The Survival Guide for Nanny-Free Holidays

There’s this automatic reflex I used to have whenever I admitted we’ve travelled with a nanny. Before anyone even reacts, I jump in with the disclaimer “But remember, we had three kids under four…” as if saying this somehow earns me moral clearance. As if I need to prove the decision was logical, not indulgent. But in all honesty, anyone who has ever travelled with kids knows why people do it. Half the picture-perfect family holidays you see online only work because there’s someone behind the scenes getting the kids dressed, brushing out the tangles, managing meltdowns, and handling bedtime so the adults can breathe for a minute.

For a long time, that was us. It allowed me to enjoy the holiday instead of just enduring it, to go for a late night glass of wine with my husband, or have a lazy morning in bed. But in the last year, we started travelling without a nanny. Not because it became “easy.” Not because we suddenly turned into superheroes. But because it felt like the next right step for our family, even if it meant things got messier.

And that’s the part no one talks about either - what it actually looks and feels like to travel without help, and how to survive it without losing your sanity or resenting the entire trip.

So here it is: the practical, honest, slightly chaotic guide that made our nanny-free trips not just manageable but genuinely meaningful.

1. Pack Only What You Actually Need

Kids rummage like small, determined raccoons. The more you pack, the more mess they will generate. Keep their outfits simple. Keep the choices minimal. And group everything by child so you’re never digging through a shared mountain of cotton chaos.

2. Let Them Choose Their Clothes Before You Pack

This was a game changer. Before we left for our 4 day trip, I asked each child to choose:

• Two jackets

• Three pants & sweaters

• Two shoes

That’s it. The accessories, the underwear, the PJs I chose. 

Holiday mornings used to unravel because someone hated what I packed. But when they chose their outfits at home in a calm environment, with no time pressure it removed the battles entirely. They felt in control, I felt sane, everybody won.

3. Set Up the Room Like a Tiny Command Centre

A holiday room with kids needs structure or it swallows you whole

• Toothbrushes and toothpaste by the sink

• Shower gel, caps, soap inside the shower

• A hair station with brushes and bobbles

• Clothes laid out by child on a sofa or bench, not by item

The room should make life easier.

4. One Shower. All Kids. No Negotiation.

Put them all in the shower together. While they’re showering you can:

• Lay out outfits on the bed

• Fold pyjamas and set them aside for the evening

• Do a quick room reset so the day doesn’t start in chaos.

5. Let the Older Ones Help the Younger Ones

Older siblings genuinely rise to the occasion when given responsibility. Let them help the younger one put on socks, help with tidying up toys and any other quick tasks. 

You get a moment to breathe, and they feel proud, which mysteriously improves their behaviour too.

6. Fold Pyjamas Immediately After They Change

It’s such a tiny habit but a psychological lifesaver. Fold the PJs and keep them ready for the night. It reduces bedtime stress and avoids the  hunt for pyjamas that somehow always end up under the bed.

7. Tidy a Little Every Evening

Nothing dramatic. Just a quick 5-minute reset.

Because the emotional damage of facing a tsunami of mess on the last morning is real and it can undo the entire holiday glow.

8. Give Each Kid a Backpack

I give each child a tiny lightweight backpack (we use our Little IA Create-Your-Own — the perfect size) which you can find here.

Inside goes only: one bottle, our 9-compartment snack box found here (which is hands down my favourite travel essential) and one book (either a reading book or doodle book).

The moment you suggest toys or games, the backpack mutates into a heavy suitcase you will end up carrying while your child collects rocks.

Let them be responsible for their own bag. They take the role seriously - it matters.

9. Fill Their Snack Boxes at Breakfast

This is my favourite hack.

Instead of hunting for snacks when they’re delirious at 3pm, you fill the snack box at breakfast using whatever is already laid out. It saves time, money and 12 potential meltdowns.

10. One Bag Only for Socks. One Bag Only for Underwear

A dedicated socks bag will save your soul.
Kids somehow get through socks at superhuman speed on holidays.

Same for underwear - keep extras together so you never have to dig through the suitcase.

11. A Single Laundry Bag for All Dirties

Make this bag accessible. Make it non-negotiable.

Teach them: dirty things go here. It sets a baseline of order in the middle of the madness.

The Real Reward

Travelling without a nanny won’t feel as effortless or indulgent as holidays with help. Let's be honest. You won’t have the slow evenings, you won’t have the uninterrupted couple time, you won’t have the invisible hands smoothing the rough edges of the day.

But what you will have is a sense of shared exhaustion that feels weirdly bonding. Inside jokes born from chaos. Long walks where you find yourself talking with your children like they’re tiny adults. The small triumph of making it through a meltdown with humour instead of tears. And the indescribable pride of realising, We did this. Just us.

It’s not perfect, it's not polished and it's not Instagrammable in the same way. But it’s real. And sometimes, real leaves a deeper imprint than perfect ever could.