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by Victoria Pericon
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Traveling together is a
wonderful experience for the entire family, especially for children,
for whom family travel provides a chance to build life-long memories.
Most parents know that it can also be quite a challenge to travel
with children who may become irritable, bored or even ill on a trip.
But a successful spring vacation with the family is possible with
careful planning.
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Whether you plan to
travel by plane, train or automobile, it is a good idea to involve
the whole family in the preparation of the trip.  Older children can
be helpful by researching on the internet the place the family
intends to visit.  They can share their findings with the entire
family and describe the area to the younger children. Discuss the
attractions of the area your family will be visiting and encourage
your children to ask questions.
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If traveling by car, pack
an activities bag with your children filled with crayons, coloring
books, stickers, games, snacks and a change of clothes.  Include in
the bag your child&rsquo;s favorite action figure or stuffed animal. Or,
for a more shared experience, you might consider investing in a
portable DVD player, which can be extremely useful on long road
trips.
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Kas Vaughn, spokesperson
for COMM Group, Inc. (<a href="http://www.commgroupinc.com/">www.commgroupinc.com</a>),
the parent company for several online travel companies that provide
travel products and services to leisure travelers, reminds parents to
pack a first aid kit that includes the child&rsquo;s medication, over the
counter cold and fever aids and motion sickness medication.
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Once you are on the road,
take out items from the bag whenever you sense boredom or
irritability creeping in.  You can also play games to keep the
children distracted. Vikki Kobasic, spokesperson for TravelCenters of
America Inc.(TA) (<a href="http://www.travelcentersofamerica.com/">www.travelcentersofamerica.com</a>),
a full service travel center with locations nationwide, believes that
rest stops must be carefully planned.  &ldquo;A carefully planned trip
with stops at TA locations will make traveling with kids a whole lot
easier,&rdquo; says Kobasic, pointing out that TA centers now have WiFi
capability for the family to check e-mails while on the road.  In
addition to fast food chains, each TA center has a sit-down
restaurant, a children&rsquo;s game room and a place to replenish DVD
tapes.
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If the trip requires
travel by plane, keep in mind that you will not be an opportunity for
periodic rest stops. It&rsquo;s a good idea to pack some new toys in the
activities bag to surprise your children if they become irritable on
the plane.  Vaughn suggests scheduling the departure flight as early
as possible in the morning of departure. He also advises bringing
breakfast snack for &ldquo;airport survival.&rdquo;
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Vaughn also believes that
the day of the week the family travels by air is significant.  &ldquo;Try
to schedule departure and return dates for weekdays,&rdquo; he says,
&ldquo;[It&rsquo;s] cheaper. But, more importantly-almost-is [that] better
seat choices [are] available.&rdquo;
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<strong>
This article was written by Victoria Pericon.<br />
If you wish to use this article in any manner, you must <a href="index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=51&amp;Itemid=165">request permission</a>.</strong> <br />
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