Take the Family

Take the Family's Blog has moved

2010-10-15T13:45:00.002+01:00

Our blog has now moved to the main site, please see Take the Family's Blog section

Speechless by Dea Birkett

2010-09-02T12:55:00.005+01:00

I’ve complained that my teenager is only interested in going to performances that mirror her own life. But we all like a piece of theatre to hold a mirror to our own lives. So I spent our last day at the Fringe watching plays about my family.

I have three children. Two of them are twins. And twins, from Shakespeare onwards, are the stuff of theatre. They’re generally regarded by singletons as mysterious and menacing.

Speechless at the Traverse was a true-life drama about two identical black girls growing up in Britain in the 1960s and ‘70s. June and Jennifer Gibbons refused to speak to anyone except each other. Nicknamed ‘the twinnies’ by their mother, they formed a dyad against a society they regarded as enemy to their intimacy.

In every mirror held up to our lives, however distorted, there’s often a disquieting grain of truth. My twins do not use silence as a weapon against a hostile world. But sometimes I shout out ‘Twinnies!’ to get their attention. Does that mean I regard them as one? Speechless was theatre that rattled me. It wriggled right into the heart of my family, into what we call each other at home. I have not shouted out ‘Twinnies!’ since.

The second show was Expectations, a conventional play about two conventional couples. But one had a child with a disability; the other terminated a pregnancy when they discovered their child had a chromosome condition. My teenage child who isn’t a twin is disabled – she uses a wheelchair – so this was another reflection of our family life played out on a public stage. I went to see it with my teenager (who had to go in the good’s lift and have buckets and mops moved to reach the venue). Sometimes a mirror isn’t just distorted, but held up under too strong a light revealing all your flaws. This is how Expectations felt; when the mother of the disabled child said the doctors who hovered around her, ‘make me feel like she’s not my baby,’ I remembered things I’d far rather forget.

This was our final Fringe performance. If next year’s Fringe is as big a sellout as this year’s, we’ll have to start booking now. Perhaps they’ll be a play that really holds up my life for inspection. A musical called Middle Aged Mama? I could sing along to it. I probably know all the words already.

Speechless is at Bute Theatre, Cardiff 15 September-2 October

www.edfringe.com

Fringe shows and teenagers - by Dea Birkett

2010-08-26T20:23:00.004+01:00

My teenager has adopted a hotel lobby. For the cost of a cappuccino, she sits in the soft cushioned comfort of the Radisson on the Royal Mile, just a few steps away from our hostel, perusing the Fringe programme.

The Radisson is also a venue. Once, Fringe venues were leaky church halls down in the Leith docks. Now they’re unused business conference rooms if five star hotels in the centre of town. Whether that says more about the Fringe or the state of the hospitality economy, I’m not sure. But it means there’s a little more comfort for a Fringe goer these days, as the venue is likely to be warmer and the seats softer.

For a teenager to be interested in a play it has to be about themselves. So my seventeen year old opted for Clinical Lies, which isn’t only about a teenager but written by and performed by one, 19-year-old Eva O’Connor. Clinical Lies was promoted as, ‘an emotionally charged exploration of the turmoil of youth. A fragile 19-year-old girl offers a frank, witty and harrowing insight into teenage life, as she battles against her mother and her circumstances.’ I decided my own battling teenager could go and see that one on her own. Predictably, she loved it. She’s even reviewing it on her own blog - teentheatre.livejournal.com.

I failed miserably to find a show we could enjoy together. I tried Shakespeare’ Mothers. Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know, but that only bored both of us. I tried My Hamlet, a one-woman show about a Danish prince with puppets. That left us totally confused. So I abandoned her to go to her own stuff, while I saunter off with the nine-year-old twins.

I wonder - is leaving her to see shows on her own being a negligent mother, like letting her sit all night before an unmonitored computer screen? Should I be paraded as an example of poor parenting for allowing her to be exposed to dramatic material, the content of which is a complete mystery to me? I don’t think so. But what’s so different about drama? Why do I allow her see and hear (the language is uniformly shocking) things on stage I never would on the web?

It’s odd, because I could easily stop her seeing shows when monitoring her internet use is far trickier. But I don’t want to censor her Fringe viewing. I think it’s fantastic for her to witness terrible tragedies and traumas on stage. Meanwhile, I’ll go to see James Campbell’s Comedy and Songs for Kids (‘suitable for age 6 plus’) with the twins.

www.edfringe.com

Not educational just plain old family fun! - by Dea Birkett

2010-08-22T13:39:00.015+01:00

Prince of Cringe at the Gilded Balloon was gross, absolutely gross. The prince sucked a long thin balloon up his nostril and pulled it out through his mouth. He walked on 48 raw eggs, smashing htem between his toes. He banged a nail through is nose. I can’t recommend it highly enough, especially for nine-year-old boys like mine.

And our day just went from disgusting to very disgusting. After Prince of Cringe we saw The List Operators for Kids in the Pleasance Courtyard. I’m a list writing addict. I can barely move in the morning until I’ve written a list of the things I have to do for that day. So I thought this show would be for me as well as the nine-year-old twins. I was right. Double act Matt Kelly and Richard Higgins began by throwing pooey knickers into the audience. They constructed the world’s ultimate sandwich – slabberings of ketchup, jam, honey, crisps, mustard, marmite, and a gherkin. Then they ate it. We threw aliens made out of dishtowels at the Matt and Richard for no reason whatsoever. In return they vomited green paint over us. There was more farting than after an auntie’s tea. There’s nothing like a fake fart to get kids giggling uncontrollably, well mine at least.

It was the best time we’ve had together for ages because, unlike every other family activity now offered including on the Fringe, it wasn’t remotely educational. It didn’t try to turn me into a quasi-teacher explaining things to my kids every two seconds in soft mummyish whisperings. We didn’t discover how gravity works or beef up on the effects of global warning, not even in an amusing way. I didn’t come out with anything new except a face that ached from laughing so much. We had a great afternoon. We learnt absolutely nothing. We just had fun.

http://www.gildedballoon.co.uk/
http://www.pleasance.co.uk/
http://www.edfringe.com/

Time out for a family at the fringe

2010-08-19T18:07:00.007+01:00

I’ve got it wrong again. One of my nine year olds has pointed out to me that there are over 300, not over 200 venues at the Fringe. She’s right. Every corner shop, every hotel lobby, every backstreet bar has been occupied by a theatre troupe. This is, of course, part of the Fringe’s remarkable energy. But it’s also exhausting when you’re traipsing around with kids. There’s not quiet space to retreat to and calm down. And although the Smart City Hostel where we’re staying is fab, it’s not exactly relaxing to go back to our room and bend over double on the bunk bed, attempting to chill out. Anyway, the hostel is also a venue from late morning til well past midnight and heaving with wannabe actors and performers. So we are bombarded with innovation and experimentation wherever we go.

To escape it, you have to flee from the town centre. You don’t have to go far. We only took a short bus ride out to the Dean Gallery (part of National Galleries of Scotland) and sat in the wonderfully sedate café, supping on homemade vegetable and barley soup. We then wandered into their surrealism exhibition – Another World – wandering among the whacky paintings and objects, supping on the near silence in the galleries. The kids were certainly quieter and calmer. Refuelled and refreshed, we took the bus back up to the Royal Mile and a show.

I’ve mentioned the power of the poster before, plastered all over town. Now the nine-year-old twins have succumbed to the force of the flyer given out on every street. They collect them like Trump cards; we’ve got piles back in our room. I suppose I should be grateful as they’re free souvenirs and I don’t have to buy the twins some dreadful tartan knickknack to take home. But then they insist they go to shows in their flyer collection. Which is how we ended up standing in a queue for Prince of Cringe. I’ll let you know if the promise of the flyer proves true.

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/
http://www.smartcityhostels.com/
http://www.edfringe.com/

Edinburgh Fringe - the next chapter - by Dea Birkett

2010-08-17T20:05:00.006+01:00

So we went to see Jungle Book. The Next Chapter this morning. We were photographed going in, pretending to be an animal of our own choice. Nine-year-old River doesn’t really go for that kind of interactive stuff, so just grimaced. His twin sister Savanna was some species that roared – it’s unclear which. Then our images were projected on to a screen throughout the performance. Even River’s, who simply looked unhappy.

Only yesterday I was saying what a good idea it is to have a play with a familiar name, Jungle Book being a good example. Now I’m not so sure. It’s a big title to live up to. Some of the characters in the Next Chapter were familiar, but all the songs were new. There wasn’t a single tune we could hum along to. ‘It’s nothing like Jungle Book,’ moaned Savanna. Better for a child to have no expectations at all than to have expectations dashed.

But Savanna had a good idea for a cost free family activity at the Fringe. A venue trail. Each Fringe venue – over 200 of them - has a number displayed in a big banner on the outside of the building, whether it’s a highbrow theatre or a scuzzy bar. Savanna and her twin brother River obsessively clock each venue they pass, ticking them off. ‘I’ve seen 83, 52, 132 and 6 already today!’ cheered River before lunch. I reward the one who spots the most venues before supper with a pound, making it the cheapest show we’ve done. I think Savanna should suggest the idea to the Fringe for next year. They could even publish a family friendly venue trail with stickers.

While the twins and I were pretending to be animals, the teenager wandered off to her own familiar territory. She saw Farm Boy at the Assembly Rooms, mainly because it was promoted as the Michael Morpurgo’s sequel to War Horse, a play she’s already seen twice. She, too, had expectations dashed. How can you live up to War Horse? It was fine but not fabulous.

