Those are some REALLY great tips! I think I’m going to steal some of those ideas when we have family sleepovers at my girlfriends (so nobody has to drive home after a few margaritas!!)

Those were wonderful tips!
I took B to Disney in FL when she was three and I was newly single. It really made me feel independent and like I could do anything after flying solo with a three year old.
My girlfriend and I parent very much the same so it works well, but with someone else, we’d have to use your tips.

We went to Mexico last month. “We” being my sister, her husband and 3 children, my mother and her husband and me with my 2 kiddos. It was nice to be able to share some duties but we should’ve established some ground rules as you suggested. What a great idea!!

I have a friend who works as a nanny. She is single and always helpful when she visits. She volunteered to go on the next trip with us. She’d help and we could have grown up fun after the kids are in bed!

Our big trip this summer was to Orlando. We went with my sister and her 1 1/2 year old. We stayed in a condo and did Sea World and Aquatica. It was hard to have two kids so far apart…my daughter is 8 1/2. My nephew had to go home in the middle of the day for a nap. But all in all we had a blast.

Our trip before that was Spring Break. My daughter and I went on a cruise with my parents.

Neither trip really allowed for any grown-up type of fun though…it was mainly just family time.

My daughter and I have yet to take a real VACATION alone together…but I am definitely thinking in the next year or two. I would love to be able to save the $$ to take her to Paris.

I WISH I had a single friend to go on vacation with! I had single mom friends when I was married, and now that I’m single, they all got married. (Go figure.) My “vacation” will probably be taking a day or two off to clean house while my daughter is at daycare. She’s only two, so as she gets older we’ll have to figure something out.

The kids and I have been on 2 short trips so far - each one was a week!

First one we stayed with my brother and second one was just us at a holiday resort!

Somehow we managed just fine - there were fights and a few tantrums but, and it may be unfortunate seeing they still so small, my kids have learnt when we are on our own to help me!

Both holidays were totally exhausting for me but the kids had a great time!! The next holiday tho I am planning to take a friend so at least I have some company (other than a book and Cosmo)

Isn’t that funny! I’m heading out tomorrow for a mini vacation myself! Littleman and I are going camping for a few days. But we’ve been away on vacation (short or long) many times just the two of us such as camping, Niagara Falls, Cuba…each a blast!

When we go away, I have 1 major rule…as few rules as possible! (we ARE on vacation after all! LOL) Seriously, we both use this time to de-stress so unless it’s life threatening or just a clear and plain no-no, just about anything goes. I pack prepared with cards, bookd, pencil crayons, paper, puzzle books for those emergency down times, but otherwise we just go with the flow.

Last summer we went to Morocco with a company that caters for single parents. I highly recommend that type of vacation with the right company. I did lots of research before booking with them. My daughter and I loved it and made great new friends, next Easter we are fortunate to have two of the girls coming here to stay with us as the kids all got on so well. It was an adventure with the comfort of being well organized and safe. The adults took turns babysitting so we all got night outs and shopping while the kids were happy in the pool etc. And we hired a mini bus to tour Morocco with local guides and with 8 mothers, 1 Dad and 12 kids we had a blast! However I do strongly recommend you research the company well that you choose. The right “leader” on the trip makes a huge difference in case of any differences in personalities or choices of things to do and see.

Sadie and I are flying out to LA at the end of October to go to Disneyland and visit a gal I used to work with. This will be the first time that she and will be on our our little family vacation. So I am pretty excited but nervous.

Since she was 15 months old we have always camped during the summer with the play group moms and dads. All couples though - and that makes it a little tough on me. Although I think I’ve earned a lot of respect for still taking her - and I really feel like I owe it to her to keep things as normal as possible. No reason she and I shouldn’t go camping just cause there isn’t a man around.

My 3 yr old and I went to Santa Rosa beach in Florida. It was a last minute decision and so we decided to drive (about 8 hours).

Rather than just focusing on “getting there”, we decided to make a roadtrip out of it and took it slow enjoying the various stops along the way.

Besides having to pull off on the side of the road so he could go pee pee a couple of times, the drive was easier than I was expecting. A box full of Blue’s Clues dvd’s certainly helped to keep him entertained while in the car.

