The myths of December family holidays we keep subscribing to

For example, the idea that the hotel infinity pool is a calming oasis and that snow is magical for all ages

- Raymond Goh

Ah, 'tis December. There is definitely something thick in the air this time of year.

You could be catching a whiff of the hissy air blowing from the cabin vents of your departing flight. Maybe it is the cool, crisp bouquet of an East Asian temperate garden. Or perhaps - if you are more of a tropical traveller - it is the earthy beach pong and the buttery sunscreen on your shoulders.

Yes, it is the most wanderlust-y time of the year. Families are raring to fly, sail or drive away to some place where they will spend quality time and mucho money (preferably in a currency mucho weaker than the mighty Singapore dollar).

We love to travel because we want our children to see the world and explore new places. We want them to experience exciting and diverse cultures so different from our own. We want them to develop an expansive worldview that can be fuelled only by such itinerant exposure.

Which is why staycations are such a big hit with us, right?

Singapore families love their staycations. The travel restrictions of the Covid-19 years compressed 24 months of stunted wanderlust into a vengeful desire for anything that looks remotely like a vacation. Enter Singapore's unoccupied hotel rooms, empty infinity pools and all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets.

Before anyone could ask, "same meh?", the art of the staycation cemented its place in the national zeitgeist - right up there with queueing, eating and complaining (usually in that order).

But deep down in our restless hearts, we know that staycations are a beautiful lie that we happily choose to believe. And it is not the only falsehood we willingly subscribe to either. Here are five other family vacation half-truths we buy into, again and again.

1. THE WINDOW SEAT ON THE PLANE IS A TEACHABLE MOMENT IN GEOGRAPHY