by Sarah Williams

Created on: October 08, 2010

Does the idea of traveling with your children take the relaxation out of your trip planning?  Many people cringe at the notion of packing up the little ones and sojourning across the country, or even across the state; shell-shocked by the memories of messes, crying, screams, fighting and a generally high stress atmosphere.  Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do as a parent to dull the sting of the "traveling with children" blues, if you properly prepare.

1)Choose a kid friendly destination-You would be surprised just how many people don't take into account this very simple and yet very important detail.  Making sure that your accommodations are properly suited to your little ones will take a great deal of the stress off of your shoulders once you reach your destination.

2)Your Two Best Friends, Disposable and Rental-From diapers and snack-packs to strollers and bicycles, there is no sense in carrying around more than you have to when traveling with children. Nearly all kid friendly destinations will have stroller rentals, bicycle rentals, etc.  Also, remember that the more you can "throw away" means the less you have to carry with you...traveling with children is not the time to be "green"; pack those disposable diapers, disposable wipes, food accessories (spoons, forks, napkins), snack-packs, etc. 

3)BYOF or Bring Your Own Food-Most children are very picky eaters, especially when they are on vacation.  The last thing that your little one is going to want to do is sample the local fare, so you would do well to pack some of his/her favorite foods in order to keep the commotion to a minimum.  If you have an unusually picky child, it might be a good idea to take along an ice-chest and get yourself a hotel with a refrigerator so that you can have access to more of your little one's routine foods.

4)Occupy Time-When it comes to children, idle hands (and minds) truly are the devil's playthings.  When your little one's have nothing to do, they will find something to do, and often times that includes screaming, crying, fighting with their siblings, etc.  So, make sure to pack some fun travel games that can be played in the car.  Also, it is a bit of an investment, but a mini-portable television with built-in DVD player is almost a must these days when traveling with your child.  You'll spend around $100 for a decent one, but then you can pop in a movie, put a set of headphones

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