Being a single parent can be difficult experience, especially when you’re planning your single parent vacations. Many parents traveling with their children for the first time are often in for a rude awakening. For instance, hotel room rates are generally based on “double occupancy”.
This means that even though you are the only adult staying you are probably going to have to pay a full adult rate for your child. This make it both difficult and expensive to travel with your kids if you are a single parent, despite the fact that there are over 14 million other single parents just like you in America.
With passing days though, many opportunities have opened up for lone parent holidays where both the parents and the kids can have a great time. The growing trend for hotels to set room rates per bed, instead of by occupants means that the adult will often have to shell out less money. Moreover, especially in this economical depression where the tourism sector has take a hit, many resorts now offer single parent vacations, in an effort to claw their way back into the market.
The popular Beaches Resorts and Club Meds specifically have Single Parents Promotions that you can take advantage of. During this time, many activities are offered that are geared specifically toward single parent families so the parent and their children can spend time together. The prices are also based on single adult occupancy so the resorts will waive the fee for the second adult if you book during this time.
But there are other places that you can look when planning your single parents vacations…including single parent organizations that sponsor tours, vacations and get togethers. Some organizations, such as “Parents Without Partners” often endorses tours, however, often single parents need to sit down and put together a plan prior to making arrangements, booking hotels and all the other things that go into any kind of vacation.
When planning a vacation, irrespective of the type of your parenthood, it’s very essential to first determine the specifics of a vacation. Travel costs are at an all time high, gas costs have gone through the roof, plane fares are constantly being raised, and the additional costs that you incur, all these make it important for you to figure out well ahead of time, exactly what is your itinerary. You will be hard pressed to make plans, but the vacations in themselves can be more stressful. With some efficient planning and an imaginative foresight, they can be just as rewarding and morph your single parent family into one closely knit unit.
If you, like most single parents, run dry on finances, budgeting wisely is of extreme importance. Paying more than you can afford will stress you further and you would never be able to enjoy and get to connect with your child. Nothing can kill a vacation better than nagging worries in the back of your mind.
This last tip is more of a precaution than an absolute necessity but it’s better to be prepared all the same. You should get a signed consent letter from the other parent, indicating his or her knowledge and approval of the trip. This is to ensure that you don’t run into any problems. With the proper planning, travelling with kids can actually be a great opportunity.
Isaiah Baeza writes cool stuff. Get more of it at Lone Parent Holidays
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