Going on vacation with kids can be stressful and doing it as a single parent can be downright scary, but it doesn’t need to be. With a little bit of extra preparation, the single parent’s vacation with kids can be an awesome adventure!

Prior to leaving for the trip, the most important thing to do is to have a meeting with your kids.

Here are some tips:

- Discuss ground rules and review a map of the resort in advance, if possible.
- Pick a central point to use as home base in the event someone gets lost or separated. Sometimes the actual hotel room is not the best place, as your child would be apt to head there alone if they get lost or separated. Pick a specific restaurant, area by the pool or, better yet, the hotel’s front desk.
- Point out how to identify the resort employees by their uniforms.
- Set guidelines of your expectations in advance (are they allowed to go to the beach without you? The pool?).
- Think about bringing walkie -talkies along. This is a great way to keep in touch with kids who are old enough to cruise around on their own, yet without the roaming charges you are apt to get on your cell phone bill!

Reviewing the map before you go is also a good way to let your kids know about activities and areas geared toward kids. Continue reading →