Family holidays may be stressful at the best of times, but they’re one of the best things you can do, especially before the kiddos grow up and it is no longer cool to travel with your folks.
We have so many fond memories of family getaways, whether it was the summer spent in the countryside in Cork or the two weeks of sun in France where our mam chased after us with Factor 50 every few minutes.
As we got older we started jetting off with friends and partners, but there’s something so sentimental about family trips.
A study has discovered that going on family trips makes your children happier- and the parents too!
The team of researchers at the University of Toronto revealed that families who travel together have a stronger bond.
Lead researcher Cindy Chan stressed that the experience you share is far more meaningful than anything else.
“An experiential gift elicits a strong emotional response when a recipient consumes it—like the fear and awe of a safari adventure, the excitement of a rock concert or the calmness of a spa—and is more intensely emotional than a material possession.”
The researchers believe that travelling together as a family can make both parents and their kids feel more content. It also keeps their relationships strong years into the future.
Instead of splurging on gifts for the entire family this Christmas, why not opt for a little getaway to the countryside?
Or even visit some relatives that live out of town?
Science says these trips will make you happier and after all, ‘tis the season to be jolly.
