Dear Diary,

Traveling with a teenager is totally different than traveling with a toddler or little kid. Teens aren’t always easily impressed. What excites my five-year-old can prompt a yawn from my 14-year-old nephew. To make the trip more magical, we had to pull out some tips and trick from our parenting bag. Here’s how you can keep your older children engaged in your family vacation.

1. Let Your Teen Pick the Trip

Let your teenager weigh in on where your family will take a trip. Don’t worry! You don’t have to give your teen total control. Provide the ground rules. Share your budget, interests and areas. Let your teen do what he probably does best-surf the Internet! When your teen is a part of the process, he will feel like he has a voice in the matter and isn’t told what to do like his younger siblings. Ask your teen to narrow the choices down locations or activities, and then make the final decision.

2. Let Your Teen Pack His Suitcase

It may be hard not to micromanage this process, especially since your tastes may be at the other end of the fashion spectrum. Tell your teen what the itinerary is and what types of clothes are needed to participate in all of the activities. Then, let him pack his clothes. This will teach him responsibility and problem solving skills, if he forgets to toss in a toothbrush or pajamas! Have your teen write a list of items to pack and encourage him not to wait until the day before to dust off his suitcase.

Click here to check out other ideas to travel without a hitch with your teen.