Packed schedules and endless to-do lists, most of us have returned to the pre-pandemic craziness from which we swore we’d never return. It’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters: quality time spent with our partners and children.
While many people take trips with their children, they generally just focus on the next vacation instead of the values they want to instill through travel. Take a step back and consider the experiences you want to share with your children. In my last article, I shared nine trips that you should take with your kids while they are still at home, and while not all of them are exotic, they are intentional.
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Beyond the thrill of new experiences and exotic destinations, family travel imparts invaluable life lessons. Here are just a few of those lessons I have learned when traveling, through a mother’s lens:
We Are All Similar but Different
Whether you travel within your city or across the globe, exposing your children to other cultures is important. Children, with their limited perspective and life experience, assume that we all live in similar abodes, eat similar foods, and speak the same language. Nothing could be further from the truth. My children were shocked to learn that there are kids in Darjeeling, India, who walk five miles to school without parents along perilous mountain routes. Or, when they learned that rice and miso soup are served for breakfast in Japan, they exclaimed, “That’s dinner!”
Like most kids, mine are often not receptive to overt teaching, but even a kid that has their nose in a device for most of the time will benefit — and learn — from a change of scenery.
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Learning by Observation
Furthermore, our children often mimic the behaviors of their parents. This goes for values, too. Travel requires a spirit of adventure, and that is something parents must model for their kids. It not only shows them the vastness of the world, but also that venturing into the unknown can be scary but will pay off handsomely.
Over spring break, we traveled to Belize and went snorkeling at Shark Ray City. As the captain dropped cut up fish into the ocean, nearly a dozen nurse sharks swam over to eat it. He urged us to hurry and jump in so that we could swim with them.
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Was I nervous to jump in? Somewhat, yes. But I jumped in anyway, knowing that my daughter was watching me and gauging my reaction. And although my daughter hesitated, she knew she had our support to do it or not do it, and chose to jump in on her own.
Strengthening Family Ties
Beyond its educational value, family travel also plays a crucial role in strengthening family ties. Away from the distractions of daily life, families have the opportunity to reconnect on a deeper level, free from the pressures and demands of work and school. Shared adventures and challenges forge bonds that are resilient and enduring, creating a strong foundation of love and support within the family unit.
Whether it’s conquering a hiking trail together or simply sharing a meal together, these moments of togetherness become building blocks.
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Creating Shared Memories
For most of us, the most important benefit of travel is the shared memories that we create. The day-to-day stresses of life will be forgotten in the sands of time, but the quality time we spend together will last forever.
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Summary
Take a few minutes now and think of the places and experiences that you want to share with your children . . . . Write them down, share them with your spouse and kids, and plan for them when the age and stage is right (Hint: it’s sooner than you think!).
Congratulations! You’ve shown your children the importance of family travel, and inspired the next generation to do the same for their children.
