How to actually relax on a family holiday: What parents really need
Let’s be totally honest: the phrase family holiday doesn’t always conjure images of poolside serenity or leisurely lie-ins. Often, it just means parenting in a different postcode - with more sand, more tantrums and fewer routines to cling to.
But what if a holiday could feel like, well, a holiday? A real break - where your biggest decision is beach or pool and your children are not only entertained, but cared for by experts who know how to keep them safe, engaged and happy?
Here’s what actually helps you relax on a family holiday = and why it might be time to rethink what a “resort holiday” really means.
Book somewhere built for families (not just tolerant of them)
There’s a world of difference between places that tolerate children and those that genuinely welcome them. The latter make you feel seen - with helpful touches like interconnecting rooms, kids’ menus that go beyond nuggets, blackout blinds and a buggy-friendly layout that doesn’t involve 47 steps to the pool.
Better still, resorts with age-specific kids’ clubs that understand developmental needs and give everyone space to breathe - separately and together.
At Club Med Da Balaia in Portugal, for example, the gently tiered layout gives toddlers freedom to roam while older children dart between the playground, splash zone and shaded garden paths. And if you forget the Calpol, chances are, they’ll have that covered too.
Club Med Da Balaia in Portugal
Choose an all-inclusive that actually lightens your load
All-inclusive doesn’t always mean easy. If you’re still planning every meal, paying extra for soft drinks, and stressing about whether that “included” paddleboarding session actually is - it’s not really a break.
A good all-inclusive family holiday should lift the admin entirely off your plate. No budgeting for snacks, no Googling local restaurants, no tracking daily spending on your phone. Just space to enjoy each other.
And if kids stay free, even better. That’s permission to exhale a little bit.
Find structure - but ditch the schedule
It’s a delicate balance: too much downtime and the kids spiral. Too much planning and you do.
What works is a rhythm that’s gently there - offered but not enforced. A kids’ club you can drop in and out of. Mealtimes that last long enough for everyone’s moods to sync up. Activities you can do, not ones you must.
Some Club Med resorts now offer ‘family flow’ days: treasure hunts after breakfast, splash games before lunch, kite flying in the afternoon - optional, low-pressure and memory-making in all the best ways.
Club Med Palmiye
Say yes to help (even if it feels weird at first)
Modern parenting often leaves little space for support - so the idea of handing your child to a stranger, even for a few hours, can feel jarring. But hear this: trained childcare professionals are not a failure of parenting. They’re a lifeline.
And while your child makes friends at a mini disco or learns to fly on the trapeze (yes, really), you get the rare luxury of stillness. Or a cocktail. Or a chat that isn’t interrupted 14 times.
Even a short breather can shift your whole mood - and your child will come back sandy, tired and full of stories.
Let nature do some of the heavy lifting
There’s something magic about warm air and open skies - the way it resets even the busiest family brain. Whether it’s Mediterranean cliffs, jungle walks or beachfront hammocks under palm trees, a beautiful setting buys you calm, curiosity and joy.
The best family resorts make nature feel accessible - with beachfront paths, calm bays for paddling, plenty of shade and quiet corners for breathing it all in. You don’t need daily excursions or big plans. Just the sea, the sky, and the chance to feel small for a while.
Build in time together, too
Rest doesn’t always mean time apart. Sometimes, what’s most relaxing is seeing your kids happy. Watching them make something, learn something and connect with others.
We love the rise of low-pressure family programmes at Club Med resorts: no forced fun, just quiet, intentional enjoyment. Think scavenger hunts, yoga in the garden, campfire storytelling, kite flying at sunset. A real bonus when you don’t have to organise any of it yourself!
Club Med resort Thailand
Remember what you came for
You might not get that novel finished. You might not lie still for more than 10 minutes. But a few small shifts - a different setting, a splash of help, a pause in the day - can be enough to reset your shoulders and remember: this is time together. This is yours.