Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

11 things children really like (or don’t) about family holidays

Everybody loves vacations — especially children, right? Well, mostly, said Renn and Aira Lim, the 11- and eight-year-old siblings who are part of award-wining local art collective Holycrap.

Everybody loves vacations — especially children, right? Well, mostly, said Renn and Aira Lim, the 11- and eight-year-old siblings who are part of award-wining local art collective Holycrap.

The pair embarked on a family magazine project called Rubbish Famzine with their parents, President’s Design Award 2013 winner Pann Lim and Claire Lim, and their first issue, Google Translating Tokyoto, which documented their family trip to Japan, debuted last November. They launched the third issue, For Ever And A Day, last month.

Here, they — with some help from their mum, Claire — spill the beans about what kids want, love and hate when it comes to family vacations. (Parents, take notes.)

> CHILDREN REMEMBER MORE ABOUT A TRIP THAN YOU REALISE

Throughout our conversation, Renn and Aira would interject or correct their mum as they recalled the events of vacations past. They even remembered anecdotes that their mother forgot or didn’t know about. “I can remember our Phuket holiday even though I was only two-and-a-half years old,” said Aira. “We went there for Dad’s company retreat and there was an elephant which I loved. My brother dislikes big animals and he didn’t want to sit on the elephant, but I did. When we returned, I even got two elephant soft toys from my auntie to remember the trip.”

> DELICIOUS FOOD WILL MAKE CHILDREN DO ‘STRANGE’ THINGS

Parents, if your children are not fussy eaters, you can use food to tempt them to eat what you prefer. “When we were in Hong Kong, the restaurants were crowded and messy. I found it so strange we had to sit with different, random people,” said Renn. “There was this famous beef noodle place (Kau Kee at Gough Street) where we were told to sit with people we don’t know. (The noodles) were very nice. Yes, I’d sit with strangers alone to eat the noodles.”

> TRY TO INCLUDE ANIMALS IN THE TRIP WHERE POSSIBLE

Whether it’s a pet store, cute dogs ambling along or a farm stay, children just can’t get enough of furry creatures. “The best thing about our hotel in Tokyo was the pet shop nearby,” recalled Aira. “It was filled with many cute animals. And we saw two golden retrievers which were dressed in blue and pink dresses and shoes! We also went to the zoo (in Ueno Park) where we stayed till closing time. When we were staying on a farm in Australia, we had geese and chickens following us. They were so friendly and we had names for them — Geesy, Goosy and Chicky — until Chicky tried to bite my finger. It probably thought it was a worm.”

> SUGARY DRINKS ARE AWESOME ...

As a special treat during the holidays, soft drinks boost moods and keep the little ones feeling energetic. Great for covering long distances — make sure there are washrooms nearby though. “We saw so many vending machines in Japan. They were everywhere and they even sold bananas. We liked to buy drinks from them. We usually can’t drink soft drinks in Singapore, but because it was so hot, Mummy and Daddy let us have them — sometimes every half an hour,” Renn chimed in. “We tried many flavours. In the end, we kept going to the toilet.”

> ... HOTEL BUFFETS ARE EVEN BETTER

A little bit of indulgence in the morning never hurt anyone. And if adults can’t resist the breakfast spread, how could we possibly expect kids to? “We love breakfast buffets in hotels. We don’t need to pay for them because you get a ticket to eat free!” said Aira. “There are so many things to eat. I don’t have to eat proper food. I can have chocolate pudding and apple crumble for breakfast.”

> WALKING IS A PAIN (UNLESS IT’S TO A TOY SHOP)

Children also like to take things slow, so try not to pack the trip with too many activities. While you’re at it, try not to cramp their style. “Mummy and Daddy forced us to walk so much in Japan. I like to be chill. I only enjoy walking to toy shops,” revealed Renn.

> FOR KIDS, SHOPPING IS BORING. UNLESS THEY GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT

It’s a universal truth. But you can get your kids to channel any angst into something creative — such as writing a song. “I wrote a song about shopping when I was following Mummy shopping in Australia. I only bought mittens as Mummy said I didn’t need anything else. This is my song: ‘Shopping is no fun, when you can’t get what you want. When you can’t get what you want, shopping is no fun’,” said Aira.

> THE LITTLE DETAILS COUNT

Never underestimate what might catch the fancy of children. The teeniest things we take for granted or overlook can mean the world to them, such as sand. “I really like the sand in Bondi Beach. It was very soft and cold and felt very nice,” said Renn. “We don’t have such sand in Singapore. In Australia, we can make sand angels without feeling itchy sand on our bodies.”

> DISNEY’S FROZEN HELPS THAW ANY SITUATION — EVEN LONG ROAD TRIPS

Everyone knows sing-alongs are the best way to get rid of the boredom of travelling. And any tune that prevents antsy behaviour is not to be scorned at. “When we were driving to our farm house from the airport in Sydney, we kept singing Let It Go from Frozen. Renn was the only boy (among the group of children), so he had no choice but to sing along for 66km. It was very fun!” said Aira.

> FAMILY VACATIONS ARE THE BEST TIME TO BOND

Physical time with the kids is crucial and children love it when they can step up to help with family bonding. “My dad doesn’t like to fly because he can’t stand turbulence. He gets very nervous, so I always hold his hand tightly and pray hard that nothing (bad) will happen,” said Renn. “I think family holidays overseas are better than holidays at home because Daddy will be with us all the time. Even if Dad is off work in Singapore, he’s very busy.”

> WHAT CHILDREN WANT (WHAT THEY REALLY, REALLY WANT): THEIR OWN SUITCASES

A trip is only as good as what you get to put inside your own suitcase. “Mummy packs for all our trips. We don’t have our own luggage. We really want one each. We have been asking for this for a long time. Mummy said we have to prove that we can take care of and help pull our family suitcases before she will buy them for us, “We will keep bugging her!” explained Aira.

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.