It’s a reality of life—kids are tough to please.

One minute, they adore something… the next minute, they loathe it.

No wonder traveling with the whole clan can be such a challenge!

But never fear. There are ways to make sure that your children don’t cast a negative spell on your next family vacation getaway. Here’s how…

A. Enlist Their Help

Sure, you might want to lug your kids to a beach house in Maryland, but if they aren’t “buying in” to the trip, it could make for a “so-so” time.

Instead of dictating where you’ll spend your week while away from home, enlist your kids’ help in figuring out where to go.

Introduce them to the many vacation guides that they can find online through GuestQuest. That way, if they start complaining, you can always remind them that they were a part of the decision.

Obviously, babies and toddlers won’t be much help in this arena, though if your youngsters can talk, you can easily determine if they would like to go to a beach or the woods.)

B. Allow Them to Bring Their Stuff

Though you can’t pack a child’s room into the car or in an airplane carry-on, do allow the kids in your life to bring with them 3-5 personal items that aren’t very large.

These can be books, stuffed animals, video games, board games, or anything else that won’t take up too much space. This way, if your sweetie pies pull the old, “I’m bored!” routine, you need only point to the items they chose to bring with them.

C. Let Your Child Bring a Friend on Your Family Vacation Getaway

If your youngster is old enough to have a best friend (and it’s someone you like to be around for days at a time), why not invite him or her to come along for the trip to make it an even more fun family vacation?

Obviously, if you’re going somewhere by plane (such as a trip overseas), you may not be able to cover the cost of his or her airfare. But if you were just planning to drive to one of the gorgeous Tennessee log cabins anyway, why not bring an extra person?

Again, you’ll need to discuss the situation with the child’s parents to determine logistics, but taking this step isn’t just a way to be a “cool” parent; it’s a way to ensure that your kid has a playmate on the road.

Do you have a special technique that has worked well when planning your family vacation getaway? Write to GuestQuest and let us know!