UHU - why holidays are best at home

Family holidays «ums-Huus-ume», or UHU for short, have many advantages. Not only are they inexpensive, they also eliminate the stressful preparation time. Packing your bags at the last minute for the kids? Not necessary. Long queues at check-in with grumpy teenagers and screaming children. What's that? Vomiting offspring, congested motorways, foul-smelling outhouses at motorway service stations? No way.

Because UHU holidays don't require long car journeys or flights. The journey is short. There are no tedious arrival and departure days, but you gain two holiday days. And the good thing about it: your ecological conscience is completely clear.

Switch off, switch off and switch off again ...

The most important prerequisite for a great family holiday at home: you need to switch off your laptop and smartphone if you want to switch off. Otherwise the temptation to fall back into everyday life is too great. Do you want to quickly check your office emails like you do every morning? No! Do the long-overdue tax return now that you're at home anyway? No! Don't do anything that you hope you wouldn't do under a parasol on the Croatian coast or at a beach bar on the Costa Brava.

Postpone all strenuous projects until after the holidays.

And what is good for the holiday mood and your own relaxation also promotes family life. Or to put it in the words of Danish family therapist Jesper Juul: smartphones have no place on the family island! These electronic «family members» are now attracting so much attention that it is unhealthy for family relationships.

With consequences: This increased user behaviour by parents could even lead to their children missing them - even though mum and dad are physically present. So you know what to do. And another thing: postpone all strenuous projects until after the holidays. This means no major cleaning, no trips to the big Swedish furniture store and no clearing out the cellar.

Tourist in your own city

Because holidays at home also mean many hours of relaxed family time, which can be perfectly combined with the many excursion options in Switzerland. This means that the family excursion can start straight after breakfast without any time-consuming preparation or a long journey. Each family member can play a bit of a tour guide and choose their favourite excursion destination.

Dear parents, practise sweet idleness.

And if you don't feel like doing a quick search - after all, you're on holiday - we recommend our «On the move» section. Here, the editors of the parents' magazine Fritz+Fränzi present beautiful excursion and holiday regions in Switzerland with lots of tips for the whole family. Another fun activity: playing tourist in your own town. Many tourist offices, such as those in Bern, Basel or Zurich, offer a wide range of excursion and event tips for families and children in their city.

Boredom on holiday is healthy - and in everyday life too

If the children get bored in between garden parties, swimming, hiking or cycling, then remember: boredom is healthy for children. And: you are doing something good for your offspring. This is also confirmed by parenting coach Fabian Grolimund: «Boredom is a wonderful thing,» says the psychologist, who produced the video series «What makes my child strong» in collaboration with the parenting magazine Fritz+Fränzi. «Boredom allows children to really wind down,» he continues.

They learnt to endure this feeling and come up with something themselves. In the process, they discover their own interests and develop their creativity. «Soon a duvet and two chairs become a cave or a cardboard box becomes a spaceship,» says Grolimund. Children have to take the initiative, develop their own games or call a friend to play with them. And the parents? They can practise sweet idleness and endure the feeling that they don't always have to put together a programme for their little ones.

Taking time for loved ones

And let's be honest: the time between work and family that many parents have in their everyday lives is at best enough to meet up with their closest friends. And this only happens after five Doodle requests have been emailed back and forth over several weeks until the right date is finally found that suits everyone. So if you decide to go on a UHU holiday with your family, you also have time to meet up again with loved ones you haven't seen for a long time. A summer party with friends is always fun.

And it doesn't matter whether it's at the seaside, hiking or in your own garden: It's even more fun if there are other children with whom your own children can do something. If the grandparents or summer babysitter have time to take over an evening or two, then a holiday at home could also be the right time for some child-free togetherness. Without the sound of the sea and palm trees, but what the heck - the temporary absence of screaming children is paradise enough.

Picture: Fotolia.com

15 reasons for UHU holidays

1. You are guaranteed to have all your clothes with you and can draw on the full range of styling options.
2. The little one's favourite teddy bear or the adolescent teenager's beloved iPad or smartphone won't be left at home - you're already at home.
3. No stressful travelling to and from home. On the contrary: you gain two extra days' holiday.
4. You'll be spared roaring party tourists, booming club beats and treacherous puddles of beer. Provided the neighbours go along with you.
5. The ecological footprint is impeccable.
6. No bedbugs and no hotel mattress that sags in the middle: The best place to sleep is in your own bed.
7. The child is suddenly ill and mum and dad are desperate to find a paediatrician who at least speaks English. Not on the UHU holidays.
8. The friendship with your best friend or neighbour is not strained by tedious plant watering and cat feeding.
9. No fierce pool battles for the best deckchair, no getting up early to occupy it. Simply marvellous.
10. "Holla, es Glacé, er, un helado poor favour!" No more agonisingly long minutes waiting for the ice cream to be ordered with the leftovers from the Spanish course. On holiday at UHU, everyone speaks Swiss German.
11. For those who haven't heard of WhatsApp calls and have been using the good old mobile network abroad: there are no roaming charges.
12. The fridge is always stocked with everyone's favourite drinks and food.
13. No fake holiday reviews: You know what to expect from your holiday destination.
14. No need to dodge a selfie stick that almost pokes your eye out.
15. So many tourists travel to Switzerland every year. You finally have time to discover the scenic advantages and natural beauty of Helvetia for yourself.

Important note from the editors:

All linked articles must be read before the holidays. As you know: UHU holidays are practically free of the internet, tablets and smartphones.