*Collaborative Post
Of course, let us preface this post by suggesting it’s likely a good idea to have the permission of the parent before you embark on a venture like this. Good sense is always worthwhile to keep!
From time to time, friends of the family or dear friends of our children hold a special place in our hearts. It’s not uncommon, for instance, for our own friends to become ‘aunties’ or ‘uncles’ to our children, perhaps non-biological, but with the same fondness nonetheless. As such, it can be the same with our own children. Our son or daughter may have had the same best friend for years upon years now, and stay at your home so much they are practically more than comfortable there.
This might lead you to think offering your child to come with them on vacation is a nice thing to do. That’s because it is. If the parent accepts, that can be wonderful. However, this also places a great deal of responsibility on your shoulders.
What follows is some advice to help you honour this arrangement well, and take the utmost care of all children you are responsible for.
Communicate Your Plans Clearly
When taking the responsibility for someone else’s child, you must be absolutely clear about where you are hoping to go, what you are hoping to do, and how you are hoping to do it. It’s not enough to suggest that you are going to ‘head to a caravan park and explore the local towns’. What towns are you going to? What kind of activities do you find normal? Who will be looking after the children at all times? Where will their child be sitting on the drive over there? What foods do you usually eat? What time do you usually retire to bed, and when do you wake up? How much spending money are the kids permitted?
This is just a few of the questions you may be asked, and it’s important to have all of this information to hand. It might sound excessive, but just imagine how you would feel if another family was taking your child on vacation. You would want to know the exact same, to ensure they will be safe, cared for, and that everything is catered for in advance. In other words, you should feel the same responsibility a school feels when taking their children out for the day. When dealing with children, it’s that important.
Ask About Medical & Dietary Requirements
No two children are the same, and this even applies to identical twins. All have their own needs, their own preferences and desires. But chief among them all, you must understand a child’s medical and dietary requirements. For example, if they are diabetic, you better be absolutely confident in applying the insulin they need at the right times. Get express directions from the child’s parent, and use these instructions over what the child might tell you. Additionally, gain any medical contact numbers, research where you could pick up medication if you run out or lose it, and ensure they have worthwhile health insurance if heading abroad. This is something you simply cannot be sloppy with. Additionally, ask the parent what extra concessions they might need. It could be that they will struggle in hot climates due to being red-haired and fair-skinned, and so the heaviest sun factor cream will be needed despite most of your family being tanned and not usually needing this.
Additionally, consider dietary requirements. Not all children should be exposed to the foods you hope to eat. Allergies can lead to very real medical emergencies, and you might have to tailor your approach in this manner. Not all parents will be as caring with what they feed their children, and so sometimes even having the child eat anything other than junk food could be a challenge, and despite its difficulty the untold potential of finding a hidden allergy on holiday is such that it’s best to play it safe, and help them eat healthy where you can.
Remember – have all of this down in writing, in triplicate, laminated if necessary. Continually text their parent if they have any issues. Additionally, if they need it, ensure the child wears a bracelet with all of their medical information on it if they do manage any conditions worth considering.
Visit Somewhere Appropriate
Your family might be the all-action adventurous time, climbing mountains here, doing backflips over waterfalls there, but when looking after another’s child, it’s best to play it safe. That doesn’t mean boring, wrapping everyone up in cotton wool so no one can have fun in the least. It simply means choosing from a selection of amazing family-friendly holidays to take part in, something suitable for children who are excited to be in one another’s company.
If you can achieve this, you will be surprised just how wonderful of a vacation you can have. Additionally, you’ll be surprised just how well the children can bond with each other given the right stimulus to. Even better is that these family-friendly vacations are often designed so that you needn’t have to run around worried 24/7 about what the children are up to, as the places you will visit are often well equipped, well taken care of and safe for that kind of enjoyment. It can be much easier to sell said child’s parent this way than through any other means.
Ensure The Child Is Right
It sounds silly,, because you cannot simply just ‘choose the child you want’ to come with you. They have to be a close friend of the family in some way. However, do not feel obligated to do this if they have a history of behavioural issues, or if something isn’t quite right. This is a lovely thing to do, but you shouldn’t subject yourself to it at all costs. On top of that, if their parent offers to take your children on vacation in return, it could be that you do not quite trust them with your child as carefully as you knew you would help theirs. Taking the obligation out of this can help things feel more natural.
With this advice, you’re certain to take another parent’s child on vacation with safety in mind.