And tomorrow we’re going to see Prince of Cringe, a title none of us have ever heard of.

www.edfringe.com

Fairytales and the Fringe - by Dea Birkett

2010-08-16T22:29:00.009+01:00

Never underestimate the power of the poster. We’re walking along the heavily fly posted Edinburgh streets, and the nine-year-old twins are reading them all out loud, from the rudest burlesque to plays about bunny rabbits. One called Cinderella catches Savanna’s attention.
‘I want to go and see that!’ she says.
‘But we’ve already seen Cinderella,’ moans her twin brother.
‘But I like Cinderella,’ she says,
‘But I don’t want to see it again,’ he replies.
‘There are different versions,’ she moans. The conversation continues …

Now here’s a conundrum. If I were an obscure theatre group putting on a play for kids at the Fringe, I’d give it a title every child recognises. Cinderella. Oliver Twist. Something that sounds like a Roald Dahl title even if it isn’t. That way, any child will want to go and see it. We’re booked in for the Jungle Book. The Next Chapter tomorrow, just because it’s got the words ‘Jungle Book’ in big letters on the posters. You could call in poster pester power. And I succumbed.

But should I? Perhaps I should be introducing the kids to stories and ideas they haven’t come across before. If I can’t do that at the Edinburgh Fringe, where can I do it? But I’m also a lazy mum. I don’t want to have two whinging kids sitting next to me throughout a performance. I want to space out while they watch. So it’s Jungle Book in the morning.

And we went to see Hood this afternoon – because it’s about Little Red Riding Hood. But the great thing about the Fringe is even if the title is familiar, the content certainly won’t be. This production had a lot of singing and dancing, but no real script. I couldn’t really make it out, but the twins did. So I felt as if I’d ticked all the boxes – it was a story they knew, in a form that was new to them.

I wonder what Jungle Book will do tomorrow.

www.edfringe.com

Photograph by Kenny Mathieson and Hood production by Peculius Stage

The Edinburgh Fringe - Day 1 - by Dea Birkett and family

2010-08-16T14:55:00.013+01:00

Things have not gone to plan. That’s the first thing you learn about family holidays. I’d booked our accommodation in the fab Smart City Hostel, which has family rooms only yards off the Royal Mile, right in the centre of the Edinburgh Fringe action. I’d written a schedule of shows we wanted to see and places we wanted to visit. And then, only moments after we arrived by our bunk beds close to midnight, my eldest began to throw up. Kids. They ruin schedules. Particularly on holiday. In our case, very often on holiday. Plans and young people just don’t go together. I won’t waste the week beforehand scheduling again.

We (or rather I, as like most women I’m the scheduler in the family) had to reschedule. There was no breakfast show this morning, having been up half the night – later than even the latest fringe hardliners. Of course, my teenager is fine now, having a robust young body. It’s only me who’s a wreck.

So we started our first day gently at the very best place to start any Edinburgh visit - the Camera Obscura - a wonderful piece of Victorian technology that still captivates kids. [Unfortunately it doesn't have family tickets - see Kids in Museums family ticket watch ] From the top, a live image of the city lay on a round table before us. We touched passers by storeys below, lifting them off the table as if we were all-powerful giants and they were Lilliputians. We could pinpoint our hostel and navigate the old and new towns, getting to know them before wandering around the over one hundred fringe venues. We had bird’s eye previews of what was on offer, as we looked down on the theatre companies performing extracts from their performances in the streets. We could decide what to see from the vantage point of the Camera Obscura. I took out my schedule and began to scribble.

We stayed there all this morning. I suppose, at some point soon, we must see a show.

Further information
Edinburgh Fringe
Smart City Hostels
Camera Obscura

On Safari in Hertfordshire - by Dea Birkett

2010-08-12T11:09:00.012+01:00

Who needs to go on safari? There’s lots of controversy over taking kids to malarial zones. So this week we had our encounters with lions, tigers and lemurs in deepest Hertfordshire, at Paradise Wildlife Park, which specialises in allowing you get as close as you safely can to a wild beast.

The first cage we walked into was awash with offspring. I’ve always thought my family was large, but not as large as Edwina and Ringo’s. They’ve got nine kids, and I can’t tell the difference between them although their keeper Steve, who was also in the compound with us, could. They’re all lemurs, with long ringed tails and big orange eyes. And, like very good children and unlike my own, they just eat loads of fruit, especially apples. I know, because that’s what we fed them at Paradise Park, sitting next to them on tree trunk seats as if invited for tea. My nine year old decided to have a staring competition with Ringo. He didn’t win. Lemurs don’t blink.

We also didn’t have a tiger for tea, but did have tea with a white tiger called Narnia, feeding her meat from our fingers. We held a Burmese python called Colonel Custard whose diet was one rat a week. We stroked a bearded dragon and baby meerkats. The meerkats’ status on the animal kingdom has been considerably enhanced amongst kids by their in appearance in a TV ad for car insurance. I’m not sure that’s what the advertising executives intended.

Like all south of England families, we’ve also been to Woburn Safari Park and stared at animals through our car windscreen. Ironically, that’s far closer to the African safari experience than Paradise Park. If you drive in a jeep through the bush, you need a good pair of binoculars to spot a lion. And feeding one is not an option, at least not an advisable one for the kids.

So if your kids want to stroke a lion’s mane, don’t take them to South Africa. Go to the South of England. Family travel is becoming more and more about the experience rather than the place. Now, we can do most things, almost anywhere.

A package including a one night stay in a family room at the five star Marriott Hanbury Manor Hotel & Country Club and a family entrance ticket go Paradise Wildlife Park costs from £218 per family of four at weekends in August and September and is bookable through Superbreak. Animal encounters bookable extras.

Woburn Safari Park

A Family Road Trip - by Dea Birkett

2010-07-06T11:41:00.006+01:00

We’re going on a road trip! I like to say ‘road trip’, as it sounds romantic, like something Jack London might have embarked upon. Not that the nine-year-old twins have ever heard of Jack London. But it does make me feel as if a regular family journey from London to Mayo via Holyhead (again) could be an adventure. And I could possibly be someone other than a middle-aged mum barking at her kids in the back seat.

At least this time we’re going to equip ourselves better than the last. We’ve been roadtesting (ho ho) different bits of kit that could keep us happy when we’re in the car. The first is favoured by Wayne Rooney, also a parent, who used it on a recent flight to South Africa. It’s called the Sound Asleep Pillow, and looks like the sort of thing you find at the end of every bed. But it contains a very clever speaker, so undetectable you can’t feel it at all. There’s also a wire poking out of the pillow’s corner, to connect to your MP3 player. Rest your weary head on the hollowfibre, and you can hear your very own music, if slightly muffled as if being played by fairies. The pillow is marketed for grown ups, but it solved all our family road trip arguments about what music we’re going to play and how loud. And the kids didn’t need earphones, which meant I didn’t need to spend hours untangling them.

The next road trip item the twins tested was the Family Funboard, a lap-sized whiteboard with hangman, noughts and crosses and join-the-dots already drawn on it. It comes with two marker pens which wipe off, so you can challenge your car seat companion over and over again. The twins played 14 games of hangman between Birmingham and Bangor.

Now here’s a tip (but it only works if your backseats have trays). Stick a bit of Velcro on the bottom of the board and to the tray. Then your kids won’t have to keep unbuckling themselves to search for the Family Fun on the car floor. Unfortunately, it took a few hundred miles before I figured that out.

I bet it wouldn’t have taken Jack London that long.

Sound Asleep Pillow

Family Fun Board from Brightminds.co.uk

Irish Ferries

Following the World Cup - by Dea Birkett

2010-05-20T21:34:00.004+01:00

I have a nine-year-old boy who doesn’t like football. (I also have a nine-year-old girl, his twin sister, who doesn’t like football either, but somehow I feel no need to apologize for her.) So this forthcoming football frenzy with the World Cup leaves us cold. Despite all the tempting discounts, we feel no urge at all to visit South Africa. At least, not until it’s free from groups of grown men running around in matching t-shirts on patches of green.

So I flinched when my son was bought a book called 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa Activity Book. (They could have thought of a shorter title.) I knew he’d have to feign interest. He smiled politely – his mother has raised him with the very best of manners – and thanked the donor. Then he did something very odd. He sat down and began to read it.

‘It has all sorts of stuff about different countries,’ he said. ‘Like the flag of Slovakia.’ In fact, it has the flags of all the participating teams, usually as stickers so you have to guess which goes where. What a great game for a travelling family.

When I was about my son’s age, I had a poster on my wall titled Flags of the Commonwealth. It was my favourite possession. My friends and I used to test each other. How many stars on the Australian flag? Name two African countries whose flags contain the same colours? Flags are fabulous things.

So we’re following the World Cup by flag. We want the country with the most colourful to win.

2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa Activity Book is published by Carlton Books £3.99

The Utlimate family day out with a teenager - by Dea Birkett

2010-05-18T21:59:00.001+01:00

You might not even know if from this blog, but I have a teenager. And the reason you don’t know it is because she doesn’t like going with me anywhere, anywhere at all. So when I’m writing about my family’s travels, it’s usually about the nine-year-old twins. Teenager rarely gets a mention.

But I’ve found a trip - well, an outing really – that we can both enjoy. It only lasts a day, so the chance of developing a full blown fight and not speaking to each other for the rest of the week is lessened. And there’s no overnight involved. If she comes with us to a hotel, the first argument is always about which bed she gets. As a family of five, we usually have two rooms – one for the kids, one for the adults. But the teenager insists she’s too old to sleep with her siblings, demanding our room with its big double bed. I do wish hotels could figure out some clever bit of design that took into account families these days can have quite big age gap between their children, often due to a second relationship. There must be some way in which ‘family-friendly’ could take this modern family into account, and not presume we’ve all got two kids with just 18 months between them.

