Taking kids on your travels abroad or miles away from home can be a trying experience. Having your own parents tagging along may sound like an even more complicated mix. But not necessarily, if you heed the following tips for multi-generational travel.

Have a Discussion Before Leaving

National Geographic Traveler contributor Heather Greenwood Davis said that, based on her experience, a key to a successful three-generation holiday is setting down ground rules before you embark on the trip. She said that she made it clear to her son that spending time together as a family was the most important thing in their vacation. She also told her mother that she wasn't coming along as a babysitter but to enjoy the holiday opportunity.

Whatever you and your family members discuss, see to it that you all agree on the guidelines you set and that everything is clear to them.

Choose Accommodations That Allow Me Time

If you're holidaying with your parents and children for a straight week, you'll probably feel the challenges of being in each other's company round the clock. To defuse this potential land mine, pick a hotel or resort that offers you many activity options so that everyone can find something interesting enough to engage in apart from your company.

A cruise, for example, can be a viable holiday choice, as it can provide many "distractions" that a multi-generation family can enjoy without having to concede to the preferences of certain family members.

"The sheer variety of distractions on board - from rock climbing and zip-lining to amateur dramatics and cookery schools - means even the most discerning of families is catered for," noted The Telegraph's Travel News editor Natalie Paris.

Be Creative

You will need a lot of this when dealing with the kids. During those times when the whole group needs to engage in one activity, like visiting a must-see landmark, you need to find ways to help keep the children in line. You can bring along a gadget that they can play or watch funny video clips with, for example. You can also assign them tasks so that they are occupied with accomplishing their roles.

In deciding whether to travel with your parents and kids, consider your family dynamics. According to travel journalist Judith Fein, based on her observation, if you have a functional family, you can expect the trip to be a successful one.

"If you come from a neurotic nuclear family, you can't expect total kumbaya," she said in her Psychology Today piece. "But you can rest assured that whatever happens, it will all make a funny, crazy, interesting story when you get back home."

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