We all love summer holidays, a little bit more sunshine if you are lucky enough to head abroad, kids excited, routines relaxed and a little time to chill.
Holidays should be fun and as stress-free as possible. However, one huge lesson I learned when I went on holidays is that David’s needs have to be prioritised.
You might disagree with me and be able to go on holidays to suit all the family equally but for me when I am booking a holiday I am always thinking of David first or else no one will have an enjoyable holiday.
I know this sounds so unfair but I know as a family we all enjoy our holidays so much more when it suits David. There is first the practical aspect of David’s physical disability so we have to ensure as much as possible the hotel and surrounding area is wheelchair friendly.
Then it is finding things that David would want to do on the holidays. When David was younger he would never go to the Kid’s club but enjoyed watching other children play and loved to comment on all the commotion. However, my other children, when they were young, would love going to the kid’s club to meet other children. I myself enjoyed hearing the music starting up at 10.00am and the fun starting for the day but come 3.00 and I would give anything to read a book and have no noise whatsoever.
David been contented meant that we all were able to have a great holiday without any major meltdowns or behaviour issues.
Initially, when we first went on holidays I assumed that because I had paid for the holiday and made sacrifices for the family that for some strange reason that David would be on his best behaviour!
Was I Delusional?
I even tried to get David to eat salad on one holiday when he never eats it at home. Just thought he would and I was getting agitated because he wouldn’t try!
After realising all this my family holidays have always been so much more enjoyable but a lot of planning has to go into each holiday.
Lately, it has just been myself and David going on family holidays as my twins are now doing their own travelling with their friends. My holidays are great with David but I do still compromise around David’s disability. I know if I was choosing a holiday I would not be playing bingo at 3.00pm every day! But David absolutely loves to do that. So we plan trips and sightseeing around that. These are holidays I would never have gone on if I didn’t have David, however, I have met lots of fabulous people and to see David smile makes it all so worthwhile.
