(CNN) -- If you have children, you probably wrestle with the question of what to bring along to keep them entertained every time you travel. For advice, we turned to Dorothy Jordon, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Family Travel Times newsletter.

She suggests bringing along plenty of toys and books, but tells parents to let the children pick them out for themselves.

"I have always encouraged my kids to pack their own toys and games," Jordon said. "I think that's really important, that they have some control over what they bring."

Within reason, of course. "I obviously tell them they can't bring along the family hamster."

Jordon says her two sons, now 18 and 21, have been filling their own backpacks since they were about 18 months old. "Our rule has always been, 'If you can carry it, you can bring it.'"

The reality is that the parent may end up carrying the child's bag, anyway. "But at least you've made an effort and they have made an effort and that counts for a lot," Jordon said.

She says it's also important to bring age-appropriate toys. "This is not a time ... when you want to challenge your kids. Toys and games, books, should be something you can use over and over again."

Jordon adds that there is one caveat to the pack-it-themselves rule: Parents should bring along a surprise. "I always bring along something new, something they don't know about, something that will keep them busy," she said.

She also suggests taking along books on tape and headphones, so kids can "read" without cracking open a book.

In addition, this veteran traveler recommends some things that parents can do before a trip to prepare children for the journey.

When they were small children, Jordan had her sons walk around the house with their bags before a trip to make sure they weren't too heavy for them.

She also made trial trips by setting up a mock "airplane" in the dining room, using chairs to simulate plane seats. This gave the children some familiarity with the confinement of a plane, she said. Another Jordon family rule was to prep the kids in advance on how long they would have to spend on the plane -- or in the car -- before arriving at their destination.

"There's absolutely no substitute for giving your kids as much information as possible," Jordon said.

She also advises parents to encourage children to sleep as much as possible while they're on the plane, train or automobile.

"I have encouraged my children from the get-go to sleep on the airplane or in a car, whatever mode of transportation we're using. I remind them that they will be happy that they have slept because they will have lots of energy to explore" when they arrive at the destination, Jordon said.

Jordon said her bottom line, the secret to having happy trails with children in tow is to let them create their own diversions.

"You want to encourage them to be independent. I really can't emphasize enough how important it is NOT to be their entertainer. It's not fair to them and it's not fair to you," she said.

Dorothy Jordon's Family Travel Times newsletter can be reached at 888-822-4388.