tips to get ready for vacation

Remember that your internal clock prefers to have a longer day rather than a shorter one. This is why its generally harder to adjust to time change when you are traveling east as opposed to west. Anticipate the jet lag and schedule your vacation activities accordingly. Also make a special effort to get as much sleep as possible to reduce the effect of jet lag. If time zone changes remain a big problem for you, visit the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) web site for more information on how to beat it.

Short bouts of sleep during the day can help boost performance.

Caffeinated beverages can help enhance your performance and mood if used in a strategic way. Keep in mind that you will need 100 milligrams to 200 milligrams of caffeine (the equivalent of a big cup of coffee or several soft drinks) to get the desired results. It takes the stimulant 15 to 30 minutes to take effect, and lasts three to four hours. Just make sure you don't drink it close to bedtime as it can ruin sleep.

If the discussion is conducted with respect for the needs of all family members, everyone can learn negotiation skills, and produce a getaway that may not necessarily be ideal for all, but can work for each member. For a family vacation, try to balance days when the whole gang participates in a shared activity with days when the individual members pursue their own desired activities. This may mean that Mom and Dad may have a night out just the two of them and the children are with a babysitter or at a supervised event. Or, it may mean the kids have a day when they just stay inside the hotel room, eat pizza, and watch TV. Everyone the parents and kids would do better emotionally if they are given time to fulfill their own needs, says William Coleman, MD, professor of pediatrics at the Center for Development and Learning at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Even the best-laid plans go awry, so just learn to roll with the punches.Things come up that you ca not account for, says Cheryl Hausman, MD, medical director of the primary care center at University City, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.Its a wonderful learning experience for kids to see how their parents manage vacation and unexpected happenings.

Its OK if you and your kids do not see all of the important sights in the city, or get on all of the rides at the amusement park. The purpose of a vacation is to let the day unwind in front of you and enjoy the people that you are with, rather than checking things off a list, says Debbie Then, PhD, a social psychologist working in California. At the end of the day, the kids will not remember all the museums that they went to, but they are going to remember interacting with Mom and Dad.

Lets face it. Traveling with the kids does take extra effort. Sometimes the parents need time alone in order to truly unwind. A lot of people think that they are being neglectful as parents if they do not take the children along with them, says Then, also author of Women Who Stay With Men Who Stray. But, its very important as a couple to get away alone, even if its just for one or two days. This is the time for couples to focus on what they like about each other. The parents love and time for each other can help build a strong foundation for the family.

If you have children, put every outfit for each day in its own Ziploc bag. That way, they can pick out what outfit they want each day and everything they need is already put together, rather than trying to find things they need while they are antsy to do things.

Fill up an empty water bottle in a drinking fountain rather than paying for a costly bottle of water in the airports.

Snacks in the airport are ridiculously overpriced. Why spend precious traveling money on expensive snacks in the airport when you can pack them in your carry on. Just be sure you don