There are numerous things in nature that are renowned for their strength but most notable is the Darwin spider web which is made of such strong yet flexible material, that it can stretch for miles without breaking. Other modified materials include grapheme, which is a type of carbon, metallic glass, and diamond, which is so unbreakable that it has to be cut using another diamond.
But for all their immense strength, the powerfulness and tenacity of a bond formed by human beings beats them all by far. The strength of a bond formed, especially between children and their parents or guardians, is inequitable to anything under the sun. Children, regardless of their race or gender, will form some sort of bond with their parents or caregivers. It is up to the adults in charge to determine how strong this bond is. How they do it may happen in different ways.
One of the major ways is through modelling of the desired behaviour. "Tell me what to do and I will listen, show me what to do and I will do it,” is a wise saying that has a lot of truth in it. Adults like telling the children under their authority what to do but then go ahead and do something contrary to what they just said. This sends conflicting messages to the developing minds, and ultimately, they will choose to do what they have seen. So next time you start wondering why the holiday makers are not following your instructions, check your actions, you may unknowingly be modelling mannerisms that they are picking up on, after all, you are their first role model. Before they met anybody else, they know you and trust what you do.
On that note, while on holiday, you might want to carefully consider who you send your children to spend the holidays with. Although, their immediate relatives, uncles and aunts may have a good reputation, the children or other adults in their homes may not boast of the same discipline. At the end of these lengthy holidays you do not want to be undoing habits that have been formed at the place where they stayed while on holiday.
That said, holiday time, especially now, is the opportune time to forge lasting bonds with the children who will soon fly away from home. You want to make the best of it. Happy holidays!