Stories of parents who return from holiday more shattered than when they left are so common that family therapists are sometimes called on to help pick up the pieces.

Anticipating the stress of travelling by planning for the worst can make the difference between a memorable family trip and a best-forgotten nightmare.

Penny Gundry, a family therapist with Parenting Plus, has some tips:

Parenting Plus, a group of private therapists that provides parent coaching in Blackrock, Co Dublin, is holding a free seminar, Taking Children on Holidays, on June 16th at 8pm in the Kingston Hotel, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. To book, tel : 01-2393281. See www.parentingplus.ie; e-mail info@parentingplus.ie