How to survive a holiday with Mum and Dad

Google the word “Homad” and you could be forgiven for thinking it was the name of a Greek furniture company, or a Beijing-based International Aptitude Technology outfit. But apparently it's also the new craze among recession-hit young professionals: a Holiday on Mum and Dad.

In a survey conducted in June by HolidayRentals.co.uk, 64 per cent of the respondents admitted they would happily go away with family who offered to pay, even, apparently, if they couldn’t bear 10 minutes over the phone with them on a Sunday morning—testimony, perhaps, to just how cash-strapped many people are feeling.

Always one to be ahead of trends, I'm proud to say I've been savvy (and broke) enough to have Homaded all my adult life. This has, for the most part, been a delightful experience. But as I've discovered through many years of trial and error, there are some crucial do's and don'ts. Observing them enables a cheap and rewarding getaway, ignoring them portends disaster. So for those less practised in the art of Homad, here are my top rules of engagement. For anyone considering a Homad (or indeed wondering where previous attempts went wrong), this might just be essential summer reading.

(Of course this guide is by no means exhaustive, so do add you own tips to the comments below. And to any Mums and Dads with advice on how to survive a holiday with their cherished progeny.. we'd love to hear from you too.)