🌞 The holiday gazette (for parents who've got this) — vol. 2

EDITION 2 — Holiday mode: on

Holidays — that time when everything should be relaxation, lazy days and sunshine… but with kids, it's often a joyful whirlwind of surprises, shrieks, and cuddles.

So, welcome to the real "holiday with kids" experience: where the magic happens… sometimes with quite a lot (a LOT) of sand in your socks. 

Holidays aren't the Olympics

No need to schedule every single minute. Leave a little room for spontaneity (and a post-picnic nap). It really doesn't matter if you missed THE castle that TripAdvisor recommended. If everyone managed to eat an ice cream without wearing most of it, that's already a win.

So, we plan… but not too much.

Having a plan is good. Planning for it to go sideways is even better. Yes, you booked the 10am guided tour — but if your little one decides to go on a walking strike that day, take a deep breath, find a merry-go-round, and ditch the museum. The best memories are usually made in the gaps between plans.

Planning is good. Over-planning is exhausting.

You don't need a packed schedule every single day. A snack in the grass, a barefoot walk, a ladybird hunt — and boom: day sorted.
Kids couldn't care less about "Instagrammable" moments — they just want fun and your attention (and crisps. Always crisps).

Parent hack: search "playground + city name" on Google Maps — it can rescue a trip that's going sideways.

Keep a little routine (but ease up on the rules)

You can forget the strict timetables, but the comforting little rituals? Those travel with you. A bedtime story, a night light, or even their favourite pillowcase (hi Mezamé 👋)… it all helps them drift off, even in an unfamiliar bed.

And if bedtime slips a little later, it's fine — you might just score a lie-in by some miracle (yes, going from 6am to 7am absolutely counts as a lie-in, don't let anyone tell you otherwise).

Parents deserve to enjoy themselves too

Consider this a public service announcement: you are allowed to be on holiday too. If that means stealing ten minutes alone with a coffee, or passing the post-beach tidy-up to your co-parent so you can do a crossword, then GO FOR IT.

And above all, take the pressure off yourself. Nobody expects you to be perfect. Just to be there, with your kids, reasonably well equipped, and with a heart that's a little lighter.

Team tip: Mix yourself a little something in a stylish flask. You'll look like a health-conscious, well-hydrated mum — when actually you're sipping rosé-grapefruit under the parasol while the kids build a pebble dam. Who's winning at life again?

The "PhotoScan" app (by Google):
Scan drawings, postcards, or paper keepsakes from the holidays in just a couple of taps. Takes up zero space — perfect for a digital holiday album or a memory box down the line.