Planning for the Less Stressed Vacation

We look forward all year to our vacation time. It's usually planned a full year or more in advanced as there are many things to consider. We have to plan for a time that will least impact our children and their school activities, so our vacation usually takes place during the month of June. Other planning factors we have to be concerned with include the time off from our business, where we will go, making the required reservations and of course the budget. So, suffice it to say, with all that planning, we really do look forward to our vacation, and we want it to be “perfect.”

Now, if your family is anything like ours, every member may have different expectations for that vacation. Mom and Dad want a semblance of rest and relaxation. The kids want to spend the whole budget the first day on toys, t-shirts, candy and amusement parks.

This article serves to help with some tips for the “less stress,” vacation. It has been written from years of experience and takes into consideration every age phase of a child from infant years to (yuck!) teenage years. Here we go:

Tip #1: Communicate via a family meeting on just what the vacation will be. There should be no surprises. Of course, being spontaneous can also be built into the vacation. I'll give an example of our most recent vacation to Williamsburg, VA. We went with certain expectations of what attractions we would visit. Busch Gardens amusement park for the kids, different historic sites, etc. But when my husband informed me that Washington, D.C. was just a two-hour drive from where we were staying, I jumped at the chance to go. It has always been a dream of mine to take my son, when he reached his teen years, to D.C. I felt it would be at this age and after receiving the proper American History classes that he would most appreciate what he was seeing. When I announced we would be taking a day trip to Washington, he gave nothing but protest. “That will be boring!” he exclaimed. We did go, and to my surprise, he and my seven-year-old daughter loved it. Of course it helped that we did have dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and he received the “required,” t-shirt. He now refers to that trip as the best part of his vacation.

Tip #2: Expect the unexpected. I guess you hear this all the time, but I am here to tell you it's the truth. Yes, you know about the travel delays either over the road or at the airports -- those things usually can't be avoided. For those delays, have lots of travel type activities handy for kids of all ages. We pack coloring books, toys, small travel games,  Game Boys, reading materials -- you get the picture.

To help prevent delays from getting lost, we pre-print maps from where we will be staying to the different attractions and use the map sites, such as Map Quest at www.mapquest.com or www.expedia.com . In car navigators are great too but it doesn't hurt to have a paper backup especially if those satellites can't be acquired in a big city. We then compare against the printed atlas and use the most expedient route.

You can also call ahead or access the internet site to big attractions to make sure they are open and not closed for renovation during the time you will be visiting.

Also, don't expect your accommodations to be perfect, there will be items that don't work or are not in operation. However, know that “it pays to complain” at times. Don't be afraid to ask to be moved to another unit, hotel, etc. And if that can't happen, don't be afraid to ask for some type of compensation for your inconvenience. Most of the time you might just be surprised at what someone will do for you just because you asked, especially if it's a classy operation that wants your future business.

Tip #3: Plan for minor medical emergencies. It is less stressful and less expensive when you have over-the-counter remedies available for typical ailments, such as the cut finger, sour stomach, cold, cough, headache, swimmer's ear, etc. It is easier to travel with these remedies and have them handy in a small first aid kit, than to try and find an area pharmacy at 2 a.m. when the little one wakes up with an upset stomach or unexpected fever. Have on hand everything you might need that is appropriate for the age of the children you will be traveling with. One word of caution, from my own experience, remember that when you travel, you are staying in accommodations that you are unfamiliar with or living out of your suitcase for a week or so. Medications that would have been stored in a medicine cabinet, are left in suitcases or on counters, thus making them more easily accessible by little fingers. One year our daughter, at the age of four ate half a dozen grape flavored children's Dimetapp when I inadvertently left them on the bedside table. One call to Poison Control and a sleepless night later, she was fine but we learned a valuable lesson when traveling with over-the-counter medications and a toddler.

Tip #4: Use sunscreen! My son still refers to the vacation when mom got “red as a lobster on the beach.” I thought ahead to slather plenty of sunscreen on my then four-year-old son while we played on the beach at Clearwater, Florida but I did not put any on myself. After a day in the Florida sun, boy was I red and boy did it hurt for the remainder of my vacation. Sunscreen is generally only effective for two hours, so sunscreen needs to be reapplied. Some sun screens can wash off as well, so check the labels. Make sure they are appropriate for use with infants and children and check how often they should be reapplied. Nothing wrecks a vacation faster then a severe sunburn.

Tip #5: Be travel savvy. Be aware that you “look” like a tourist and may be considered an easy mark by some of the less upstanding local citizens in the communities you are visiting. Separate your cash money and credit cards between adults in the party. Also consider leaving an emergency cash fund and credit card back in the hotel safe or locked in the car. Be more aware then ever of where you place your purse, wallet, camera, etc. when shopping or dining out. Small children should never be allowed to go to the restroom by themselves, and older children should be checked on after approximately 5 minutes in a restroom on their own. Only stop at well lit and well traveled ATMs and gas stations. Travel with a cell phone, and if both adults have cell phones, take them both. Some of the new cell phone plans include long distance calls and using your cell phone to make local calls in the area you're visiting is cheaper than making a local call from the hotel where they might charge you $1.00 or more no matter how short the call was.

Well, those are some of my travel tips for a less stressed vacation, have a great one!