This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Wyndham Vacation Rentals. The opinions and text are all mine.

As summer starts coming to an end, many families are making plans for an end-of-summer vacation to help making memories that will last a lifetime. Unfortunately, vacations that should mean a stress-free time of fun with family and friends often turn into stressful situations without proper planning, especially when you are traveling with kids. Luckily, there are a few tips you can utilize to help reduce the stress involved with planning a summer vacation with kids, and focus on making those incredible memories and relaxing with your family.

1. Make Planning Fun

One of my favorite parts of a vacation is actually the planning phase. I love hopping online, looking for itinerary options, viewing videos that others have made of the location and deciding what we would like to do once we get to a destination. You can get the kids involved in the planning too, and it really goes a long way to making sure that everyone enjoys what you do on your trip.

2. Be Prepared for Obstacles

The boys and I have yet to go on a vacation where everything went perfectly. Something always seems to go wrong, and being prepared for these obstacles can really make a difference in the way you react to them when they occur, and how stressful they are during your vacation. For instance, I always make sure we have a little extra money saved up before a trip. By doing this, I don't have to stress out if something goes wrong (like losing our brand new camera on our recent trip in Malaysia) because I know I have the money to cover it. Being prepared for unexpected weather, expenses and other obstacles can help your vacation be relatively stress free.

3. Go to the Experts for Help

You wouldn't take your car to a supermarket to be repaired would you? No, you would take it to a certified mechanic. The same should be true for your vacation. Seeking out the help of an expert in travel planning or of your destination can help you plan a trip without all of the extra stress of doing it on your own. The folks at Wyndham Vacation Rentals know how stressful vacation planning can be, which is why they have created BeVacationReady.com where you can go to get tips, deals and detailed itinerary options for various destinations. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of vacation planning, and lets you focus on the quality time with your family.

4. Bring the Comfort of Home with You

I can easily say that the most comfortable and stress-free vacations we have ever had were those spent in vacation rental homes. Why? It's simple really, because we instantly had all of the comforts of home with us on our vacation. We were not all crammed into a small hotel room, there was room to spread out and have our own privacy. We weren't kept up late or woken up early by noises in the hallway or from the guests above us.

When you rent a vacation home, there is no hassle of having to eat every meal out at a restaurant, which you know can be stressful with kids, because there is a full kitchen to help prepare meals in, and you can pack less since there is a washer and dryer in each rental. Wyndham Vacation Rentals is an excellent source of vacation home rentals across the country. You can book easily and stress-free through their website.

5. Keep the Kids Occupied

Whether you are flying or driving to your vacation destination, one of the most stressful aspects of a vacation can be traveling with bored children. Make sure that they stay occupied by putting together small travel kits full of activities and snacks to keep them busy and happy. Download favorite apps or movies onto mobile devices or create travel journals full of interesting travel related games. Regardless of how you choose to do it, putting together a travel pack for kids can save you a lot of stress in the end.

Taking a vacation with your family should be fun and stress-free. However, there are many aspects of planning a trip that can really stress you out if you aren't careful. Tips like those above can help you keep the focus on family bonding, and take away the uneasiness of planning a trip with kids. Visit BeVacationReady.com to start planning your next family vacation today!