Holidays: Organising things at home to keep cool before leaving!

Between the luggage and the last minute things at work, going on holiday can swiftly become hazardous…

Here are some tips to anticipate the organisation at home before you go on holidays, delegate the chores and avoid any unnecessary upsets: they are your holidays after all!

Whether you are leaving for a long weekend or for one week, the check list is an unfortunate inevitability…. Tidying the house, arranging for the pets to be looked after, emptying the fridge, watering the plants, sorting which clothes to bring and planning what to do once there. This time, however, we are suggesting that you delegate as much as possible.

To do this there are two watchwords: anticipation and job-sharing.

Do not keep the “to-do” list in your head: write down the list with a name beside each task.

The first time around, you will discover to your horror that your name is written beside most of the chores…  The second time around you should just have things that only you can do or that are too complex.

And don’t try to tell us that reading the expiration date on the yoghurts in the fridge to see if they will still be good to eat when you get back, or picking out 6 t-shirts in a wardrobe is too complex… you know what we mean!

Focus on economising journeys during your preparation: get people to come to you or arrange to meet them in places that are on your route.

For example, you can ask your mother-in-law to come and collect the dog she is going to mind. She doesn’t work but you do! She is certainly doing you a favour, but you are also creating bonds.

The same applies to the key to your house that you are giving your friend so that she can water the plants: are you going to bump into her at school in the morning? All the better – give her the key then. You can take her to coffee to thank her after the holidays, not the day before you leave when you still have to finish that project for the boss.

Make the most of family dinners in the week before you leave to motivate the troops about the holiday activities and the pre-holiday activities: achieving the project together – that’s the real holiday!

Which leads you to your famous list of tasks to be distributed.

One good rule for distribution: tidying a bedroom, preparing clothes to be packed and at least one task for the community! This is an acceptable contract for any person, big or small (well, we’ll let really small ones get away with it, but not for long).

Making the children (and partners) responsible also avoids classically disappointing situations for you when you have once again done everything to be the perfect mother that you are.

Some examples that should convince you to delegate:

•     It’s hard to complain about a sandwich that you have made yourself #youknowidontlikechicken!
•     It’s hard to find nothing to wear when you have chosen your own clothes #whydidntyoupackmyfavouriteteeshirt?!
•     It’s hard to complain about visiting a castle/park/etc. when you have chosen it yourself #arewethereyet?

Discussing the agenda for the holidays, the activities and the weather will help everyone to prepare their own clothes. 6 sleeps= 6 pairs of socks….etc! You can take a quick look before the children pack them or you put them into the case. It’s always preferable to leaving without socks… For the older ones, forget about style, but not about essential accessories for the activities planned.

You children will be more independent and you will be more available. This also works for husbands – worth thinking about!

So, have you got your household logistics organised? Now how do you get through the last day of work? Shall we talk about it? In the next article, we promise!