Passports are Paramount

Traveling with kids is not easy. This doesn’t mean that it is not worth it. Kids should be exposed to travel at a young age because it enriches their ability to understand the world beyond familiar places and familiar faces. Knowing that even after just one trip, your children will have a deeper understanding of different cultures, lifestyles, and people is what should fuel us as parents to plan our next international adventure with them. 

Mark Twain expresses the essence of travel by saying,  “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Like I said earlier, traveling with kids is hard, but here’s why it’s worth it: 

DEVELOP CULTURAL CURIOSITY 

There is no better way for a child to learn about other people’s way of life than to travel. Going abroad allows your little ones to see a world beyond where they grew up or currently live. Traveling to Spain can spark them to want to learn Spanish. Traveling to France can inspire them to want to learn more about collections of classical art. Their exposure will help them understand that there exists a culture beyond theirs and there are so many things that can be learned by the different people we share the world with. 

LEARN ADAPTABILITY 

No one likes having a flight delayed, having a rainy day during an excursion, or having to wait in long lines to get into a world-class museum. These are things we adapt to because they are beyond our control. Teaching kids to make light of these situations is so important in shaping their view of the world. Flight gets delayed? Play a card game with them while waiting. 

Traveling is unpredictable but teaching your kids to find beauty in the little mishaps will help them become adaptable in hard situations not just while traveling, but also in life. You don’t have to be happy about these possible mishaps while traveling but remaining calm and teaching your children what to do in these situations can be life-changing in their development. 

BRINGS HISTORY TO LIFE

There is a term that I love called “worldschooling” and this is when children are educated about the real world through travel, experiences, and exposure to people and places around the world. This is so special because it allows children to appreciate and love learning. Not a lot of children necessarily love learning about history and other cultures through a textbook. They are more likely to understand the world through real exposure such as visiting a European Museum, a famous Landmark in Asia, or trying the native fruit in South America. 

IGNITE A PASSION

We never really find our passion when we are looking for it the most. It kind of comes out of nowhere and ends up being a large part of our life. Whether our passions end up becoming hobbies or careers, they are an essential part of life that keep us happy and fulfilled. 

Traveling can open doors to ignite a passion within you and your little ones. Take a trip to Athens and your child might find love for archaeology. Taking a trip to Paris and one visit to the Louvre might inspire future artistry for your little one. London’s impressive building structures may ignite a future career for your child in architecture. You never truly know what sparks your child can find through being exposed to the world. Although not international, my first trip to EPCOT inspired my sense of wanderlust and I became a travel advisor. 

CREATE CORE MEMORIES 

Several academic research studies have found that family travel creates stronger family bonds and reduces the likelihood of divorce. This is likely to do with the fact that traveling creates core memories that make us and our children happy and more relaxed. 

Your children may not remember the details or the destinations of your family vacation but it will shape who they become. And they WILL remember the time you spent together as a family. 

SOME DAY IS NOT GUARANTEED

Since traveling with kids is hard, it can be easy to want to wait until they are older and more mature. Pushing off a trip for different reasons can seem more feasible at the moment, but the memories and experiences you are also pushing off are priceless and timeless. 

We all just lived through a shocking global pandemic. A pandemic no one saw coming that was beyond anyone’s control and shut the world down. Millions of travel was pushed off for 2+ years and some countries to this day are still closed off for tourists. Notre Dame Church in Paris unexpectedly burned down in 2019 and hasn’t been able to accept any interior visits compared to the millions it used to have. This isn’t to make you sad about the future,  but just to see that we have to live life with a “YOLO” attitude when it comes to travel since nothing is ever guaranteed. 

Sure, travel can be expensive but the learning opportunities and character-shaping possibilities that it provides for young children, in particular, are more valuable and longer lasting than the latest toy. You can always make more money, but you can not make more time.

NEED A VACATION BUT THE IDEA OF PLANNING-IT-ALL IS OVERWHELMING?

If you are ready to have the family vacation you’ve been dreaming of, without spending time researching, planning, and making it happen, schedule a call today. I’m here to help busy working Moms plan, organize and book the perfect family vacation. With me, all you have to worry about is enjoying your well-earned time away with your family. If you are ready to stop trying to do everything on your own and see how I can help you schedule a complimentary trip planning session now. Also, check out my free guide for 18 family-friendly vacation destinations so you can get away from daily distractions and enjoy the time you have with your children.

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