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Solo Travel with Kids
Holiday Travel Tips for Single Parents
By Brenda Elwell
Americans' busiest travel time is fast approaching as over 30 million people plan holiday trips. While the thought of reuniting with family or getting away should spread joy, for those with children – especially single parents – the thought can be scarier than Halloween.
Brenda Elwell, author of The Single Parent Travel Handbook (GlobalBrenda Publishing, 2003), has the following tips to make going to "Grandma's house" a much more pleasant experience.
Involve the children in decision making. Plan to spend a third of the time on activities the kids like, a third of the time on activities the parent likes and a third of the time on what the family enjoys together. Have children find special holiday activities or coupons on the Internet.
2. Make an Itinerary
With so much occupying people's minds during the holiday season, having an itinerary as a trip "cheat sheet" can free up brain space to focus on other things. Also, a good itinerary helps keeps things organized, but can still allow for flexibility. Itineraries are especially good for single parents because they have to be twice as organized, twice as patient and twice as creative as their dual parent counterparts.
