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If you don't feel like bringing your young child on vacation with the family then you are not along and it's nothing to feel guilty about, the experts say. Whether you want to get away without the kids (nearly one in three parents has never vacationed without their children, according to a recent survey commissioned by Kayak.com, for which I helped develop the questions) or simply carve out some "me" or "us" time when taking the kids, it's important. "As much as you love your kids, your relationship with your spouse needs time and attention as well," says Vermont child psychiatrist David Fassler, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Vermont.

Even at Walt Disney World. Just recently, WDW officials announced that the resort's most elegant restaurant, the Victoria and Albert, would no longer welcome children under 10, a decision based on guest feedback. There are many options for the kids, of course -- from a variety of supervised evening programming (Mousketeer Clubhouse anybody?) to hotel room sitters, to inviting grandma, or your favorite sitter, along.

Lisa Torres not only invited her mother-in-law on her Florida beach vacation but also paid for her travel expenses and hotel room. "We did family things during the day and then in the evening, my husband and I got to spend some romantic evenings together, while my mother-in-law watched our son. Everyone had a nice vacation."

Showing the kids that they can manage without their parents -- whether for a few hours or a few days -- is also a good life skill for the kids, notes Omaha pediatrician Laura Jana, the mother of three, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics. She worries that she's seen an up tick in the guilt parents feel about leaving the kids for some adult R&R.

That goes for single parents too. Single mom Kelly Ladyga, a Denver ski industry executive, treats herself to a couple of long weekends away each year from her preschooler, leaving her happily with relatives. "I've come to realize that taking care of myself is very important, as it helps me to be a better mother. If I'm happy, she's happy and we have more fun together."

That "me" time doesn't necessarily have to be about romance either. In fact, two-thirds of those polled for the Kayak.com survey, said that sex was secondary to simply relaxing with their significant other. "I'm just happy to sleep and not to cook," jokes Laura Davidson, a busy New York businesswoman and mom of two young sons. Her tip: Book adjoining rooms or a villa so there is a little space between your room and the kids.

Kendall Creighton, a Southern California mom of four kids under the age of five says trading off with her husband for an hour or so "has saved many a vacation."

Besides, she adds, it's important for kids to see that their parents have hobbies and interests that are important to them. "It sets a good example," she believes. Another tip: Take a day off from work and have a mini one-day vacation with your spouse while your child is in school. "It's amazingly peaceful to sit in a beautiful restaurant for two and a half hours on a weekday afternoon, and cheaper than paying for dinner and a sitter," May says.

So be prepared to travel vis-a-vie Home Alone style and don't back your guilt with you.

By: Eileen Ogintz