Children have a natural curiosity to explore the world around them. As a parent, few things bring greater joy than seeing the light of discovery spark up in your child's eyes; even a short road trip to a new destination can easily become an exciting experience for youngsters, full of wonder and treasured memories. When striking out on longer journeys, though, you might find yourself overwhelmed by the tasks of planning and accounting for transportation, itineraries, currency exchange,etc. That's where a family guide can be incredibly helpful. This is not just any guide, mind you, but a combination travel guide and professional nanny, who can help your family stay together and stay organized wherever you decide to roam; particularly for the single parent, having an extra set of hands and a clear mind can spell the difference between holiday bliss and vacation disaster.
Family guides can be extraordinarily helpful, but of course it'll be up to you, the parent, to pick a guide who really has the chops necessary to make your trip come off without a hitch. This article will lead you through how to choose the right family guide, either from an agency or as an independent contractor, and explain where to look, what to check for in an applicant's profile, and what not to forget when interviewing a potential family guide.
Locating a Family Guide
The best resource for trustworthy reviews of family guides are the people you personally trust most; your family and friends. Ask around to see if someone in your inner circle has ever hired a guide, and if so, what their experience was like with the person or agency they contracted. Failing that, the internet will be your next best option. Make sure to look up consumer reviews of any freelance guide or agency you come across, to get the most straightforward appraisal of the company from the mouths of other customers. Exercise the same caution you would when taking your family into any unfamiliar territory - that gut instinct will serve you just as well when choosing a guide as it will when you're all galavanting abroad.
Once you've come up with the profiles of at least a few guides, you can begin to narrow the selection by looking in more detail at their list of qualifications. If you're traveling to a foreign country, make sure the guide is proficient in any languages you'll need to use for getting around and transacting daily business. Experience with children will be a big plus, especially if you have younger kids, who as we well know all have a limit, after which there's little chance of getting them to wait patiently and follow orders without complaining. A guide who can handle these situations with aplomb and grace will be a huge asset, and to this end, it's not uncommon for family guides to list experience or training in child psychology. Though these qualifications may come at a premium, they can certainly be worth the extra expense!
When you've gotten your selection narrowed to a few choice candidates who meet your qualifications and budget, it's time to schedule interviews. Try to use this opportunity to get a feeling for each potential hire's personality, attitude, and bearing. Don't forget to bring up the subject of privacy - depending on the age range of your children in tow, you may want the family guide to agree to sign a confidentiality agreement, keeping you (as their legal guardian) in the loop about their activities when you're not present, but making sure this information is for your ears alone.
Be Sure of Your Choice of Guide
A good guide should be ready to help you plan the trip from the outset, organizing where you'll stay, how you'll get around, and where you can stop to rest or eat along the way. Ask if your guide has firsthand experience with any of the areas you'll be visiting, and take their recommendations into account when drawing up an itinerary. Needless to say, one of the most important disclosures will be regarding any criminal history or convictions that may be in the guide's past, so do your own research in addition to requesting this information from them personally (any inappropriate behavior around children would be a big red flag!). Provided you ask the important questions and do your research thoroughly, adding the services of a family guide to your trip can help to make this vacation the best you and your family have yet experienced - one for the photo album, and one to treasure for the rest of your lives.
Family guides can be extraordinarily helpful, but of course it'll be up to you, the parent, to pick a guide who really has the chops necessary to make your trip come off without a hitch. This article will lead you through how to choose the right family guide, either from an agency or as an independent contractor, and explain where to look, what to check for in an applicant's profile, and what not to forget when interviewing a potential family guide.
Locating a Family Guide
The best resource for trustworthy reviews of family guides are the people you personally trust most; your family and friends. Ask around to see if someone in your inner circle has ever hired a guide, and if so, what their experience was like with the person or agency they contracted. Failing that, the internet will be your next best option. Make sure to look up consumer reviews of any freelance guide or agency you come across, to get the most straightforward appraisal of the company from the mouths of other customers. Exercise the same caution you would when taking your family into any unfamiliar territory - that gut instinct will serve you just as well when choosing a guide as it will when you're all galavanting abroad.
Once you've come up with the profiles of at least a few guides, you can begin to narrow the selection by looking in more detail at their list of qualifications. If you're traveling to a foreign country, make sure the guide is proficient in any languages you'll need to use for getting around and transacting daily business. Experience with children will be a big plus, especially if you have younger kids, who as we well know all have a limit, after which there's little chance of getting them to wait patiently and follow orders without complaining. A guide who can handle these situations with aplomb and grace will be a huge asset, and to this end, it's not uncommon for family guides to list experience or training in child psychology. Though these qualifications may come at a premium, they can certainly be worth the extra expense!
When you've gotten your selection narrowed to a few choice candidates who meet your qualifications and budget, it's time to schedule interviews. Try to use this opportunity to get a feeling for each potential hire's personality, attitude, and bearing. Don't forget to bring up the subject of privacy - depending on the age range of your children in tow, you may want the family guide to agree to sign a confidentiality agreement, keeping you (as their legal guardian) in the loop about their activities when you're not present, but making sure this information is for your ears alone.
Be Sure of Your Choice of Guide
A good guide should be ready to help you plan the trip from the outset, organizing where you'll stay, how you'll get around, and where you can stop to rest or eat along the way. Ask if your guide has firsthand experience with any of the areas you'll be visiting, and take their recommendations into account when drawing up an itinerary. Needless to say, one of the most important disclosures will be regarding any criminal history or convictions that may be in the guide's past, so do your own research in addition to requesting this information from them personally (any inappropriate behavior around children would be a big red flag!). Provided you ask the important questions and do your research thoroughly, adding the services of a family guide to your trip can help to make this vacation the best you and your family have yet experienced - one for the photo album, and one to treasure for the rest of your lives.
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More info: Guided Tours Mexico. Single Parents with children will enjoy the What You Can Expect From Your Family Guide While Vacationing article from Onejungle.com.
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