But back to going out for the day with the teenager. We’re going to the Clothes Show. It’s been in Birmingham and now it’s coming to London next month. As well as loads of fashion and cosmetic displays, there are catwalk shows and appearances by famous people in the fashion world. We went last year, and it’s a great day Mother and Daughter day out. It’s also good for the generational balance; my daughter was the knowledgeable one, as I’d never heard of half the brands of designer make-up we could try out or the names of celebrities who were giving expert advice. She knew them all.

But this year I might have the upper hand. This year’s show will recreate Carnaby Street to celebrate the iconic street’s 50th anniversary. I bet she doesn’t know anything about that. Not that I want to have a fight….

Clothes Show London 25-27 June

Train your dragon by Dea Birkett

2010-05-07T14:03:00.003+01:00

My nine-year-old twins love Cressida Cowell. We’ve read the book and seen the film. We’re completely fired up by How to Train Your Dragon.

In a recent interview, the author said she was inspired to write by spending summer holidays as a child on a small, uninhabited Scottish island where there was nothing to do. So instead of kids clubs, water slides, soft play areas, rooms with play consoles and activities, activities, activities, she spent her holidays ‘drawing and making up stories’.

Like the Cowell family, we go on regular holidays to a small island, not off Scotland, but off County Mayo, Ireland. But we stash the car with so many of our urban belongings that now we have to take a trailer, to accommodate everything we think we might need. We always go by ferry – we abandoned flying some time ago, having discovered if we book a cabin on the crossing from Holyhead to Dublin, we get a couple of hours kip on the ship and are all prepped up for the six hour drive the other side.

But we haven’t discovered how to divest ourselves of all our worldly goods. It’s curious how it’s far easier to abandon them when going somewhere hot. We don’t mind if there’s nothing for the kids to do on a tropical island resort except splash about on the beach. But if the temperature isn’t dragon’s breath, we feel we need to take loads and loads of stuff to keep the kids amused.

But inspired by the Cowells, we’re going to pack lightly this trip. No more essential toys, essential games, essential bits of electronic kit. (Although persuading the man to leave behind his laptop and iPhone won’t be possible.) We’ll take paper and pencils, to draw or write with. I’ll report the results back to you. Fingers crossed, one of us will pen a bestseller.

Irish Ferries has regular sailings from Holyhead to Dublin

Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon, is published by Hodder Children’s Books.

The film How to Train Your Dragon is on general release.

Ashy Skies: When Holidays Never End - by Dea Birkett

2010-04-22T09:31:00.001+01:00

I was listening to the radio today - while trying to find matching socks in the laundry basket - when a woman who was stranded in Spain due to ‘ash in air’ was interviewed. ‘I always said I hoped our holiday would never end. Now I’ve changed my mind,’ she said.

The most interesting aspect of the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland is how it’s exposed our attitudes towards going away. In theory, being stuck on a beach in Thailand or a hotel in Manhattan for a week longer than expected isn’t a hardship. But when it actually happens, it’s far from appealing. However much we might like to imagine we want to spend all our lives spread out on a sun lounger with no To Do list, that isn’t our dream life at all. For many holidaymakers, and particularly those with kids, each extra enforced day living the dream has felt like a nightmare.

The whole point about holidays is that they don’t last forever; they’re different from the everyday. However much a cosy hotel may advertise it’s a ‘home away from home’, we only want to stay there because it’s nothing like where we live. Even if we seek familiar food for our kids when we’re away, preferring to stay at accommodation that has a full English on the menu, we go there because at least the weather is different to our own back garden. We eat our fried eggs in the sun.

And however much we imagine we want to throw off all routine, we only want to do that for a fortnight. If holidaying became our ordinary life, we’d want to escape it. I sometimes long for the six-week summer school break to end and to return to the comfort of knowing we all have to go to bed and get up at a certain time. Regularity – and alarm clocks – are good for the soul.

So I’m going to appreciate our next family holiday a little more. I won’t spend the last few days wishing we could stay longer. I’ll just be glad for the break, and even gladder to be going home.

A Suitable Age? - by Dea Birkett

2010-03-31T14:16:00.001+01:00

We’ve just been to one of the best plays we’ve seen for a long, long time. I know it’s theatre, not travel. But as it’s called The London Eye Mystery and is about a young teenager disappearing on the giant wheel that turns on the south bank of the Thames and gives the best ever view of London, I feel I can mention it here. The eight-year-old twins particularly enjoyed it, intrigued and terrified in turns. There was only one hitch. The recommended age for the play was ten plus. Only their big teenage sister should have been sitting in the audience.

This set me thinking about recommended ages for travel experiences. Many tour companies now offer holidays for children with a certain number of years. Even family safaris often have an over-eight requirement. Taking your three-year-old on a Nile Cruise would generally be frowned upon. But the twins loved The London Eye Mystery, even though they were theoretically two years too young. So should we pay any attention to well-intended age restrictions on travel?

I think it’s fine as long as it’s only advice. I don’t think it’s fine if holiday companies start telling us that a toddler is too young to look at a Velazquez painting in the Prado. Or that my teenager is too old to hook a duck in the Tivoli fairground, when (she’ll murder me for letting you know this) she still shrieks when she wins a tacky prize.

We know our kids better than any holiday company. So I think it’s up to us to decide whether a break is suitable for them, whatever their age.

And some of us are younger at heart than we might first appear. The Unicorn is a children’s theatre, and The London Eye Mystery a play for young people. But I really, really enjoyed it. Far more than anything I’ve seen lately aimed at the age range I’m supposed to be – adult.

The London Eye Mystery is running at the Unicorn Theatre until 18 April www.unicorntheatre.com.

Takethefamily.com have an exclusive offer for their twitter followers with special priced tickets for 7pm shows of The London Eye Mystery. See Takethefamily's Twitter page for more details twitter.com/Takethefamily

Tickets for the real London Eye from www.londoneye.com

Finding Espana, in Spain - by Dea Birkett

2010-03-01T13:24:00.006Z

‘Let’s go to Spain!’ said my teenager. It was a good idea, and we all agreed, including the eight-year-old twins.

The trouble was, we were already there, in the heart of Murcia, less that half a kilometre from the Mediterranean coast, where palm trees dot the landscape and paella is the classic dish.

But where we were staying, it didn’t feel like Spain at all. We were in La Manga, a resort three times the size of Monaco. And it was a kingdom unto itself. Within the resort, we could have been anywhere. Sure, there were tapas bars and open air tennis courts, but there was also a traditional Irish sports bar with giant plasma screen. If we wanted to see Espana, we had to escape to it.

There was a wonderful beyond. Just a 15-minute drive away stood Cartagena, a small town with huge style and an almost complete Roman amphitheatre. We wandered up and down the terrace of stone seats and climbed on to the stage, becoming Roman players ourselves. My man gave us some lines from Shakespeare – ‘Frailty, thy name is woman’ – the only lines he knows. He shouted them into the damp, warm Spanish air. We imagined how it might have been when Augustus was Emperor and held sway in this area, commanding performances. Then we drove back to the resort, the car barrier lifted that shut off all entry roads, and we were in the world we knew.

Familiarity and foreignness were combined in one trip. How fabulous. But a bit of me didn’t want to be that comfortable, even in the evenings. I wanted my presumptions and concerns to be unsettled. If I go away, even on a family holiday, I want to see the world from a slightly different angle. Standing on the steps at the Roman Theatre, I did so. Back in the resort, I felt as cosy as could be.

I suppose every holiday doesn’t have to be an adventure. Does it?

See Takethefamily's pages Hotel La Manga Club Principe Felipe, Hyatt Las Lomas Apartments, La Manga, and Spain.For more information visit www.lamangaclub.comBest guide on Murcia is Dorling Kindersley’s Top Ten Costa Blanca from Amazon

Do we really hate kids in Britain? - by Dea Birkett

2010-02-09T13:54:00.000Z

Do we really hate kids in Britain?

Our first Children’s Commissioner Sir Al Aynsley Green believes so. About to leave office, he’s determined to go with a bang not a whimper. Sir Al has declared England ‘one of the most child-unfriendly places in the world’, citing Norway, Canada and Australia among other countries where families will feel far more welcome.

If we’re to believe Sir Al, we’d only ever book for Thailand, not Taunton. The cliché is that Thais, Italians, Spanish, Greeks all love their children – or at least other peoples’ children – far better than we do. How often have you heard someone describe the joys of a little café in an Italian square, where the waiter whips away their two-year-old, taking them into the kitchen to play with the sous chef? A few times? And how often has anyone mentioned a Cornish café to you, in particular how welcoming they were of your screaming, irritable toddler? Not often, I bet.

Cliches often contain a grain of truth, but only a grain. I don’t believe Britain is the child-shunning place it once was. (There’s plenty of examples on Takethefamily's website to prove so.) A high chair is no longer a rare piece of furniture in a restaurant. (Try asking for one in Greece.) An extra pull-down bed in your hotel room won't cost at least £20. (Although, sadly, in some places it might still cost £10.) Hotels increasingly have meals and mealtimes that cater to many generations, not just one. And at least we haven’t gone the way of the States, where there’s rampant age apartheid, with menus and museums reserved for kids only.

Travelling up and down the country with my small tribe, I've been increasingly and pleasantly surprised at how family-friendly Britain has become. So why don't we stop whining and give Britain a break?

