Regardless of whether or not you've got children, we can all sympathize with parents who try and make the best of a situation by taking their kids with them on holiday. Sometimes they can't afford a nanny, but more often than not, they just want their children to have the kind of travel experiences that we should all have before we hit our teenage years.

However, as we've all seen or heard, that can prove to be a little bit stressful more often than not.

Because of that, we want to run through a few ideas that we think would help get you and your family back on the road to relaxation in no time at all.

P.S: Yes, we know that not everyone has kids that are quite so mischievous, so consider yourselves the lucky ones.

Toys & Games

It's the standard thing to do to help them calm down, and it really does seem to be an effective tool. The option that always seems to pop up is giving them an iPad to either play on or watch cartoons on, which is always great for occupying their attention.

For the really young kids, a good old fashioned toy or two would probably do the trick. It's all about taking their minds off of the excitement of it all in favor of things they enjoy.

Invest In Comfier Seats

When you're up high in the sky, especially if it's for a long period of time, it's pretty easy to get carried away with thinking about how uncomfortable you are. This is especially true for the youth of the world who, most of the time, are in a controlled environment - but planes are a bit too controlled sometimes.

To avoid the odd hissy fit here and there throughout the course of the flight, splashing the cash on nicer seats might be the best route forward. It'll set you back a bit, but it'll be worth it.

Up All Night

Now for our first 'trick play' of the game, if you will.

The idea behind this entry would see you allowing your child to stay up the night before you fly - which, obviously, tends to work better when you've got an early flight. That way, by the time you're in the sky, they'll be away with the fairies as they catch up on some much-needed sleep.

They think being able to stay up late is a treat, but unfortunately for them, that really isn't the case.

Drive > Public Transport

This is especially useful when you arrive at wherever it is you're heading off to, or if this is just a domestic trip. Whilst we understand that it can sometimes be easier to just throw everything onto public transport as it's just the most convenient method to use, we also tend to believe that it's a little bit risky. Oh, and did we mention it'll definitely hype up the kids?

When they're in the car they can just play with their toys or enjoy the comfort of the surroundings they're familiar with. On public transport, there are far too many distractions for them to be able to sit still.

Allow Extra Time

There are so very many unpredictable factors to take into consideration when traveling with children. This includes the potential for a really bad tantrum on the way to the airport that leads to the "I will turn this car around" saying, it includes them being ill, and it also includes them having an accident or two en-route.

In order to cover all bases, just make sure to leave an hour or so earlier than you usually would, especially seeing as you've still got security to deal with.