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A Guide to Colorado Mountain Vacations
The state of Colorado is one of the premier spots in the United States for mountain vacationing. A Colorado mountain vacation can be the adventure of a lifetime. There are many attractions in Colorado, including skiing, shopping, hiking, biking,...

Florida Beachfront Rentals - Finding Florida Beachfront Vacation Homes
Florida beachfront rentals are a great way to enjoy a Florida vacation. Florida beachfront rentals and Florida beachfront vacation homes can be found in all the most popular beach areas year-round. Besides the fabulous Florida beaches you have to...

Pool Safety On Vacation
Copyright 2005 Chris Neilson Let's face it, most of us are not lucky enough to have a swimming pool in our back garden, so when we go on vacation it's a rare treat to splash about in the toasty warm waters of an outdoor swimming pool. ...

Vacationing in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a pristine recreational lake area. With high-stake casino gambling and Las Vegas-style entertainment on one side and spiritual retreats and horseback riding on the other, you can’t go wrong. Everything you could possibly want is...

What are your sailing vacation options
Today, there are several options for someone who would like to enjoy a sailing holiday. The "sea dog" or the complete novice, can both find a holiday which will satisfy their needs. Singles, pairs or a group of people, can all enjoy the pleasures...

 
Vacation In Comfort With Kids


It takes a special person to travel with kids – a parent. Children have their own needs. Their idea of a vacation is more "adventurous" than a parent's. They need constant stimulation and they can get as tired as they are tiring.

There are many top ten type lists of tips for traveling with children: how to ensure they eat well and drink enough, how to dress them for weather variances, how to provide the stimulation they need, how to make sure they don't drive off with the family car and leave you stranded in the Mojave Desert, etc.

This list is how to travel in comfort – without tying the children to the roof rack -- which hopefully will reduce your stress.

Make sure you have plenty of room while traveling.

This is easier said than done. On a plane, everybody is cramped. On a train, everybody is cramped, although a little less so. On a bicycle... don't even try it.

If you are driving, get a mini-van. Sure, you might be more of a "car" type, and you might have resisted buying a mini-van so far. But pick up a rental van for the vacation just to give the kids a little more room for fighting. (Make sure it has a roof rack, just in case.)

Reality check: Cram enough people into a tiny space and watch everybody get stressed and enraged. See my humorous but true article on hippo rage: http://www.thehappyguy.com/hippo-rage.html .

Accommodations along the way can be tricky. Usually it involves a cramped motel for just long enough to sleep, then back in the cramped car (or somewhat cramped mini-van). This is not anybody's idea of a home away from home.

An accommodation alternative is to camp. When not sleeping, you have all the space in the world (unless you have to huddle under the tarp while the storm passes through). I love camping, but not everyone enjoys a good early morning wake-up wrestle with a grizzly as much as I do, so a motel might be required.

Make sure you have plenty of room when you "get there".

My childhood vacations, often involved wandering around lost. Assuming you are actually heading for a destination, make sure to have lots of room when you get there. This part is easy. But it requires thinking outside the box. Forget hotels, motels, and inns. Look for private rental homes.

Probably the biggest destination for families is Walt Disney World in Florida. Good news – Orlando, Kissimmee and the surrounding area is just teeming with private vacation homes for rent. In Florida they call them vacation villas, and they offer all the space of home (without having to fix a leaky sink or oil the door hinges or mow the lawn.) Here are some examples of vacation home rentals in the Disney area: http://www.lastminutevillas.net/Disney-vacation.html.

Sharon Baillie is a private villa owner in the Kissimmee area outside Orlando, just a few miles from Disney


World. "Our guests enjoy the spaciousness of our 6-bedroom home ( http://www.lastminutevillas.net/new5beda1pg1.html ). They love the private pool and the private yard in which they can relax," she says. "Parents love the space for children to run around outside, and we leave a box of toys in the garage. So while the parents rest, the children play – and let their parents rest!"

Be prepared for "children being children" events.

Sometimes, stress hits you from behind when the unexpected happens. Like a cut or a scrape ... or a child getting sick. Sharon Baillie told me that is why she tells all her villa rental guests where the first aid kit can be found, and exactly where to go for medical attention. This is particularly helpful for her many guests from abroad who are unfamiliar with the US healthcare system.

She also makes sure her guests are informed about local pollen and viruses in Florida, so that parents can be prepared. Stress is so much more enjoyable when you are prepared for it, don't you think?

Booking tickets to theme parks and making reservations for just about everything in advance, makes the trip less stressful. There is little more difficult than managing young children while trying to get into a theme park or show that requires prior booking.

And to prevent wandering around lost, pick up a AAA Triptik in advance – not that it ever helped us.

