Reasons to travel with children

If you’ve thought about taking your kids on a trip, you’ve undoubtedly encountered the widespread misconception that it has to be a terrifying experience.

Many friends and family advised us to take advantage of the opportunity to travel before having children, figuring that once our children were here, we would no longer be traveling. Nevertheless, we persisted, and now, as a family, we have been to Mexico, Canada, the Philippines, Cuba, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and Costa Rica.

WHY TRAVELING IS AMAZING WITH KIDS

a stronger bond with the individuals and locations you visit. Many cultures are family-oriented and child-friendly. In Mexico and the Philippines in particular, we discovered that people embraced our kids with open arms in both restaurants and retail establishments. They received candies from little elderly ladies, and people approached us in the street to start conversations. When we had children, we were friendly. We were merely passing through as tourists when we traveled alone.

Spend both time and quality with your family. One thing that’s lacking from most of our everyday lives is quality time spent with each other. Your family will become closer as a result of the unique experiences you enjoy when traveling. Sure, things can get a little difficult at times, but there are also amazing moments that make you never want to return home. Your family’s unique memories will always be a part of you.

You move more slowly among kids. Yes, this is a positive development. When we attempt to observe everything as grownups, we frequently miss a lot. Having children compels you to take it easy and savor the moment, both in the moment and the activity.

Children aid in personal development. Children force you to confront some hard truths and persistently test your preconceptions. Parents miss a lot of things that children observe. Have you ever attempted to explain to a three-year-old why a family in the Philippines is sleeping in front of a convenience shop on a cardboard sheet? I did, and it made me realize that it had been a while since I had addressed some difficult realities regarding inequality and poverty.

You’re better equipped. Traveling with children requires you to be more organized. With a traveling pharmacy packed with essentials like cough drops, rehydration salts, kids’ Tylenol, Gravol, Pepto Bismal, and much more, we set out on our journey. Not only are the materials necessary for the children, but it’s also convenient for us grownups to have them.

creature comforts. In an attempt to save money, Charles and I, as lone travelers, lodged in some genuinely seedy hostels. We’ve started renting houses and flats for a month or so at a period because, as a family, we need more space (and sanitary conditions). We pay a little bit more for these accommodations, but it’s great to stay somewhere cleaner and more spacious. In addition, while the kids are present, we usually eat healthier and more frequently.

You may even improve as a parent. We now have to rely less on toys and technology to pass the time when we’re traveling. Rather than buying toys, we’ve had to make our own as we go along (sticks and rocks are always a favorite) and (gasp!) play with our children.

Happiness! Kids, in contrast to most adults, fully embrace life’s fun. You do silly things when you’re a kid that you would never try as an adult. Occasionally letting our hair down is enjoyable, and having children provides the ideal justification. Because of my children, I’ve played on playgrounds all around the world. When was the last time you used a swing to play?

You’ll also give your children some incredible gifts.

It turns life into a fantastic field trip. They will be learning about the world firsthand, in person, as opposed to through lectures and textbooks. They will use the entire world as a classroom, and you will be studying alongside them. Our children may have learned about the plight of endangered leatherback turtles. Rather, they observed a leatherback returning to the ocean after laying her eggs. Cole continues to emphasize the harm that trash causes to marine life and the need to prevent it from entering the water. Such a profound and enduring lesson would never have been taught to him at school.

The overall picture. Allowing your children to grow up believing that the world is bigger than just their friends, family, and neighborhood is a wonderful gift. Our youngsters are aware that strange-looking food can actually be quite tasty and that kids from various languages can be excellent playmates!

You’ll make a ton of opportunities possible. Your kids will see and experience things they have never experienced before. Costa Rica taught five-year-old Cole how to zip line and boogie board. I doubt I will ever receive a more wonderful present than the triumphant and proud expression in his eyes.

We have found that traveling with our children has been an amazing opportunity to experience the globe, far from being the horrible experience we were warned about.

How do you feel about taking children on vacation? Tell us; we would be delighted to hear from you!