Travel
“This is my single mum’s survival guide to holidaying with a teen”
Writer and single mum, Thelma Mensah, shares her tried-and-trusted tips for navigating a summer holiday with a teen.
Ahh… the summer holidays. The roads are clear, you can be at your destination in record time, and the school run becomes a distant memory. Our beloved cherubs soon begin to eat us out of house and home and intermittently declare boredom throughout the day. As a parent, you either love or loathe this time of the year. There’s no denying that it can all feel like a lot.
As a single mum of a 15-year-old girl, there’s no sending to the other parent or sibling to get entertained. I am the entertainment for six weeks!
So, I make sure to plan for some kind of getaway in the summer. Over the years, I think I’ve mastered the knack of going on holiday with a teen with as few issues as possible. Here are my top tips for travelling as a single mum.
My single mum’s survival guide for going on holiday with a teen
It’s all in the preparation
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. I know it sounds cheesy, but you must plan for both of your sakes.
The first step is to decide where we’re going. I decide this (I am paying after all!). This year it’s Malta. It’s not too far from the UK, with lots of sun and plenty of sneaky educational stuff – more on this later.
Think safety first
Within all that preparation comes safety. I take this very seriously especially as a single woman of colour travelling with a young female.
I always do my due diligence by checking whether the destination is culturally inclusive and tolerant. I also speak to friends who have previously visited, and make sure I’m not staying in a remote area. I know of many stories where people of colour have encountered racism when travelling and actual physical abuse.
Get your paperwork in order
This is a biggie and one where many single parents get caught out.
You must make sure you have a letter of consent from the other parent (if in contact). Or if (like in my situation) you have different surnames, pack their birth certificate so that immigration can see that you are the parent.
Decide on a budget
A daily budget is key if your teen, like mine, is jobless but has expensive taste! I do this for my daughter. It makes her feel more grown up and she can buy her own holiday stuff freely without rinsing my wallet.
Keep to an itinerary
I roughly set out a schedule, but it’s not set in stone.
It mostly covers the main touristy spots and I generally book a day tour to tick these off in one go. I usually do this the day after we arrive, especially if it is a short holiday.
I’m quite lucky as my daughter is a good traveller. She never really complains about where we are going so long as she is fed and watered and has access to Wi-Fi at some point during the day. Speaking of which, I’ve found that Wi-Fi is key for avoiding teen tantrums.
A little bit of edu-tainment
Remember I spoke about sneaky educational stuff? I’m an African mum so it’s in my DNA to involve some kind of learning on holiday.
I call it edu-tainment – education but make it entertaining. My daughter is studying Classic Civilisation for her GCSEs, so when we visit Malta, my plan is to visit some old ancient sites, where the TV series Game of Thrones was filmed. Plus, there are some amazing spots to take some selfies to send to her besties at home.
…and don’t forget the food
This is a topic that can cause some division on holiday. I’m a foodie and want to sample the local cuisine and go to a farmers market. My daughter, however, will only indulge in beige food.
This used to mean a trip to two different eateries but now, because I research in advance, I choose restaurants that have some local food that I can enjoy and some options that she will like aka pizza, chips, ketchup…. the usual teen culinary delights.
There you have it. When it comes to travelling as a single parent, a bit of prep and planning goes a long way in ensuring a stress-free trip, making plenty of special memories along the way.
