As a single parent, you’re already doing double-duty as a matter of course. When you finally get the chance to go on vacation, you might feel despondent at the prospect of having even an ounce of fun for yourself, with all the planning, packing, double-checking, and kid-minding you just know is in store throughout your stay, whether it be in your home country or abroad. The good news is that you don’t have to settle for the handicap of a single brain and pair of hands :a family guide can be the secret ingredient that turns a vacation with your kids from an ordeal for you into a rousing success for everyone involved.

We’ve examined the best strategies for choosing and vetting a qualified family guide, based on your particular needs and vacation destination. Now that you’ve done that, let’s take a look at the many ways that your family guide can assist you in pulling off this vacation with all the bells and whistles.

Once the contract is signed and hands are shaken, there are many ways that a family guide can begin to make him or herself immediately useful, like:

1. Planning and Packing. Family guides are most useful when they have some firsthand knowledge of the area you’re traveling to, so with any luck, your guide is chock-full of good ideas regarding your locale. Give them some leeway in choosing embarkation and arrival times, schedules, reservations, and picking from the many sights and activities that you’ll have available to you when you get there. They’ll also be able to help you pack up, and choose what to take that you might otherwise have overlooked, and what you thought you might need but should really just leave behind.

2. Just Enough Privacy. Of course, you want to spend lots of time with your family, but as a single parent on holiday, you should take the opportunity to get out and live a little just for yourself! A family guide can be your surrogate kid-sitter for an evening when you just want a little you-time, and don’t want to worry about making sure everyone is well-fed, teeth-brushed, and tucked-in at the end of the night. You don’t get too many of these chances as it is, so let your trusted family guide handle the routine while you dip out to a spa or a night on the town, secure in the knowledge that your children are in good, safe, experienced hands.

Though you’ll want to be kept abreast of anything that happens while you’re briefly away, it’s a good idea to have your family guide sign a confidentiality clause that prevents them from discussing the behavior or activities of anyone in your family with anyone outside of it. That way, you can get the full report on your kids’ behavior during the night you spend dancing or the day you spend at the spa, but feel assured that the information will never get beyond your own ears, which is just as it should be.

3. Observe and Adjust. A good family guide will have their own way of getting around and leading the pack when necessary, but should never be so forthright that you feel you have to just go along with whatever they say. This is your vacation, after all, so feel free to let your family guide know the kinds of things you’d like to see and experience, and the sorts of activities you want to your kids to have, and those you’d like to keep them away from. The guide should have no problem picking up on your preferred vacation style and adjusting themselves accordingly :that’s part of what being a guide is all about!

4. Keep Things Interesting. While you may immediately see a whole host of fun and educational activities available to your family while you’re away, convincing your kids to keep an open mind and take part in the fun of seeing new sights and having new adventures can be a difficult task in and of itself. Luckily, your family guide can pitch in here as well, helping to set simple goals and keep everyone engaged and ready to tackle each day with vigor and enthusiasm. Whether it’s trying a new and delectable dish, visiting a park or historical site, or learning a few words in a new language, you’ll be that much freer to enjoy yourself knowing that your children are having fun and learning :a good thing, considering all the effort and expense that’s gone into planning and executing this vacation.

These are just a few of the ways a family guide can help pull off a successful vacation with your family; more than just augment, they can transform a trip from a false-start into a magical time that you and your children will cherish forever. Be sure to consider hiring one the next time you have a family vacation in the works.

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Tags: Adventure Holiday

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