Going on holiday with teenagers can be a tricky balancing act between giving them independence and spending quality time together as a family unit. Here are some tips to help make holidays with teens a success, whether you are a parent or foster carer.
Plan Activities Teens Will Enjoy
The key is involving teenagers in the trip planning process. Get their input on activities and destinations that will appeal to their interests. Outdoor adventures, amusement parks, concerts, exploring new cities, and beach trips tend to be winners. Having a good mix of family time and independent time is ideal.
If you foster teens with fosterplus.co.uk, they may be less comfortable voicing opinions, so check in one-on-one about their activity preferences. Accommodate any anxieties they have about new experiences resulting from past trauma. Move at their pace.
Set Some Ground Rules
It’s important to establish boundaries and expectations upfront about things like curfews, drinking, drugs, spending money, and devices. Be clear aabout consequences for breaking rules. Negotiate reasonable freedoms based on their maturity level. Put extra thought into how to make foster teens feel safe and secure throughout the trip.
Allow Unstructured Time
While having some planned activities is good, make sure to build in free time for teens to do their own thing. Let them sleep in, hang by the pool or beach, go shopping, or just veg out in their room. Foster teens may need extra down time to emotionally recharge. Listen if they need space from large family gatherings.
Split Up Occasionally
Some one-on-one time with each teen makes them feel special. Fathers can take the boys hiking while mothers hit up a cafe with the girls. Or vice versa. If you travel with another family, the teens may want to break off on their own for a bit. Foster teens will open up more away from siblings.
Offer Independence, But Check In
When teens are exploring a new place on their own, establish check-in times and locations. Make sure they have local maps, your contact info, and cash in case of emergency. Remind them to be aware of their surroundings and stick together. Foster teens may need extra safety reassurances due to past trauma or abandonment issues.
Have Family Meetings
Schedule short daily family meetings to go over the plan for the next day and address any issues. Teens can voice concerns and make requests. It also gives you a chance to check in on how introverted foster teens are handling the trip’s social interactions. Adjust the schedule if needed to accommodate everyone’s needs.
Plan Special Meals Together
Ask for input on restaurants and fun food experiences like cooking classes, food tours or local specialties to try. Meals are great chances to reconnect without devices distracting you. Foster teens may open up more in cosy settings away from large crowds.
Respect Their Space
Let them pick their own rooms. Knock before entering. Don’t constantly hover around them. Teach them to check in if plans change.
Focus on Making Memories
Don’t try to force bonding. Instead, aim to provide a fun trip full of laughter and inside jokes they’ll remember forever. Follow their lead in showing affection. Foster teens may take longer to open up emotionally, so exercise patience. Just make it clear you’re there for them.
Travelling with teens requires flexibility, empathy and compromise. However, with the right balance of freedom and togetherness, your trip can fortify family bonds for a lifetime.