The resort itself was self contained with restaurants, shops, etc. so we spent the entire time on the complex, mostly on the beach building sand castles, chasing seagulls, finding seashells, or him on my shoulders screaming “go deeper, go deeper” into the water! Great memories.

My daughter and I traveled to the Cayman Islands when she was 6 months old, just the two of us. People wondered how I did it, but it really wasn’t bad. (Her being an exceptionally good baby helped!) But now when we travel, it’s usually my mom, daughter, and me. Grandma is like her 2nd mom anyway, so of course she’s a big help. And the three of us always have fun together.

Anna: A travel company that caters to single parents? Do tell! Wow. What’s the name?

I actually took Mae to Morocco when she was 8 months old… my mom lives there. Amazingly, it was a short flight from NYC.

Single Parent Dad: I should have phrased the question to ALL single parents. Sorry about that.

Once again, you mamas blow me away! You are all so adventurous! You really inspire me.

I’ve never taken Mae camping alone. We’ve gone with girlfriends, and I’ve leaned on them heavily when it came to lighting up the stove… You make me think that I could do it!

I’m the single mum Rachel’s talking about that went to Mexico with her. We actually went three times together. We were very much like a blended family–two different families coming together as one. The amazing thing is the girls had a lot of fun and have extremely fond memories of the trip.

When not travelling afar, you can find me camping alone with my daughter. Camping does something magical for both of us—she really wants to stay at the campsite and do not a whole lot. This makes me as a mum learn to slow down and reflect on motherhood. We have so much fun together doing this–and we always make friends with our nextdoor campsiters.

The company is Small Families -
http://www.smallfamilies.co.uk/

Its a UK based company but I made separate arrangements to meet them at Heathrow Airport, worked very well They go all over the place, I definitely recommend them and would go again.

Once I got over the fact that we wouldn’t be vacationing as a traditional family anymore, I decided it’s time to redefine family!

I’ve taken my 3 year old camping twice this summer. We’ve gone both times with my sister and her daughter. The rest of her family just aren’t into it. We worked really well together just naturally taking turns, with cleaning cooking and the kids. Before going we figured out a menu and each cooked 3 meals. We made some great memories.

I’m leaving in minutes for a week long camping vacation. We’re going to E Washington where I hope to engage my daughter in some of our Western history, as I loved it so much when I was a girl. My daughter is more interested in physical sciences, but I am not giving up!

My boyfriend of this past 9 months is coming with me. We’ve taken two “long weekend” trips this summer, and had a fabulous time. He is patient, and calm, (also highly mechanical - - just saying - - always helpful on a camping trip) and my boy is crazy for him. My girl is still a bit cool with him but he manages to draw her out also, and we all get along very well.

I read on an “advice” sight this week, an expert told a single mom NOT to take her boyfriend on vacation. Absolutely NOT! Too late, already prepaid for the state parks!

The logistics are hard for me because I have two kids. For instance, next year I’d like to take on Disneyland and just as a practical matter I have one over 48″ and one under. Who do I leave the one with if I take the one on a ride?? It feels like that old brain puzzle about “The Wolf, The Goat, and The Cabbages” - - your boat only holds two items, how do you get them all across the river.

Sometimes I feel dangerously under the 1:1 adult to child ration necessary to function in life!

See you after vacation, wish us luck!

I just today came back from five days in Disneyland with my three kids, http://singledadseeking.blogspot.com/2008/07/happiest-place-on-earth.html

Part II to follow soon.

Last year, my two kids and I took an extended vacation to Vietnam. As a trio we decided what was important and then we just went for it. I don’t think there is any easy way to do it, but it’s most important to not be too afraid to try.

We’ve also gone on shorter vacations and sometimes I bring along another adult, sometimes another kid and sometimes it’s just us. I try to get the kids involved in the plans and the implementation and that seems to help.

-teresa

Wish I had found this before I went on holiday recently with my son. I’m an Australian and we recently went on holiday for just over a week. I didn’t travel with anyone else but we stayed in a backpackers. There were no other kids there but my son is good with other adults and it helped me a heck of a lot too.

Because my son is so outgoing, he helps me meet other people. I’m now looking forward to going on other holidays.