Getting the right holiday balance for kids of all ages

Arlene Harris, who goes on holidays with her teen boys, asks experts about how to balance respecting older children’s need for independence with responsible parenting

LAST summer my family and I took a three-week trip inter-railing around Europe. This year, we embarked on something similar but confined ourselves to exploring the delights of Tuscany.

People were interested to hear about the different destinations and the freedom of travelling by train, but frequently there was an audible intake of breath when I mentioned that we travel en-famille — which in our case means two teenage boys (18 and 16) and a third (12) who is just on the cusp of becoming one.