We haven't had a foreign family holiday since Houdini was very small Our previous package experience in Menorca, five years ago, was a mixed bag. Sunshine, seaside and some helpful adaptations but also many challenges such as overly child-friendly interior door locks, noisy overwhelming cafeterias and of course, the ignorant British tourist who felt it her sole responsibility to publicly berate me for my "screaming child". Not the holiday from hell but certainly going underground, at times.
So, here we are 5 years on and the family discussion continues over whether we have the energy to attempt another holiday. Him-indoors prefers the idea of a UK activity holiday whereas I much prefer the sunshine and lazy days by an outdoor pool. While the debate rages, his statutory fortnight off work comes and goes and in our procrastination, we go absolutely nowhere.
I believe that a teacher's summer break is much too long to be at home staring at the same 4 walls, dreaming of adventures in sunnier climes. So I decided to challenge myself. If I could manage to negotiate a short domestic trip with the boys, I could prove to my other half that holidays are actually doable and next year, we would bite the bullet and jet off to the Med.
I booked 4 return tickets from Belfast to Cardiff to spend a long weekend with my Grandma. I read Social Stories about airports and flying in aeroplanes in preparation. I pre-booked parking and arranged special assistance Houdini was as good as gold. I wheeled him in his over-sized buggy to the steps of the plane. We boarded first and as we reached our allocated seats at the rear of the plane, the mother of meltdowns began.
Houdini refused to sit round in his seat. My non-verbal child was clearly heard shouting,"HOME-H-O-M-E- HOME" and "Mummy's Red car!" He would not wear the flimsy seat belt and following a 15 minute stand-off with well-meaning cabin crew, we were ejected from the now full capacity flight just before take off.
The airline offered to take the two oldest boys on ahead to Wales to be met by my father who was already en route to Cardiff airport or they could accommodate us on the next available flight the next day but by then it wouldn't be worth going for such a short time. Besides, Houdini would still have classic autism the following day and every day after that. So feeling like a complete failure, I tearfully returned home to make the necessary phone calls to be reimboursed for a non-existent journey.
In retrospect, I don't know whether it was the noise of the air conditioning system, the change of routine or the fact that his dad was not travelling with us, that upset Houdini the most. The two older boys were remarkably resilient considering two hours of our lives were wasted on the quickest holiday in history, not to mention one disappointed nonagenarian and a very confused husband who returned from work to find us exactly where he had left us, much to his surprise.
11th June 2018
As another Summer fast approaches, I am no further on in my search for a relaxing holiday in the sun. P.E.A.T. (peatni.org) organises airport familiarisation days at George Best City Airport but we haven't been able to use this service yet. Air travel remains an unattainable dream and for now our reality is a static caravan in the wind and the rain of the Atlantic coast.
So, here we are 5 years on and the family discussion continues over whether we have the energy to attempt another holiday. Him-indoors prefers the idea of a UK activity holiday whereas I much prefer the sunshine and lazy days by an outdoor pool. While the debate rages, his statutory fortnight off work comes and goes and in our procrastination, we go absolutely nowhere.
I believe that a teacher's summer break is much too long to be at home staring at the same 4 walls, dreaming of adventures in sunnier climes. So I decided to challenge myself. If I could manage to negotiate a short domestic trip with the boys, I could prove to my other half that holidays are actually doable and next year, we would bite the bullet and jet off to the Med.
I booked 4 return tickets from Belfast to Cardiff to spend a long weekend with my Grandma. I read Social Stories about airports and flying in aeroplanes in preparation. I pre-booked parking and arranged special assistance Houdini was as good as gold. I wheeled him in his over-sized buggy to the steps of the plane. We boarded first and as we reached our allocated seats at the rear of the plane, the mother of meltdowns began.
Houdini refused to sit round in his seat. My non-verbal child was clearly heard shouting,"HOME-H-O-M-E- HOME" and "Mummy's Red car!" He would not wear the flimsy seat belt and following a 15 minute stand-off with well-meaning cabin crew, we were ejected from the now full capacity flight just before take off.
The airline offered to take the two oldest boys on ahead to Wales to be met by my father who was already en route to Cardiff airport or they could accommodate us on the next available flight the next day but by then it wouldn't be worth going for such a short time. Besides, Houdini would still have classic autism the following day and every day after that. So feeling like a complete failure, I tearfully returned home to make the necessary phone calls to be reimboursed for a non-existent journey.
In retrospect, I don't know whether it was the noise of the air conditioning system, the change of routine or the fact that his dad was not travelling with us, that upset Houdini the most. The two older boys were remarkably resilient considering two hours of our lives were wasted on the quickest holiday in history, not to mention one disappointed nonagenarian and a very confused husband who returned from work to find us exactly where he had left us, much to his surprise.
11th June 2018
As another Summer fast approaches, I am no further on in my search for a relaxing holiday in the sun. P.E.A.T. (peatni.org) organises airport familiarisation days at George Best City Airport but we haven't been able to use this service yet. Air travel remains an unattainable dream and for now our reality is a static caravan in the wind and the rain of the Atlantic coast.