Slaves to Schedule? - by Dea Birkett

2010-01-15T23:31:00.000Z

Routine, routine, routine. When you first have a baby, that’s all the advice everyone gives you. You must get them into a routine.

Discussions around routine have been big in the news recently. Childrearing guru Gina Ford, who recommends parenting works best when we strictly observe the clock, is at loggerheads with, among others, a new father named Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats. Clegg has spoken out against the strictures of the author of The Contented Little Baby Book, saying instinct is as good as instruction.

I agree. As a family that travels much of the time, we have to throw routine to the European, African or Asian wind. It’s wonderful. And it definitely doesn’t damage the kids. In fact, it does the opposite. Without a routine imposed from above, kids develop their own rhythms. This sets them up far better for life than any timetables and ridiculous rules they are forced to adopt but don’t understand.

My lack of any regularity began with my first born, who first went abroad at ten days. Slipping between time zones, I had no idea whether she’d had her afternoon nap. I barely knew when afternoon was, and she certainly didn’t. It worked out so much better for all of us. She could sleep when she was tired – a rather simple idea that seems to have escaped Gina Ford. And we weren’t in fear of missing the Prada in Madrid because the Sunday opening hours would coincide with the time she was supposed to sleep.

Yet many friends of mine with small children plan their holidays around the ridiculous mantra of routine. They have to leave to drive to Cornwall at the strangest of hours, to keep in with their toddler’s ‘sleep routine’. They have to take a short haul flight in the late afternoon to make sure their four year old doesn’t miss his ‘daily afternoon snack’. Then, once they arrive, the joys, surprises and unexpectedness of a new place are all squashed by trying to squeeze their kids’ routine into a very differently shaped day, with different hours of light and darkness, different customary mealtimes, different bedtimes expected of children to those at home. But their kids have been so regimentally brought up, they find it impossible to adapt. They still have to have their biggest meal at supper in Spain, even though everyone else has a giant lunch. And though petit Jean and Francoise seem to stay up later than their British counterparts, my British friends still tuck up their kids early when they’re in Paris. Then they moan that they’re imprisoned in their hotel room for the night, when they could be enjoying an evening out with their children.

So don’t drill a routine into your kids. Take them travelling instead, and let them feel the different rhythms of the world. We can’t be slave to schedules.

Now, is it bedtime yet?

Our Love of the Wet Weekend - by Dea Birkett

2010-01-08T03:51:00.006Z

The instinct when it’s cold and wet outside is to stay inside, to hunker down. That’s the image of the Happy Family, sitting closely together around the flickering fire.

But very few of us have fires anymore, and huddling around the radiator somehow doesn’t have the same ring. So when it’s wet and windy, we don’t stay in, we go out. And we usually go to the wettest, windiest place we can find, which is usually the British seaside.

Last weekend it was Brighton. In the summer, the pier is most unpleasant. You can’t move for bags of hot doughnuts attached to human arms, walking along the creaking planks. But it winter, there’s no queue for this sugary treat. There’s no queue for the Hook a Duck. And a cup of tea in a polystyrene cup in the cutting wind tastes like the best drink you could ever have. My twins are big tea drinkers – have been since they were tiny. I think it’s part of the whole seaside experience.

We ate at Regency Restaurant and stayed at the Hilton Metropole (www.hilton.co.uk) for the sea view. The water’s never blue this time of year, just a solid wall of silver. But we could still spot surfers, immune to the weather like we wanted to be.

At the risk of sounding like Grumpy Old Woman when I’m still in respectable mid-youth with young children, I think we’ve all become a bit wimpish about breaks. In the winter, weekend break has come to mean Madrid, not Margate. But there’s nothing wrong with the South Coast on a cold day. In fact, we prefer it.

See related article: A Rainy Seaside Family Break to Brighton

Travels with Family Films - by Dea Birkett

2010-01-08T03:45:00.002Z

It hasn’t been Christmas cards but holiday brochures that have been dropping through my front door by the dozen this week. I confess to plopping every one straight into the recycling. Does anyone really read these huge tomes of tiny pictures and complicated graphs of how to calculate the cost of your fortnight in the sun? I don’t. My kids certainly don’t. And, increasingly, they’re having a louder and louder say in where we go away.

Their influences aren’t glossy brochures but TV, books and, in particular, films. We’ve just seen Disney’s latest slick offering – The Princess and the Frog. The film was fine, but the setting was fab. All the love action happens in New Orleans, with very wicked Voodoo-practicing shamans and flighty Southern belles. Now the eight-year-old twins just want to pack their bags and head for Bourbon Street, hoping to meet a member of the Royal Family disguised as a small green amphibian. And I want to go there, too. Not to meet a Princess, but because I still carry the film’s soundtrack of trad jazz in my head, warming me up along the cold streets.

It was the same when we saw Pixar’s Up!. We all wanted to jump on a long haul flight to Venezuela, and search out Angel Falls that the film so dramatically featured. I hope this film-led holiday choice doesn’t apply to everything we see. On Boxing Day, we’re off to watch Where the Wild Things Are. I wonder where that will take us.

Dressed for (catching) Dinner - by Dea Birkett

2009-12-10T11:48:00.012Z

The weather is foul – all wet and windy – so it’s time to spend a day outdoors, fishing. We’ll get wet, cold and even a little bit whiney. But there’s something about being out in a bluster that clears all those Christmassy cobwebs away. It makes me tingle.

The other thing it makes us do is dress up. There’s nothing like a bit of costume to make it feel and look like an adventure. (After all, how did the pith helmet become so emblematic of the Tropics? Or plus-fours the signal that someone was going to strike out across a Scottish hillside?)

Our latest costume adventure was to go fishing in Ireland, in a lake on the estate of the K Club, a country house hotel in County Kildare. It wasn’t that rural – only a 20 minute drive from Dublin – but it felt and looked like countryside in that damp, paint-box green Irish way. Just a short drive from the Book of Kells, the dress code was completely different to in the city. Our gillie Albert turned up in green corduroy trousers tucked into tall Wellingtons, a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows, a flat tweed cap and a camouflage waistcoat with so many pockets stuffed with so many lures and flies, he looked like a piece of bait himself. Albert instructed the eight-year-old twins to pull off their Gap sweatshirts and trainers, and kitted them out in waxed Barbour jackets, quilted blue waistcoats and miniature long green wellies, ready to wade through the bullrushes.

Albert taught them how to spin a line and pull it in quick enough to hook a trout. But they weren’t gazing in the lake to spot ripples from the fish, but to admire their own reflections. How fine they looked in their country gear.

Both the twins reeled in a catch; neither of us adults did. But they weren’t boasting about the one that didn’t get away at supper that night. They were remembering their waistcoats and jackets, and the way they could wade so deep in wellies that came over their knees.

The K Club www.kclub.com, County Kildare, Ireland.
We travelled there on Irish Ferries www.Irishferries.co.uk

Snowflakes or Snowfakes? - by Dea Birkett

2009-11-25T06:44:00.014Z

It was snowing outside Brown Thomas's in Grafton Street. It was snowing on the four-piece string quartet, busking Bach and Brahms before the entrance to the distinguished department store. It was snowing on the little boy in a stripey bobble hat, bouncing and strapped in his buggy. It was snowing on the toddler girl, dancing to the string quartet in her puffy jacket, so puffy that she could barely swing her arms.

This snow wasn’t general all over Ireland. And it wasn’t real. Above Brown Thomas’s sign I spotted the wind machines, pumping out the paper flakes. And I noted it was precisely 3pm. In Grafton Street, in the heart of Dublin, it only snowed on the hour. And every hour. Well, every shopping hour at least.

This snow was very odd, slightly irritating the skin, like little bits of scratchy white litter. But the dancing girl liked it, and so did my eight-year-old twins, as they tried to blow it back into the air with one big breath and gather the fallen pieces into their pockets.

I’ve written before about fake climates, like Lapland in Kent. How we love to go somewhere cold when it’s hot outside, and hot when it’s cold. (Read my 'Cold Comfot' blog) But that’s not the point I’m making here. The point is, of all the things we did in Dublin last weekend, that moment is the one the twins remember. They haven’t mentioned the Jungle Madness zone at the new(ish) children’s activity centre ENRG, nor Dublin Zoo (although they love zoos), nor even the funky Dublin City Gallery with the fab cafe. But they’ve told all their friends about the false flakes outside Brown Thomas’s.

And it’s been like that on most of our holidays. There’s been a moment, often a very small moment like this one, which they take home with them. So are we misguided to try and make our family holidays special? Kids don’t want to experience big sights or huge new adventures. They want something small that tickles their imagination – a magic moment. The problem is, you can’t plan for that.

For guaranteed snow, (in the UK), this festive season, head for Lapland UK in Kent, or the dazzling free Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, or even one of the many snow dome, outdoor snow tubing or ice skating events across the country.

Journey - by Dea Birkett

2009-11-18T09:50:00.026Z

Sometimes you stumble across something that makes you gasp, 'Why hasn’t that been done before!' But not often. This has been one of those rare, lucky weeks. The gasp is called Journey Journal, and it addresses one of those sticky issues this website has discussed: Is it right to take the kids off school to go on holiday?

I believe the simple answer is ‘No’. But then, nothing’s simple. There are all sorts of reasons – including cost – why we might want to transform term time into travel time. But the real argument for flouting end of term dates is that your kids are likely to learn more on the road than they are at their desks. Travel is always a good lesson – perhaps not in something on the National Curriculum, but definitely in life.

