The year is 28 BC (i.e. I am 28 years old and it’s “before children”). My husband and I have booked a week off work and we’re paging the Lonely Planet magazine, feeling overwhelmed by the options for our next adventure. The thought of staying home during our time off never even crosses our minds. What a waste that would be! We have a whole world to explore.
Fast forward to 4 AD (ie. four years “after daughters”) and my husband has just booked a week off work. Instead of paging the latest issue of a travel magazine, I’m glancing over the “What’s On” section of the local Manly Daily newspaper. The thought of going anywhere with our three daughters under five-years-old fills us both with dread. Staycation it is. Adventures can wait!
Before you label me a boring killjoy, hear me out. We have done the long haul flights. We survived the 24-hr stretch three times with two kids. It was doable – it was not fun. We have been on holiday twice since the birth of our third daughter. Both times someone ended up in a hospital. Both times, people!
Yes, the kids were excited to go on holiday but I don’t think they realised “holiday” meant leaving all their toys at home. Within a day they were asking when we were leaving. We still had four days to go. Even more ridiculous, we opted for a beach holiday when we live five minutes from some of the most beautiful beaches imaginable. Our area IS a holiday destination.
I know it’s important to expose your children to new places and experiences. And I am all for new experiences. But our children are four, three and one-years old. When I think back to my own childhood, the first holiday I can truly remember is a trip to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. I was twelve-years-old. My memories of family holidays prior to that are sketchy and I can only recall aspects that have been captured on film.
I follow Travel Mad Mum‘s posts on Instagram. Occasionally I do a quick skim of the Family Travel Magazine. Admittedly there are times when I entertain the thought of packing our bags to set off to an exotic destination. That is until I calculate how many bags it entails (we forgot one at home last time!) and the logistics involved and I make a mental note of any places we might like to visit…in 10 years time!
For now, I have pulled together my ultimate staycation guide. Here’s how staycationing at home can be just as relaxing (or more!) and beneficial to family life as an all-out family holiday.
EXPLORE YOUR OWN AREA
If you are lucky enough to live in a beautiful area, like we do, there is never a shortage of things to do, especially outdoors. There is always a beach we haven’t visited or a playground we are yet to discover.
The girls can usually be bribed to sit through a coffee if it involves a babycino. There are numerous cafes in our area we’ve never visited. I aim to try at least one new one during our staycation.
There is a fairly easy hike to a lighthouse nearby which has been on our list for ages. This staycation I plan on getting everyone out there for a bit of fresh air and a leg stretch. Note to self: look on the buy/sell/swap pages for a baby carrier.
GO ON AT LEAST ONE BIG EXCURSION DURING YOUR STAYCATION
I will concede, the two older girls loved their airplane journey to Brisbane recently. But, quite honestly, they were just as excited to visit our local wildlife park earlier in the year. Any new experience, whether it is near or far, broadens their horizons and gives them something to add to their pretend-play repertoire. Who doesn’t love playing “Koala Park” every day for weeks on end?
We have lived in Sydney for over two years and we are yet to visit the zoo which is half an hour away. Big-ticket outing for this staycation…sorted.
DECLUTTER AT HOME
Going through the motions of daily routine means I often open cupboards and see things that need to be sorted or thrown away. When life is non-stop I just don’t have the time to do it immediately.
Call me crazy but I love, love, love a good clearout. Less stuff means fewer items to clean up. A good clearout leaves me feeling lighter, more organised and gives me the impression I have my life in order (when really, like, as if!).
I can’t wait to have a bit of time to sort, do op-shop drop-offs, list items to sell online and repurpose things that would otherwise be sitting in storage somewhere.
SPEND HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION MONEY ON YOUR OWN HOME
Have you ever sat in your living room and looked at the windows and thought, “Those are filthy.” I did. For months and months. Until one day I called the window cleaner and our house was transformed!
If I calculate how much we would have spent on holiday accommodation, I could do a lot to improve our own home with that cash. Get a cleaner in to do a deep-clean, plant some flowers in the garden, do paint touch-ups and have the windows cleaned, inside and out.
By spending some of the allocated holiday budget on our own home, I can extend the “holiday feeling” for a lot longer. This way I can enjoy our refreshed living space for the weeks and months post-staycation.
ENJOY FAMILY QUALITY TIME
Our girls have recently discovered the joys of UNO. As much as I would love to sit and play card games all day, it isn’t practical. I’m usually stretching myself between laundry, cooking, activities and other chores. I will dip in and out of playtime with the girls when I sense they’re craving attention. The joy of holidays is how they allow for more dedicated time spent together as a family.
Staycationing affords the opportunity to pull out the dusty board games, pop some corn and watch a family movie or kick a ball around the garden. No alternative agendas; just enjoying each other’s company.
At the start of the year, I set a goal for myself to start simplifying our lives. I can’t help but feel a big trip away with three small children is anything but simple.
If my husband and I are stressed at the thought of going away on holiday, no one is going to enjoy it. So why do it? There are many years ahead of us for adventures to faraway places as a family. It might not be a feature in the next issue of Lonely Planet, but for the Fox family, staycationing is our holiday of choice right now.
