Holiday time rolls around again, and you know exactly where you want to spend your two weeks of leisure time. But wait. You have teenagers to consider. What special provision do you need to make for them?
Whilst it might be tempting to consider leaving them behind with a fortnight's supply of microwave meals, this is not the way ahead. Soon, your little chicks may not want to accompany you on holiday, so maybe it would be best to factor them into the holiday equation whilst they still want to join in.
Preparation is All
When you take your teenager away on holiday, it is fairly likely that they will ask to take a friend with them. This can be a good or a bad thing (depending on the friend). Working on the assumption that it's a good thing, you must still leave nothing to chance.
Check the friend's passport number (oh the horror of arriving at the airport and discovering that the online check-in form doesn't match what it says in the passport). Check the expiry date of the passport. Check that the friend has travel insurance, or at least an E111 card for reciprocal medical treatment within the EEC.
Remember that weight restrictions on cabin baggage are strict. If you are travelling to a warm Mediterranean destination, one 10kg bag should hold enough clothes for a fortnight. Make sure that the friend understands this. Taking a large suitcase there and back again will cost as much as a night out and just increases the potential for chaos and lost items. Travelling light is the key to a happier holiday.
Medicines in larger quanitities than 100gm may be carried in cabin baggage if a copy of the prescription is also carried. Check that the friend is not carrying a pharmacy of expensive potions,lotions and shampoos which will end up being confiscated! If anyone in your party needs to take a prescription medicine, take a copy of the prescription with you to soothe zealous airport officials.
Culture Shock
You and your family may well be experienced travellers, but maybe your teen's best friend is not. Remember that even confident, self-assured teenagers can get homesick and that holidays place unexpected strains on even the closest of relationships!
Food can be difficult (not everyone has an adventurous palate, remember the British tourists in Shirley Valentine and their encounter with the squid?) but McDonald's has now taken over most of the civilised world, so little tastes of home are usually readily available.
It's also best to remind your sharp tongued teenagers that English may be understood by the indigenous population, even if not readily spoken, so retaining a certain sensitivity about being a guest in a foreign country is always a good idea.
Happy Holiday!
There's something very rewarding about introducing young people to the wonders of foreign travel. If you're lucky, familiar experiences and beloved landscapes can be rediscovered by sharing them with another generation.
The key to the success of a holiday adventure is careful planning, research and a modicum of guidance, control and vetting before you set out.
You will be sure to need to nag about constant application of sun cream and moderate application of alcohol. You will also probably need to point out that all the kit has to fit into the cabin baggage on the way back too, so shopping until you drop is not an option.
Taking teens (whether your own or other people's) abroad can certainly be a challenge, but can also add an interesting new dimension to the holiday experience - so, au revoir, and faites des bonnes vacances!
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