That’s where the Journey Journal steps in. Produced by small independent publisher Can of Worms, it transforms a term-time trip into a teaching session. Can of Worms publisher Toby Steed, with two young children himself, noticed that if a child is off school long term sick, for example, they’re expected to do some studying at home. But if they’re away from the classroom on holiday, nothing is expected on their return.

The Journey Journal, designed by geography teachers, is for parents and schools to hand out to these holidaying shirkers. Tasks it sets include ‘Drawing a typical (not traditional) local female’, ‘Complete this graph to record the weather (ie rainfall and temperature) during your journey’, and ‘Draw something that is okay in this place but rude in your place.’ Toby suggests filling in the Journal could be a condition of a school letting a pupil have time off to travel. I imagine some kids, when asked to draw a graph, might prefer to stay at home. But the Journal’s fun. It’s also very small, so can fit into anyone’s pocket. I’ll put it in mine when we next bunk off.

Journey Journals available from www.geographycollective.co.uk and CanofWormsEnterprises.

Related Takethefamily blogposts include:

Returning Again and Again
Speaking in family friendly tongues
Putting the Fun Back into Holidays

Returning Again and Again - by Dea Birkett

2009-11-10T15:50:00.009Z

I’m past the point of no return. Because I keep coming back again, and again, and again to this corner of Ireland – an island just off the Mayo coast. We’ve been coming here for years, ever since my first child was born, even though it’s always windy, always wet, and rarely warm.

I’ve often asked myself why we come on holiday to the same place several times, rather than go to different places each time. The world is so huge, it’s a pity to not explore each and every corner of it. But there’s something comforting in going on a family holiday to somewhere you know well, and even to people who may recognize you again. ‘Welcome back,’ are two wonderful words to hear, so more than a merely polite and obligatory, ‘Welcome’. It makes you feel as if your own home isn’t the only place that you belong.

So we’re back again, on Achill Island, enjoying collecting stones and seaweed on the fierce blowy beach and buying fresh hens from the man who keeps a wooden coop in his front garden. Although it’s not really a garden, more a patch of bog. Nothing much grows here above a few feet, because of the wind blowing off the ocean.

A friend scolded me for always bouncing back to this remote spot. ‘Why don’t you take the kids somewhere they can discover something new?’ she said. But they do, here on Achill. This time, we’ve gone hunting for black shells (mussels), picking them off the rocks at low tide. We’ve counted more than a dozen dolphins (or are they porpoise?) dancing in the surf. We’ve seen seals. Just because we come back to the same place, doesn’t mean we have the same experience. Every time is different.

My kids are lucky to have traveled all over the world. But it’s going back, not forward, that they enjoy most. I’ve had to stop asking them where they want to go on holiday, for fear that we’ll never make a new journey again. I know they’d always say, ‘Achill!’

How Long is Too Long for a Family Holiday? - by Dea Birkett

2009-10-13T13:14:00.007+01:00

How long is too long for a family holiday? I know Takethefamily.com's slogan is 'For family holidays that last a lifetime', but that's probably a little long for any of us. We all used to aim for a fortnight break in the summer, and hoped it might be topped up by the odd weekend away during the rest of the chilly year. If we were very fortunate, we’d slip out of town for a whole week at half term. But that was the pattern of our breaks – two weeks, one week or a weekend. Nine or eleven days just wasn’t the shape a holiday took.

But now, tour companies claim we’re demanding our breaks in all sorts of odd sizes. Thomson and First Choice say they’ve been surprised by the demand for ten and 11 day holidays, so have increased them by almost a quarter. I don’t think there are many other companies that are as flexible, without becoming bespoke.

I’m really glad Thomson is doing this, as we’ve always battled with the obligatory fortnight. It’s not that we don’t enjoy going on holiday, it’s just that two weeks seems an awful long time and one week not enough. We like ten days. I calculate that’s a day either end to settle in - discover the best bit of the beach buffet and the cheapest local cafe to purchase lunch - then a full week to actually ‘be there’. Perhaps it’s just my fidgety kids, but if the settled down middle bit extends to longer than seven days, they start to get bored. Instead of being a short, sweet adventure, the holiday itself becomes routine.

Our other ideal break length is a weekend. It’s surprising how refreshing just a couple of days away from home can be. So ten or two nights is our favoured formula. Just a pity more companies can’t offer us that.

First Class for Families - at Economy Rate - by Dea Birkett

2009-10-01T13:38:00.003+01:00

My family is getting used to first class. We check ourselves in to the exclusive airport lounge, ready to relax before our flight, as if we were Beckhams, not Birketts.

That’s because more and more places are selling upgrades to facilities formerly reserved for the rich. Now if you’re going on a Virgin Holiday from Gatwick, even cattle class, you can saunter into The V Room lounge, flop back in an uber-chic chair (usually bright orange) and order your free drink. And, remarkably, although I travel with the three kids, I can enjoy my brush with premium treatment in peace. The teenager saunters off into the V Room’s ‘tech zone’, to play video games. The eight-year-old twins hang out in the play area and consume our entry fee in packets of crisps alone - £10 per child, £17 per adult. I think that works out far cheaper than buying endless takeaway coffees and sandwiches in the airport’s Pret A Manger. And as there are no shops nearby, I also save money on the bribes I usually have to hand out to keep them busy in the tiny Hamleys or Harrods while waiting for our boarding gate to be announced. (Find out more about V ROOM.)

Now being accustomed to first class perks, last time we crossed the Irish Sea we naturally upgraded ourselves. Going from Holyhead to Dublin City port on Irish Ferries, we paid £14 per head to use the Club lounge, so I could catch up on the newspapers while nibbling on a cheese board and supping red wine, and the kids could have unlimited drinks, snacks, and, unfortunately, cakes. (www.irishferries.com)

I suspect there are many more such deals on land, sea and air. Can you let me know about them? It would be great to compile an upgrades list, where families can experience first class for economy fares. We all like a little bit of luxury.

Things to do on Roald Dahl Day - by Dea Birkett

2009-09-14T15:58:00.008+01:00

Every year we celebrate Halloween, Easter, Christmas, Guy Fawkes and … Roald Dahl day on 13^th September. The kids are Dahl fans, and so am I.

I thought you might like to know the five things we devotedly do:

1. Cook squiggly spaghetti, as instructed in The Twits. Then the kids cry out, ‘Look! My spaghetti is moving!’ pointing to the imaginary worms before gobbling it all much more eagerly than any other tea. There’s even a new edition of our standard family cookbook just come out - Roald Dahl's Completely Revolting Recipes: A Collection of Delumptious Favourites – so we can concoct more inedible dishes. You can eat some of these in the café at the Roald Dahl Museum.

2. Learn a new poem from Dirty Beasts. As I was having my first baby, my partner sat beside me and read out, ‘No animal is half as vile, as Crocky-Wock, the crocodile…’ while I pushed. screamed and blasphemed. I found it comforting. Perhaps that’s why my first born, now a teenager, still finds the sound of, ‘The meat I am about to chew, Is neither steak nor chops. IT'S YOU,’ strangely soothing.

3. Have a home movie night, including popcorn and normally forbidden fizzy drinks, while watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

4. Promise to catch the Everything You Wanted to Know About Roald Dahl roadshow when it comes by us, and think up some especially fiendish questions.

5. Pretend to be Bruce Bogtrotter, and eat far too much chocolate cake.

We’re looking forward to next September.

Speaking in family friendly tongues - by Dea Birkett

2009-08-30T21:05:00.003+01:00

It seems to me that some foreign languages are more family friendly than others. I don’t mean in their sentiment, but in their ability to be picked up easily by anyone, of any age. I’ve been convinced of this because I’m writing from Aruba, where the language is Papiamento – the most family friendly tongue I’ve come across.

I’d never heard of Aruba, and definitely not of the island’s mother tongue, until now. We were brought here by First Choice, one of the very few British holiday companies who serve this small island in the Caribbean, only 20 miles off the coast of Venezuela. Aruba has strong ties with Holland, so the official language is Dutch. But nearly everyone speaks Papiamento at home, a bouillabaisse of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English, which is said as it’s written and in which even a shopping list sounds like a poem. Unlike French or Spanish, there's no gender words to struggle with. And to emphasis something, you just say it twice. Poco poco is slow; blauw blauw is completely blue. It’s the only language in which my kids have been able to pick up several phrases in just a few days. Very good, for example, is Hopi bon. Imagine what fun the eight-year-old twins have saying that, over and over and over again.

I’m delighted. I make a huge thing about my kids doing their Thankyous (Masha danki) in the language of the place we’re on holiday. I know it sometimes makes me look foolish, as usually the shopkeeper or waiter or guide speak right back to us in flawless English. But I have this idea that it’s somehow more respectful to master a few foreign words. Usually with my kids that’s a real struggle. Like me, they’re not natural linguists. But with Papiamento, its rhythm makes them want to say Good Morning (Bon dia) and Goodbye (Ayo) with far more courtesy and frequency than they would at home. I never thought of a language as an attraction – something to consider when deciding what destination to chose for a family holiday – but now I think it could be. And my teenager paid Papiamento the ultimate compliment. She’s put it as her status on Facebook.

Teenager at the Edinburgh Fringe - by Dea Birkett

2009-08-23T22:04:00.002+01:00

Teenagers are so tricksy. There’s plenty of events and activities for kids, and more for grown ups. But ‘kids’ is usually defined as up to 12 years old. And grown ups from 18 onwards, although, as a mother of a 16 year old, that does seem rather optimistic. So what happens to all the 13 to 17 year olds who fall into the chasm between youth and maturity? What are they supposed to do on holiday?