Try having your children baby-sat. This might mean bringing along a nanny, such as a grand parent (It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.). The car might be more crowded, but if you've rented a spacious home for the week, it could just be doable. The other option is to hire a local baby-sitter once or twice. Vacation Home owners can set this up for you, and some hotels might be willing to, too.

When you are single, you can go on adventure vacations. When you are a parent, you get vacation adventures. Here are three of mine: http://www.thehappyguy.com/family-vacation-adventure.html

So there you have it. Three ways to reduce the stress of traveling with kids, so you can actually relax on vacation. After all, isn't that what vacations are supposed to be about?

David Leonhardt is a freelance writer, and an online and offline publicity specialist. Contact him at:


mailto:info@thehappyguy.com


or visit his website at:


http://www.thehappyguy.com


For Florida vacation villa rentals:


http://www.lastminutevillas.net


For Orlando vacation home rentals:


http://www.orlandovillaowners.com


Info@TheHappyGuy.com


 

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Content Menu
  • 10 reasons to spend your vacation in an orlando villa

  • 10 tips for choosing a rental cottage for a great waterfront vacation

  • 10 tips for selecting the perfect costa rica vacation rental

  • 10 tips to for selecting the perfect costa rica vacation rental

  • 10 tips to help you select the perfect costa rica vacation rental

  • 3 easy steps to planning family vacations for the whole family

  • 4 rules of planning the perfect family vacation

  • 5 tips to spend the most luxurious caribbean vacation you ever dreamed of

  • 6 key factors successful vacation rental owners always use

  • 6 steps to super pictures of your vacation rental property

  • about expectations and the family vacation

  • advantage of renting a condo while on vacation

  • an introduction to bahamas vacations

  • arizona vacation safety stay aware to stay safe

  • a family friendly florida vacation

  • a guide to colorado mountain vacations

  • a guide to cozumel vacations

  • a guide to great smoky mountain vacations

  • a guide to north carolina mountain vacations

  • a guide to rocky mountain vacations

  • a guide to smith mountain vacations

  • a guide to your ideal ski resort and vacation

  • a look at bahamas vacation resorts

  • bargain vacations

  • bargain vacations your dream getaway on ebay

  • be neighbourly in your orlando vacation home

  • boat timeshares a unique vacationing experience

  • budgeting for a vacation or trip

  • canoe vacations and fun canoeing getaways

  • celebrating a year long vacation with rentjillshouse com

  • choosing accommodations for your orlando vacation

  • choosing vacation rental property in whistler

  • colorado vacation rentals offer warmth luxury and comfort

  • considering condo vacation rentals in lake tahoe

  • consider a private kauai vacation rental for your next getaway

  • dare to dream the vacation of a lifetime in a timeshare

  • dauphin island al an idyllic beach vacation

  • ditch the hotel for a villa or vacation home

  • enjoy a hiking vacation

  • enjoy luxury vacations with greece yacht charters

  • enjoy your vacations with the travel team

  • familiy vacation package

  • family friendly vacation condos on hilton head island

  • family vacation money saving tips

  • finding the best vacation packages

  • finding vacation rentals in north lake tahoe

  • find your last minute bargain vacation

  • florida beachfront rentals finding florida beachfront vacation homes

  • florida vacation villas

  • forgo the hotel next time choose a florida vacation rental

  • for fun in the sun take a beach vacation

  • france vacation rentals near bordeauxs famous vineyards

  • getting around on your kauai vacation

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  • great tips for planning cheap family vacations

  • guide to mountain vacations

  • hawaii vacations and hawaii family vacations

  • herovacations com adds numerous golf travel packages to web site

  • hilton head island golf vacation paradise

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  • hilton head vacation rentals

  • how to find vacation rentals for your next vacation

  • how to pick a vacation rental

  • how to plan a cheap vacation in the bahamas

  • how to rent an orlando vacation home

  • how to search online for vacation rental property

  • how to take a luxury vacation on a budget

  • how you can save up to 50 or more on your next rv rental vacation

  • index

  • jamaican villa vacations start with the right ingredients

  • kauai one of hawaii s best kept vacations secrets

  • kauai vacation on a budget

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  • looking closely at pigeon forge vacation packages

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  • rv vacations ten tips

  • save up to 50 when traveling on vacation

  • skiing vacations for the heart body and soul

  • south africa the no 1 golf vacation rental destination

  • staying in a vacation cabin rental

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  • ten tips for planning your vacation

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  • tips for a great family vacation

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  • top ten most searched states for vacation home rentals in 2004

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  • trader electronic media takes a vacation

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  • vacationing in orlando with kids try an orlando villa

  • vacationing in south carolinas hilton head

  • vacations australia

  • vacations away from the ordinary

  • vacations british columbia

  • vacations chinatowns of the world

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  • vacations france annecy

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  • vacation in comfort with kids

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  • vacation in florida your best destination

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  • vacation rentals in beautiful texas

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  • vacation rental checklist

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  • vacation values

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