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I had this debate with Roy at the weekend and we couldn’t come up with a conclusive argument for either being the “best” choice. It is a difficult one actually (usually I know the answer to such things and am, of course, always right…..).

Pros for Self Catering Holidays

Complete control over what we eat.
Full control over where we eat.
We can also eat when we want as we aren’t restricted to whatever timetable the hotel / accommodation sets (I like the flexibility of this).
It is probably cheaper (don’t quote me on this) to shop around and buy food and cook it at your accommodation or make up your own picnics etc (the frugal fan in me likes this).
With self catering you can eat in your pjs without scaring people in the dining room.
We can keep a closer eye on what the kids eat, as while neither is at all fussy food-wise I’m not sure how they’d cope with some foreign foods, especially when I can’t guarantee to know exactly what they are (assuming the accommodation would provide local dishes?).

Pros for All Inclusive Holidays

I don’t have to cook…. At all (this is a big plus).
We can eat within the comfort of our complex (etc) without trawling the streets looking for somewhere suitable.
I get the impression that having food prepared freshly for you with all inclusive holidays makes life so much easier and possibly healthier than eating at unknown restaurants or street vendors (dependant on where you were?).
I also hear all inclusive meals are often buffet style and you can enjoy an all you can eat type of experience (I’m not sure if this is bad or good, I’m going with good though).
You know your food and drink in-house is paid for. I have to wonder if we’d choose self-catering because it is cheaper and then spend anyway because the lure of eating out (and not being bothered to shop and cook) is too much.

I suppose which one is for you would depend on where you are going, who you go with and what you have planned for your holiday. If you’ve been away what did you choose, all inclusive or self catering? I could throw half-board into the mix but I guess that would just confuse things! 🙂

What do you think? All in or all out?

Photo credit

What they don’t tell you when you are pregnant with your first child is that when you welcome a child into your home and heart that along with fabulous fun, amazing memories and crayon on the wall behind the sofa, you also gain a bundle of “things” that you now have to be vigilant about. Alongside bumps and bruises, crossing the road safety and not touching anything hot, internet usage also presents dangers that many perhaps hadn’t considered before having children.

Don’t get me wrong, the internet is fabulous. I wouldn’t be able to do the work I do with it and Kieran especially (at 7 years old) uses it for homework research, learning and fun. Most of his friends also have access to the internet via tablets, the home PC , via Xbox Live or even their mobile phones.

The thing about the internet is that in order to stay safe online parents need to know more about their children’s usage, especially when it comes to social media access and how to teach them about safe usage and how they may monitor this effectively. Knowing the dangers that are out there is just the first step.

Knowthenet.org is an impartial website which has been funded by Nominet to offer information, advice and more to ensure that all of our kids can enjoy the benefits of having the World Wide Web available to them while staying safe, using the internet responsibly and of course legally.

Ass part of the Social Age Campaign Knowthenet.org interviewed over two thousand parents and their children across the UK. This social age study looked at the sites children were frequenting, what their internet habits really were and just how savvy these children ages eight to sixteen actually were about safe internet use.

This data, which was quite eye-opening, and more besides has gone into producing a number of resources which may be found on the website which supports parents in better understanding the issues and putting pro-active protections in place while still enabling their children to use the internet.

I sincerely believe that a child using the internet is a positive thing and opens doors which our generation didn’t have at the same age. Some parents who perhaps don’t spend as much time online as I do might find that their children know more about how it works than they do. Knowing the dangers and how to safeguard the kids couldn’t be more important in this digital age and so this campaign really is one which parents should have a look at.

Please do have a look at the KnowTheNet website and find them on both Facebook and Twitter.

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All Inclusive Holidays or Self Catering?