We’ve just faced this at the Edinburgh festivals. There’s some fantastic shows for kids, Lighter Than Air by Circo Ridiculoso particularly recommended (www.circoriduculoso.com). But try suggesting to my 16 year old that she’d enjoy Giraffes Can’t Dance because of the puppets, and she snorts in a way only a teenager can. But when I offer to take her to shows that I’d enjoy, like a political play about the Middle East, she starts getting sniffy all over again, as if she had a permanent head cold. Why would she want to go to that adult rubbish?

I say Thank God we stayed at the Smart City Hostel, where each night similarly nasally challenged teenagers gathered around the pool table in the basement bar, avoiding their parents. ‘Thank God,’ snorted my teenager on spotting the pack. ‘Teenagers! Normal people.’

And my initial worries that she’d spend all day in her bunk bed listening to obscene songs on her iPod while I toured the festival’s cultural highlights was just maternal fretting. The Fringe turned out to be fabulous for a 16 year old, just because there’s so much on offer they’re bound to find something to suit their very particular tastes. My teenager loved The Assassination of Paris Hilton, played entirely in the ladies toilets in the Assembly Rooms and using language she’s unfortunately very familiar with. She’s been wearing her ‘I Killed Paris’ t-shirt with pride ever since.

There’s also plenty of dance, and I’ve found that teenagers enjoy most things with lots of movement in them. At least mine swayed to Me Mobile/Evolution. Once you get over the pretentious title (this is the Edinburgh Fringe, after all), it’s a wonderful piece where a young woman called Claire Cunningham dances on and with her crutches – hundreds of them. She even does Singing in the Rain, replacing Gene Kelly’s twirling umbrella with a spinning crutch.

As far as multi-generational short breaks go, I don’t think there’s much to beat the Fringe. We even took granny.

Cold Comfort - by Dea Birkett

2009-08-13T15:15:00.005+01:00

Just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how we were in pursuit of the sun. Well, now we've found it, the kids have turned all chilly on me. Now they're insisting the next place we go to isn't only cool - in every sense of the word - but absolutely freezing.

When I wrote before, I said that holidays had to be hot. I've already changed my mind. I now believe that they can be either hot or cold, but nothing in between. The Grove hotel, with a summertime sandy beach in the middle of Hertfordshire, complete with deck chairs and ice cream cart, found this out long ago. Not only do they have an artificial beach in August, in December they guaranteed a white Christmas, Narnia style, with the reception covered in a blanket of fake flakes.

My kids love it there. But why do they insist on blowing hot or cold? I think it's to do with dressing up. They like - as we all do - to wear different clothes when we're on holiday. And the best excuse for doing so is because it's far fresher or far warmer than at home.

Clothes, of course, maketh the man, woman and child. I know my strappy summer dresses come out the moment we leave Britain behind for sunnier regions. Away, I wear outrageous outfits I'd never normally wear. I feel like a different woman. And I presume the kids feel different, too. At least they dress very differently. My teenager doesn't pack a single hoodie in her suitcase, although she wouldn't be seen dead without one on in the streets around her own house. Of course, I think she looks far lovelier in her holiday attire.

So hot or cold - skimpy or salupettes - anything but jeans and T-shirt weather will suit us.

Girls will be Boys - on holiday, by Dea Birkett

2009-08-11T16:06:00.006+01:00

We spent the weekend doing the Dangerous Book for Boys trail in a forest on Trentham estate, in Staffordshire near Stoke-on-Trent, with...... a girl! Well, a boy as well. The eight-year-old twins are a mixed bunch; one male, one female. I've always regarded their rearing as a social experiment on the 'Nature or Nurture?' debate. If I called my boy River 'pretty' and my girl Savanna 'handsome', would it make a difference? Or is feminine hard-wired, made up with sugar and spice from birth? And masculine determined by tetesterone?

Holidays, however, have never presented the same opportunities for me to become an amateur professor of gender studies. We go away, we usually go swimming, we all do about the same sorts of things. I've noticed that, if horse riding happens to be on offer, it's usually Savanna who takes it up the most enthusiastically. What is it with small girls and ponies?

So an experience modelled on the Dangerous Book for Boys, which no self-respecting eight-year-old girl would be seen turning a single page of, presented a great opportunity for me to continue my studies on holiday, not just at home. Our forest leader Christian Fox was like a Ray Mears for kids, with camoflauge pants and a very, very soft voice, encouraging us to commune with nature. First, he showed us how to build a shelter, to protect us from the wind and rain. 'And the bears?' asked Savanna. 'No, no bears in Staffordshire,' said Christian gently. Savanna was clearly disappointed. River was relieved.

River sent Savanna off to gather the sticks to build the shelter's skeleton, displaying no desire to delve any deeper into the wood. When she returned with big bundles, it was River who measured them up against each other, to see if they were the correct length, before sending Savanna back out to gather dried grass for the roof. I seemed to vaguely remember, from my Geography GCSE, that women were the gatherers in primitive societies and - perhaps - on Dangerous Book for Boys weekends.

Once our twig and grass wigwam was built, we had to strike up a fire to keep us warm. This involved some imagination. It was a very hot summer afternoon in Staffordshire, and none of us were chilly. Christian provided the flint and warned us sternly, 'Don't try this at home.' Savanna took hold of the flat stone like a born cavewoman, lighting the dried birch bark on the first go.

We found North by checking the moss on the tree trunks, picked nettles without stinging ourselves to cook for supper later, and learnt how to wield an axe. Or rather, Savanna did. By that time, River was exhausted and sat down in the entrance of the shelter, staring calmly at the rustling trees.

A weekend for boys has convinced me that there's no such thing. I'm signing Savanna up for a football break next.

Putting the Fun Back into Holidays - by Dea Birkett

2009-07-31T14:30:00.004+01:00

What are family holidays for? I thought they were to laze about in each other's company, not doing much, enjoying a new place, feeling a different climate on your skin. I like just lying on a foreign couch, one twin either side of me, breathing in an air that's warmer, thicker, stickier than at home. Often, I need no more than this. It's a rare treat to be able to idle with the kids, away from all our rigid school and work timetables. And it's incredibly good for us, in a deep family sort of way. I know it sounds corny, but we do bond more when we aren't consumed by the petty patterns of domesticity. When all we have to do is wake, eat and chat.

But increasingly I'm being told that we can't do this on a family holiday. A holiday has to be not only enjoyable, but educational. We all have to learn something. I can't tell my friends I'm going away with the kids to relax or, as my teenager says, chillax. I have to declare I'm going to improve their French, introduce them to Ancient Greece, or make them aware of the ecological issues facing African peoples. And I thought we were going away to be together, all floppy and free of daily demands.

I don't think the real problem is the holiday element. It's the parenting element. It's practically impossible to simply hang out with your kids anymore. You're expected to be Doing Something, and usually Something Meaningful. We're not allowed just to be mum or dad, we have to be our children's teacher, too. Parenting is now seen as a pedagogic mission.

And because we're told - incorrectly - that we're spending less and less time with our children, the extended time we do spend with them on holiday becomes a victim of these educational pressures. More and more family holidays are being packaged as times for learning, not lounging. I think I'm going to found my own holiday company, to cash in on this trend. I'll call it Curriculum Tours (if such a company doesn't exist already, which it probably does). Or perhaps, more accurately, Guilt Trips.

When Tony Blair listed his priorities as 'Education, education, education', I think he meant at home, not on holiday. Let's put the fun back in family holidays. There's nothing wrong with doing nothing.

Kids do in Flight Video - by Dea Birkett

2009-07-21T09:29:00.004+01:00

I've been glued to my laptop, watching youtube. It's sad, I know, but it's also very funny. I feel like I've strapped myself in and taken off a hundred times, aiming for Malaga or Istanbul. I've been watching Thomson's new in flight safety video, to be launched on all its short and mid haul flights later this month, entirely acted by children. (www.youtube.com/ThomsonHols.) And I don't mean teenagers. I mean four and five year olds, with one sock up and the other slouched down, telling me how to fasten my seat belt, slip on my lifejacket, and pop on the oxygen mask. It's funny, original and captivating. And that's the point. Research had shown that hardly any of us bother to watch the safety video anymore. But with kids in grubby school uniform playing the part of the cabin crew, we're all eyes on the overhead screens. I think it's genius. I'm also amazed that it's been passed by authorities responsible for regulating international flights, whom I imagine are rather conservative about these things. And I'm wondering what other innovations could occur in safety videos, now Thomson has started the trend. Any ideas?

Watch the new video on YouTube

Too Close to the Sun - by Dea Birkett

2009-07-13T22:24:00.002+01:00

It’ s late at night (isn’t that when all blogs are written?), and London is cooling down. It’s been a hot day in the city, and everyone’s been complaining about it, including me. The kids were all sweaty when they arrived back from school, in that way that kids don’t really sweat, just get damp and grumpy.

So there’s some irony that I’m also now surfing the net to find somewhere hot to go away. The Eurocamp survey (www.eurocamp.co.uk/KidsViews) I mentioned in my last blog, asking kids and their parents what they wanted from their holiday, found only one point of agreement. Good weather. That priority made it into the top three choices in every age group. My family’s no different. If a destination threatens to have a cloudy sky, we cross it off the summer holiday list. At the same time, the kids were whinging tonight that they couldn’t get to sleep because of the humidity here, at home.

I don’t think it’s because we live in the middle of a big city. I think it would be just the same if our home was a cottage in the Cotswold’s; I still think, while working, we want things to be cool. It’s only when we relax that we want the thermometer turned up. It’s as if feeling warm and chilling out go together.

