When we go on an adventure together and then face new things and unexpected aspects, there is a possibility of developing family cohesion,” emphasizes Nadia Gagnier.

No time or means to go far? We can just explore the neighborhood or the city. And why not choose one of the activities offered by the municipalities during the summer? Shows of all kinds, story time, just find out. It can also be an opportunity to try a hobby or a sport.

Flexibility and spontaneity

Is your vacation spent at home? You can decide the schedule for the day in the morning. If you are planning a trip outside, try not to plan everything and “plan some time for them,” advises Nadia Gagnier. If you are planning a visit to a museum in the morning, why not take some time in the afternoon to play in the park with the children or simply relax?

“In one day, I would have done a lot of activities, but with the kids, we can do four in one day, and none the next day,” illustrates Camille Desrosiers-Gaudette. During a getaway, the mother likes to book as she goes. “If it doesn’t stress us out too much, it allows us to be flexible,” she says.

An… imperfect holiday

“We shouldn’t idealize or aim for perfection and the absence of conflict,” believes Nadia Gagnier. According to the psychologist, it’s better to leave with the idea that there will be clashes within the household during the holidays. “If we make the effort to validate emotions and be open to listening to everyone, that’s where we’ll build connections,” she explains.

For psychoeducator Solène Bourque, we should not compare ourselves to other families. Are the neighbors going on a trip to Italy with their offspring? No more guilt! “It’s really in the little things, in the quality time shared with their parents in a rhythm that is a little different that children will enjoy their summer,” she says.