Traveling with Children - Spring Edition - Many families are finding that vacation destinations can be more accommodating and safer for their children than previously thought. By: Sheri Castello, Daycare.com Chairmom

 Summer is a beautiful time of the year with nature coming into full bloom. Families often like to travel to destinations of natural beauty and Pebble Beach came to mind for our family this year. We had the pleasure of staying at The Lodge back in 1997 with when our son Jonathan was five. He had such a great time in an atmosphere that is generally geared for adult golfers. What made it so great for him then became a constant yearly reminder for us to visit again, which we did this year with our other addition, daughter Jessica. Now both respectfully twelve and six we made our plans for a revisit to the land of majestic shorelines and pampered cuisines. You may be asking "how do parents find a relaxing time for golf and fine dining with the children along"? The answer; Professional Babysitter!

While we adults were playing the famous Pebble Beach and Spy Glass golf courses, our children where having the time of their life! The professional babysitter service from the resort was the perfect solution. Imagine having someone that was a mix between the favorite grandmother and best school teacher combined! I know it sounds amazing, but there are some great services that can provide a babysitter that will care for your child as if they were their own. We were referred to the babysitting service through our hotel/resort. The hotels/resorts in the area are a great resource. They refer you to the most reliable services. The company our resort used was VIP Babysitting Service, providing in-room babysitting for resorts and hotels on the Monterey Peninsula. It was as simple as calling the front desk and asking for a sitter for all day or just a few hours. Here are some questions Daycare.com suggest you could ask when hiring this type of service:

What criteria is used when hiring their babysitters?
How is their staff trained and what is expected of them?
What kind of liability insurance do they carry?
Do they carry Worker's Comp insurance?
Are the baby-sitters independent contractors or employees of the company?
If they are independent contractors do they have a business license?
What kind of activities does the sitter engage in with the child/ren?
Are credit and background checks performed on their personnel?

The staff at VIP Babysitting Service is made up of teachers or students studying early childhood education. They only hire those that are passionate about children and education. Staff must have at least 4 years experience with children and they must have a pristine background. They train their staff in CPR and First Aid and are required to attend a one day training program on customer service and everything that is involved in the babysitting business. They care for all ages and their extracurricular activities include; languages, arts and crafts, educational games and field trips. What made VIP Babysitting Service stand out among other like services is all of their staff are employees of the company and have the necessary insurance. They do not put the kids in front of the TV and they have a very professional staff who take pride in their work. VIP Babysitting Service has won local awards with the Chamber of Commerce and the Monterey Hospitality Association.

My kids raved about their babysitter and were very sad to go. They asked if they would ever see her again. They created quite a bond in just two days. She was on-time and always had a big bag of games, toys, and arts and crafts. She was just wonderful with my son and daughter. She sat down and created a story book that my daughter happily dictated to her, took the kids to the beach club for swimming and lunch and was constantly engaged with our children. They were never bored and looked forward to the next day's activities.

All that was needed from us was a detailed list of the children's needs, habits, and schedule. A family can expect to pay $17/hr and up plus a $15 reservation fee for this type of service. You can visit VIP Babysitting Service at VIPBabysitting.com for more information. They are an excellent model to follow when searching for this type of service where ever your travels may take you.

Here at Daycare.com, it is our mission to provide our visitors with unique, respectful, educational and joyful travel experiences. Travel plans with kids in mind make children "Happy Travelers". When children are happy travelers, parents enjoy traveling. We hope that you will have many lasting memories with your children. This can be achieved when we have the right tools to prepare for that vacation of a lifetime.