But there’s hot – and there’s far too hot for the kids and me. We wanted to go to Libya, but August in that area seems to be too much of a challenge as far as the temperature is concerned. As you know, we’ve been planning a weekend in Rome for far too long, but that, too, has been put on hold, in the belief that it’s too steamy in August to wander around the Coliseum.

But last weekend, we bucked the heat trend. We stayed at The Grove hotel, dubbed ‘London’s Country Estate’ for it’s palatial grounds and extreme proximity to the M25. The Engish weather wasn’t warm. In fact, Saturday was quite fresh. But we braced the outdoor pool and quite enjoyed it. Feeling a little chilly was a new sensation. We should try it more often.

But still, as I search now for our summer break, I can’t but pursue the sun.

Family Holidays Not Just for Kids - by Dea Birkett

2009-07-01T11:48:00.011+01:00

I’m getting fed up with ‘family’ being code for ‘kids’. First they want to spend millions on building a new museum in London for children, (see earlier blog), rather than simply making museums welcoming for all ages. Now I worry the same is about to happen to holidays. ‘Family holidays’ will really mean special times for anyone too young to vote.

At the risk of sounding like a toddler having a tantrum, I’m a member of my family just as much as my 16 year old and the seven-year-old twins! So when we decide on a family holiday, surely it should be one we’re all happy with. I know that’s a struggle, especially if, like me, you don’t have a traditional neat family with the recommended 2.4 years between each child. But you can negotiate and compromise, whatever age you are. I don’t really want to go to a hotel where the height of entertainment is a Lady Gaga disco, which is what my teenager would choose. Nor select a destination just because there’s great beach games for the twins. There has to be something for everybody.

So Eurocamp coming out with a survey telling us what kids want from their holidays is just another weapon for my teenager to wave in the brochure war. The survey’s results don’t build bridges between generations as we spin the globe deciding where we want to go. One of the 40 suggested key aspects of having a good holiday – ‘having a lie in’ – was so low on the kids’ list that it didn’t even feature in the final results. So do we adults have to get up at dawn when we’re on holiday, just like we have to most days at home, except we might hear the cry from the minaret rather than the roar from the nearby major road? Even more disheartening, ‘staying up late’ was a major attraction for the 6-9 year old survey group, which would include my twins. So we’re not even allowed to yell at them to get to bed because they’ve got school in the morning, allowing us adults a little quiet time together.

A family holiday should be just that – for all the family. Only one problem with this. ‘Spending time with the family’ came pretty low down on the kids’ list of priorities in the survey, just pipping ‘good playgrounds’. It’s interesting to learn that I’m only marginally more attractive to my kids than swings and slides.

(Eurocamp operate over 160 campsites in Europe, USA and Canada.) See Takethefamily's London page.

Boring is Dea-Best - by Dea Birkett

2009-06-18T06:49:00.006+01:00

'I'm really, really bored,' said eight-year-old Savanna a few days ago. We were sitting in a holiday cottage where we've stayed more times than I can count. The cottage is on Achill Island, off the coast of Ireland, which we have visited, in Savanna's word, 'hundreds of times'. She was delighted. 'It's great,' she said. 'There' ab-sol-ute-ly nothing to do.'

'So you want to go home?' I asked her. She was adamant. 'No. It's really, really great being bored.'

I'd never really thought about it before, but some of our best family holidays are very, very boring. It's not that we don't do anything on them. It's that there's nothing we have to do. On Achill, there's no cinema or cultural activities of any kind. There's just outside - fields, beach, cliffs - to be clambered over, if the weather's good enough. It's completely different to our regular city family life, where even the eight-year-old twins have a calendar to mark all their appointments. Recorder club, going to tea, Brownies, school fete. No point keeping a diary on Achill. Wouldn't be anything in it.

Perhaps it's also something to do with being on an island. Some years ago, the tourist office on Norfolk Island, off the coast of Australia, dreamt up a slogan to attract visitors to its sleepy shores. The posters read - 'Norfolk Island. The Most Boring Place in the World!' Visitors numbers increased substantially. The BBC, not believing Norfolk's claim, canvassed people to see where they found most boring. Interestingly, most named places which they kept going back to.

The truth is, we all like being bored on holiday, because we're increasingly entertained at home. We want to get up late, slouch around, wonder what on earth we're going to do today. Of course, for my teenager being bored is a badge of honour. It's obligatory for someone her age. I know when she gets home she'll boast to her mates about just how boring both the place, and her parents, are.

So when we're looking for somewhere to go away, and the kids say, 'That looks so boring,' I'll save a link to the page. Nothing like having nothing to do.

Dea-scovering Kids' Museums - by Dea Birkett

2009-05-21T12:57:00.007+01:00

So - we're not on our way to Rome (yet), although the guidebooks are still spread over my desk and the draft schedule written. But in the meantime, I've noticed there are plans for a Children's Museum in London, as part of the King's Cross redevelopment. It made me think whether a museum specifically for children is really what we want. I know some families enjoy them (see Rhonda's article on Eureka! in Halifax, the people behind the new London venture), but personally I prefer to chat to my kids in front of a really interesting object, rather than watch them push buttons and pull levers while I finger the crayons and play with the pipe cleaners, just a little bit bored.

I have enjoyed museums aimed specifically at children. Despite its terrifying title, the Tinderbox Cultural House for Children in Odense, birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson, was huge fun. Seven-year-old Savanna dressed up as characters from her favourite fairy tales and lay on a pile of mattresses, until she could feel the pea like a real life princess. (And I've written about the museum's fabulous cafe in an Eating with Kids column.) But, if I'm honest, I think I enjoyed it because I just had one child with me, not the usual three. It was a special time for the two of us, when I, too, could become childish. When Savanna's twin brother and older sister are with us, the division between grown ups and kids is far more apparent, and we split into age camps. They play together; I watch.

I'd be worried that's what would happen if we all went together to a Children's Museum. And that if the boyfriend came too, the divisions between different generations would be even wider. I can't imagine getting him to dress up as anything. And the only thing he's ever made from pipe cleaners is something to unblock a hose on the hoover.

I haven't yet visited any of Americas many Children's Museums - which is where the children's museum movement started. If you have, let me know what you think.

The Point of Dea-parture - by Dea Birkett

2009-05-12T16:47:00.004+01:00

Ironic, really, that I’m sitting at home, at my desk, writing my first travel blog. But this is where all new journeys begin. And I am going on a sort of journey, entering new territory here. This blog will let you in on all my family travel secrets, in the funny way that blogs do. Blogs are great confessionals. So, here we go …

I don’t want to go away. I’m always filled with dread for at least a week before I travel anywhere. It’s nothing to do with the practical arrangements, though they can be daunting. I think it’s because travel changes you, and especially changes families. You act differently, learn something new, change the way you talk to each other. That’s what happens to us, at least. And it doesn’t seem to matter if we’re going to Malaysia or Margate. Away, we’re transformed. And change can be terrifying – although I don’t believe that’s a reason not to do it.

All a bit silly, really. I’m only sitting here trying to arrange a weekend in Rome. I have a system for this stage of the holiday planning. (I’m a person who loves systems and lists.) I get the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide, and any family guides that there are. (If you know one for Rome, let me know.) I write a list of things we shouldn’t miss. These won’t necessarily be the major sights. We all love the free theatre of markets, so it may well be the best fruit and flower stalls in town. I then draw out a rough plan of what we’ll do each day. I deliberately avoid discussion on this, as it will only lead to arguments. The kids call it ‘Mum’s schedule’. I build in breaks – not from the destination, but from each other, so each generation has time on its own.

Then …. Well, then we leave. And Mum’s schedule gets torn up. But somewhere in the back of all our brains we cling on to enough of it to frame the family holiday. And we come back different. Do you?

Dea Birkett takes over Take the Family blog

2009-05-06T20:23:00.003+01:00

We are delighted to announce that one of the UK's leading family travel writers Dea Birkett will be taking over our blog. We are looking forward to hearing Dea's thoughts, views, anecdotes, tips and comments on travelling with the family, which she has done widely over the years and continues to do so on a regular basis. Find out more about Dea here and watch this space!

Christmas Family Breaks in London 2008 - by Rhonda Carrier

2008-12-11T22:01:00.001Z

Christmas is a magical time wherever you choose to spend it, but big cities excel when it comes to lights, dazzle and festive shopping and entertainment. With the recession starting to bite, everyone needs a little winter pick-me-up, and a short break in London can be surprisingly affordable

Read more...

Credit Crunch Family Skiing Holidays - by Nick Dalton

2008-12-11T21:58:00.000Z

When it comes to great-value family ski holidays, it’s hard to beat Eastern Europe. In years past, the resorts there might have been cheap because of poor lifts and food that was always running out (apart from the potatoes). But all that has changed – huge investment in hotels and lifts, and even the construction of whole new resorts, means they’re worth a visit.

Read more...

Winter Wonderland holiday ideas - by Rhonda Carrier

2008-12-11T21:53:00.001Z

Winter is the perfect excuses for a family break, whether you go to a fireworks extravaganza at a theme-park, head north or to the mountains in search of some real snow, or jet off to warmer climes...

Read more

We're Website of the Week on TRAVELMail

2008-10-24T15:39:00.003+01:00

Have you seen that Take the Family are Website of the Week on the TravelMail site?

We're delighted and take their comments onboard - in fact as we speak we're all being busy bees with development for our site relanch later this year! This amongst an awful of other brilliant new things, will include the facility for users to add their own reviews. We've said all along that parents like you are the ones in the know, so we're making it even easier for you to tell us what's what.

In the meantime - take a look at our favourite family events for October half term.

