Holiday Dads
WHICH TYPE ARE YOU?
When it comes to travelling, there are lots of different personalities among dads – from those who love to plan to ones who prefer to wing it. Which type are you?
The Perfect Planner Dad
This dad is all over every inch of the family’s holiday plans, many months in advance. He believes that in-depth, pre-holiday research is necessary to find the right destination, the right mode of travel, the right accommodation and the right attractions. When an overseas holiday has been booked, he’s the dad who is so excited he starts prepping his family with a peppering of handy local phrases in the language of the destination, throws out random (but useful) facts about the destination (including its history, geography and culture) and has the passports ready and stored safely — waaaay before your scheduled departure date. His enthusiasm is admirable, but yours might begin to wane before you have even left home!
The K.I.S.S. dad
He likes to apply the ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’ philosophy when it comes to family holidays by dismissing family members’ doubts, objections and concerns with a casual “no worries”. This dad wants his family holiday – from planning and packing to daily holiday activities – to be stress-free, and he assumes the important task of keeping his family on the K.I.S.S. track at all times. Anyone over-complicating simple plans, having a meltdown, or retreating into tired and cranky mode will be enthusiastically distracted, jollied out of that mindset, and immediately re-programmed for K.I.S.S.
The What If? dad
He’s factored in every possible thing that could go wrong on your upcoming holiday, and has a foolproof contingency plan for each “what if?” Every scenario has been considered – from losing luggage, passports, wallets and iPads, to losing front teeth, losing a favourite toy and losing a child! He’s trebled-checked the Product Disclosure Statement from the travel insurance company, and, at your holiday destination, he already knows the nearest shops to purchase essential items and the telephone numbers for local police, ambulance, hospitals and pharmacies – and he’s even made sure everything’s in place for home security, mail collection, dog minding and garden maintenance while you’re away, so he can enjoy a peaceful, relaxing family holiday!
The Wing It Dad
The Wing It Dad wants to take to the open roads, fly high or sail away without too many plans, or too much baggage. He’s the dad who doesn’t book accommodation because “we’ll just find something nice when we get there”, who puts packing limits on each family member – two t-shirts, a couple of pairs of pants, thongs and sneakers, a jumper, PJs, board shorts and undies – and lives by the mantra that if you don’t have it you can borrow it or buy it at your destination! He’s determined you’re all going to have the best, fuss-free holiday ever – as long as no one spoils the mood when the bubble inevitably bursts by telling him ‘I told you so!’
The Dadolescent
This dad is pretty confident that someone else has made all the holiday plans, so he’s happy to kick back and go along for the ride. Where you will be staying and how you get there is not of great consequence, but he has already googled the weather and all the fabulous attractions and activities on offer at your holiday destination and made a mental must-do list. He’ll be on the zipline with the kids, catching waves, hands-on at fun museums, looking for the best ice-cream, dragging his feet through shopping centres, and pleading for “another go on the rollercoaster”. He’s also the family member most likely to forget to pack something and to leave something behind in your hotel room!
