Family vacations are supposed to be lots of fun. But many wind up with lots of stress, and you can return feeling as if you need another vacation just to recover.
On The Early Show Monday, Real Simple magazine's Kris Connell shared ideas on simple ways to build a better trip.
They came from the magazine's special family issue, as The Early Show and Real Simple kicked off a weeklong series on making the most of time you have with your family.
Research activities before you go: To get your children excited about the trip in advance, and to be ready with surefire boredom chasers when they're needed, check the area's tourist office or chamber of commerce Web site for the week's scheduled activities, things such as farmers' markets and parades. Call the local library and bookstore to find out about story hours. Go online before you leave home to find a local theater's show times, or at least a number to call. And if you're planning to use the hotel's children's program, ask before booking the hotel to make sure those services will be available. Also, remember to set a schedule, but to be flexible. No one will enjoy a trip where they're dragged to nearly 20 museums! Remember, when kids are overtired, their behavior deteriorates.Travel light: Don't over-pack. Unless you're going to a very remote part of the world, you can buy or rent most of what you need. For instance, some car-rental companies offer car seats for a small charge, and some hotels lend cribs and strollers for no charge. To lighten your load even more, especially when traveling with children who need different age-appropriate equipment, consider having babysaway.com drop off at your hotel, and pick up when you leave, a variety of gear, including car seats, all-terrain strollers, frame backpacks, and even a tub of toys. That service is available in major cities and resort towns in 25 states.Put the kids to work: Let the older kids have a say in where you're going and what you're doing. That relieves some of the burden from you, and reinforces the message that it's a family trip. Older kids can help research activities online, while younger children can use an atlas or travel books with lots of pictures of what they want to see. Also, have kids pack their carryon luggage, so they're responsible for bringing their favorite toys or books for the flight or car ride.Figure in child care: If you're not traveling with another family and you and your spouse want to spend some time alone, plan ahead. Call your hotel or resort and ask if they have a list of qualified people or an agency they could refer you to.Start traditions: Buy some small, travel-sized games such as "Boggle" or "Connect Four," because vacations are a great time to encourage kids to not watch TV. and hang out as a family instead. Outdoor games such as Frisbee or flashlight tag are also great ways to bond, and will create great family memories. In addition, having a child create his or her own scrapbook during the vacation gets them more involved in the trip. So, give your child a small scrapbook at the beginning of the trip and, at the end of each day, they can write down what they did and glue in postcards or other souvenirs from the day.