Take a look at these fab events for Autumn

2008-09-23T15:20:00.002+01:00

Got a touch of half term panic?

Even if you're not going away this half term, we've still gots lots of ideas to keep the kids entertained. Take a look at our Autumn Events guide.

From Sea Monster Week in Newquay to DISCOLOCO in Hackney, or CBeebies at the Theatre to Halloween on the Heath (no not that one, the one in Suffolk), and tons more besides....

And what's more, a fair few of them are totally FREE!

Dea Birkett's Eating with Kids Series - A Fantastically Foul Feast with Roald

2008-09-10T02:13:00.004+01:00

With Roald Dahl Day on September 13th, this month Take the Family writer Dea Birkett and family turns their attention to their annual fantastically foul feast at Cafe Twit at the Roald Dahl Museum.

The menu may consist of Fresh Mudburgers, Snozzcumbers and Squiggly Spaghetti, all borrowed from Dahl books. "It’s not what food tastes or even looks like that warms my kids’ tummies. It’s the story attached."

"There’s nothing quite so tasty as disgusting food. Try and get my kids to eat meatballs and passata, and they’ll turn up their little noses. Tell them the same dish is eyeballs oozing blood, and they’ll scoff them down."

Read the full article...

Tip Top Tree Top Trip reviews

2008-07-16T23:50:00.004+01:00

Just a quick note to let you know about the huge bundle of brand new compelling articles in our new feature article section on takethefamily.com.

Soon to come is a tree top camping adventure, with recent articles including, Eating with Kids: On Eurostar,by renowned travel writer Dea Birkett, Top 10 Welsh campsites for families, theme park hotels, jersey, northern greece and tons more...

Our terrific new writers include, Nick Dalton, Jos Simon, Sarah Ebner and Lynette Lowthian,with more to follow in the recent future.

Take a look!

Take the family to Cornwall

2008-05-12T11:53:00.010+01:00

Take the Family have just returned from a fabulous few days on the Cornish Riviera...

Read the full article.

We stayed at The Rosevine, nr Portscatho - an absolutely fabulous luxury retreat of apartments and suites with all the amenities of a luxury hotel, with fantastic facilities, and superbly friendly staff. Nothing was too much trouble. Over looking Gerrans Bay, with a 3 minute walk to a superbly family friendly safe sandy beach, and more coastal walks, it is the perfect place to get away from it all, relax and enjoy...

And what's more for May and June, The Rosevine are offering Take the Family users a complimentary chilled bottle of wine on arrival, a bucket and spade per child and a paper back each for mum and dad.

We also stayed at Parc Vean, a superb self catering bungalow, 5 minutes from 2 very secluded beaches, with 2 acres of wonderful grounds, a giant wooden fort, family bikes, a football goal, trampoline, bbq, and superb gardens. You'll feel like you are staying in the Lost gardens of Heligan!! This is the perfect retreat for families, sleeping up to 7 guests, with 2 bathrooms, 2 living rooms and tons more. Described as Cornish Charm London Style, the attention to detail is superb, with a mixture of gorgeous eclectic antiques and quality modern appliances. You can't help but relax in this fabulous environment. You can even get meals and provisions delivered, and do as little or as much as you wish. Relaxation is what Parc Vean does best!

Parc Vean are offering Take the Family users a huge 10% discount on all breaks outside of school holidays, plus a free welcome hamper for your arrival.

Don't forget to visit TaketheFamily again soon, to find out where we are off to next!

Happy Holidays!

Eating with Kids Series - Dea tackles Museums

2008-05-02T13:00:00.003+01:00

This month Dea Birkett and family tackle 'Eating with Kids' in Museums. Although you would anticipate this to be an easy formula to follow, they find that many are not too family friendly.

Next stop: Cruise Ships

Take the Family on Five News Today

2008-05-02T12:51:00.004+01:00

Take the Family's founder Andy Cook appeared on Five News bulletins at 12:30pm and 5pm today, following yesterdays anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, talking about Take the Family's poll revealing that 62% of parent's were less likely to use in-resort baby sitting/listening services that they were a year ago.

Read more details in this press release: Parents less likely to leave kids alone on hols after Madeleine disappearance

Exclusive April Offers for Newsletter Subscribers

2008-04-01T01:39:00.006+01:00

SPRING FEVER, SIZZLING SUMMER AND FAB EXCLUSIVE OFFERS: IT'S NO JOKE!

For a limited period only, and exclusive for subscribers to our newsletter, Bluestone are offering a whopping 20% discount off your family holiday.

Sign up to our newsletter and take advantage of newsletter Exclusive Offers.

Check out our April Newletter

Dea Birkett launches 'Eating with Kids' series

2008-04-01T01:29:00.004+01:00

This month delectable and renowned journalist Dea Birkett, launches her 'Eating with Kids' series, starting in bustling Edinburgh.

Often finding somewhere to sup is the biggest challenge for a travelling family. So, throwing weight loss to the wind, we head to the start of this culinary journey where her family started - Edinburgh.

Next Month: Museums.

Another FANTASTIC offer from Bluestone & Free Gift from Take the Family

2008-03-14T19:23:00.004Z

We're delighted to let you know that if you book your family a break at new generation holiday vilage Bluestone, in Pembrokeshire before March 31st 2008, then boy oh boy do we have some great exclusive deals.

As well as free family bike hire by quoting 'Take the Family', we can also bring news that if you also quote 'March Saver', befre March 31st then you will receive such a HUGE saving we're keeping it secret until you call.

Call Bluestone on Call Bluestone on 08000 224 519, and use both promo codes before March 31st.

By booking through Take the Family, you will also receive a free gift, of either a Trunki ride-on suitcase or a bottle of Moet champagne to celebrate your booking. Please see our Booking Confirmation page for more details.

Bluestone Opens with Exclusive free bike hire

2008-03-11T10:02:00.004Z

We're really excited about the opening of Bluestone, the new next generation holiday village set in 500 acres of the stunningly beautiful national park of Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Now open for bookings, with holidays from June 30th, Bluestone has 233 luxury timber lodges, cottages and studios, that are so nice you'll want to move in permanently.

Forget over priced on site shops, Bluestone has built it's own celtic village, with a butchers (with locally produced meat), a bakers, no candlestick maker, but clothes shops, cafes and restaurants and more besides. Facilities include the eco-friendly fabulous Blue Lagoon waterpark and Landsker Sports Club, plus there’s a huge range of on- and off-site activities. There’s even a nanny service!

We've had a sneaky peak, love what we've seen, and can't wait to go. To help your family have an even better holiday, we have arranged free bike hire for Take the Family users, booking before March 31st.

Call Bluestone on 08000 224 519 and Quote 'Take the Family' to receive free bike hire for your family holiday. (Not available online. Book before March 31 2008.)

March Newsletter

2008-03-11T09:28:00.002Z

Spring into action with Take the Family's March newsletter.

Spring Towards your next Family Holiday

Take the Family on ITV Central East News

2008-02-12T18:17:00.002Z

See Take the Family (albeit briefly) on Central East news or online.

Click on Central East: Evening Bulletins to watch the story of half term price hikes featuring our MD, broadcast on Wednesday February 13th on the evening news at 6pm.

The item starts at around 11:35 minutes.

http://www.itvlocal.com/central/news/?player=CEN_News_26&void=151645

New York family features

2008-02-05T11:35:00.000Z

Take a look at our latest New York features.

Dea Birkett and family's destination of the month - New York
On the trail of their heroine - mischievous madeline.

Read Linzi Hill's "Free family activities in New York."
Staten island to Central Park - All for free!

February Newsletter

2008-02-05T11:31:00.000Z

Take a look at our egg-ceptional February newsletter.

Egg-Scape to the North, South, East for Easter

Feature in the Telegraph

2008-02-02T14:11:00.000Z

Read about Take the Family's recent poll in the Telegraph online, by Phil Davies.

Interview on BBC Southern Counties Radio

2008-01-31T12:36:00.000Z

Take the Family were live on BBC Radio Southern Counties, broadcast on Friday February 1st at 9:45am, interviewd by Gordon Astley, (of Tiswas fame), on parents' concern over resort childcare services. You can still text your comments to the show, (9am to 1pm). Text: 07786 207070. Or post your thoughts to our Talk the Family forum.

PRESS RELEASE: Parents less likely to leave kids alone on hols after Madeleine disappearance

2008-01-29T12:10:00.000Z

BRITISH parents are less likely to use hotel baby childcare services following the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, according to a new survey.

The survey by award-winning family travel website takethefamily.com showed that 62% of parents were now less likely to leave their children alone in their room using baby listening or in the care of hotel or resort staff.

Takethefamily managing director Lucy Ace said: “The tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann has obviously had a dramatic effect on parents’ attitudes.

“Such incidents are extremely rare but it has definitely made parents re-evaluate their holiday childcare – whether it’s baby listening or even qualified babysitting.”

In the survey 25% said recent news stories had had no effect on their attitude.

“Holiday childcare has become increasingly sophisticated with resorts and hotels offering supervised cinema clubs and children’s activities while parents have dinner,” added Lucy Ace.

“Fully vetted babysitting and nanny services using local or often British-qualified staff have also proved popular in recent years but the result of this survey shows the Madeleine story has made parents think again.”

Tell a friend about Take the Family

2008-01-27T13:37:00.000Z

Friends.
Blimey!
Sometimes you want to tell them they're stupid.
Sometimes you want to tell them you love them.
And sometimes you just want to tell them about the extraordinarily absorbing new family travel website you've just discovered.
We'd like to help you with the last one, in a friendly sort of way.

http://www.takethefamily.com/tell_a_friend.php