Sharon Baillie is a private villa owner in Kissimmee area outside Orlando, just a few miles from Disney World, whose property is listed at Last Minute Florida Villas and Vacation Rentals. "Our guests enjoy spaciousness of our 6-bedroom home. They love private pool and private yard in which they can relax," she says. "Parents love space for children to run around outside, and we leave a box of toys in garage. So while parents rest, children play – and let their parents rest!"

Be prepared for "children being children" events.

Sometimes, stress hits you from behind when unexpected happens. Like a cut or a scrape ... or a child getting sick. Sharon Baillie told me that is why she tells all her villa rental guests where first aid kit can be found, and exactly where to go for medical attention. This is particularly helpful for her many guests from abroad, who are unfamiliar with US healthcare system.

She also makes sure her guests are informed about local pollen and viruses in Florida, so that parents can be prepared. Stress is so much more enjoyable when you are prepared for it, don't you think?

Booking tickets to theme parks and making reservations for just about everything in advance makes trip less stressful. There is little more difficult than managing young children while trying to get into a theme park or show that requires prior booking.

And to prevent wandering around lost, pick up a AAA Triptik in advance – not that it ever helped us.

Try having your children baby-sat. This might mean bringing along a nanny, such as a grand parent (It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.). The car might be more crowded, but if you've rented a spacious home for week, it could just be doable. The other option is to hire a local baby-sitter once or twice. Vacation Home owners can set this up for you, and some hotels might be willing to, too.

When you are single, you can go on adventure vacations. When you are a parent, you get little vacation adventures. Here are three of my family vacation adventures.

So there you have it. Three ways to reduce stress of traveling with kids, so you can actually relax on vacation. After all, isn't that what vacations are supposed to be about?

A good travel agent will ask you to outline your trip. They’ll ask where you’re going and why, how you’d prefer to travel, how long you plan to stay, and what your travel budget is. Be open and honest with your answers. A good agent will readily put together a sample itinerary that describes availabilities in transportation, accommodations, and estimated costs.

If you feel like you’re getting “hard sell” or travel agency tells you there’s only package available, keep shopping. You can always go back if you find that they’re right!

In addition to finding best rates in lodgings and transportation, an experienced travel agent can also give you some helpful tips about your destination and here’s bonus— generally it costs nothing to use a travel agency! Because they can buy in volume, travel agencies get discounts on prices for both tickets and lodgings!

For travel made easy, use services of a travel agency to make your outing a time to remember well!