Travelling with children is a challenge, but it’s worth it. As parents we learn so much about the world, and it’s hard to explain it to kids when we get home. But if they experience it too, they can form their own unique perspective about the world we live in.
Here in Australia, we live pretty normal lives. The kids go to school and we work. It’s been amazing to take our vacations to go see the world so the kids can see new things, meet new people, and learn powerful life lessons. That’s one thing we love about going around the world—the kids learn even when they don’t think they are.
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YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT
We live in a society where our children have everything they need. But travelling often means we can’t find the things we want in the places we travel. Whether it’s a favorite food, our favorite shampoo, or a local treat, we’ve learned that sometimes we need to improvise if we forgot it at home. Additionally, we’ve discovered that there are vitamins and other personal care products we can’t get when we’re away. Hair, skin, and nails vitamins are hard to come by, so if I want them when I travel, I need them to come in my suitcase. The important lesson learned is to either plan ahead, or plan not to have it for a while.
ThE WORLD IS BIGGER THAN THEY REALISE
Kids live in their own little worlds. They have families, their school, and maybe some extra sports or other activities. Travel gives them the opportunity to see the world and experience things that are very different from their daily life. They come to understand that not everyone lives like them. They discover how big and exciting the world is so they too can dream big.
YOU CAN HAVE FUN & LEARN TOO
When we took our kids to Singapore, we wanted them to have fun, see the sights, enjoy the food and so much more. We loved our trip to Kidzania because it was a blast, but the kids got to learn about how the world works through hands-on activities. Travel makes learning about anything simpler because you can easily incorporate lessons into the trip. And sometimes there are amazing places like Kidzania in Singapore that can help.
FAMILY IS IMPORTANT
Instead of spending all our vacations away from the kids, we spend them together. This allows us to all experience life together. By travelling together, they learn that family is important. We love being able to see the world through so many different perspectives. Each of my kids notices something unique about the places we visit which makes it that much more enjoyable for us.
KINDNESS IS VALUABLE NO MATTER WHAT LANGUAGE YOU SPEAK
We try to learn some simple phrases in each place we go to. But a smile and acts of kindness break through any language barrier you could come up against. I love that my children are learning how to be kind to people who look and live differently than them. I love that they are discovering and observing ways to be kind even when words can’t be understood.
WORLD HISTORY IS VERY EXCITING
Visiting historic sites like we did in China makes history come alive. There is so much to see in the world that just lectures cannot compare to. Often history classes are filled with fact memorization which can be a bit boring for some children. But by seeing the world, they learn that it’s not the history that’s boring, just the way it’s taught. World history is fascinating and when you’re standing at the Forbidden City in Beijing, you get a glimpse into another world.
Travelling the globe comes with a lot of benefits. It’s fun, it’s interesting, and life lessons abound. Whether you’re visiting a historic site, or learning about local customs, travel helps expand your kids perspective on the world. They get to see firsthand where different people groups lived centuries ago and it makes those school lessons come alive. They learn new languages, experience new customs and so much more. Children who travel get to spend time with their families and we think that’s the more important part.
We’ve travelled extensively with our kids and all their teachers at school have commented on how travel has expanded their knowledge and made them more confident. I think travel is the best gift I’ll ever give them.
Do you travel with your kids? Tell me about your travels in the comments below.
Safe travels,
Sal, Craig & Our3kids.
