Travel has been a non-stop part of my life in recent years. Not only because my husband and I are from two different countries and we travel a ton to visit family. But also because we have a strong desire for adventure and to explore. When we decided to have kids, one of the things we most looked forward to sharing with them was our desire to travel. Even with the challenges that traveling with kids involves, the good parts far outweigh the hard. If you have been nervous to book that trip, or get out and explore since having kids, check out these 7 reasons why you should travel with your kids.
1. Family Memories
Traveling as a family enables you to make a ton of memories together. Whether its taking in a new culture, learning something new or trying some different or exotic food, these are the memories we will hold onto our entire lives. Some of the best memories I have from my childhood occurred during our family adventures.
2. Teaches You To Slow Down
I love to go, go, go, especially when traveling. The urge to see and do as much as possible takes over and I like to have a plan. When you travel with kids you learn to go slow and truly take it all in. Whether it’s diaper changes, extras long lunches or slow strolls because your toddler insists on walking everywhere, they teach us to slow down and enjoy every moment. Well, almost every moment.
3. Comfortable Travelers
If you traveling when your kids are young, you will instill confidence and a sense of adventure in them. When it is time for them to travel alone, or away from you, they will have built a good foundation of travel know-how and be much more comfortable away from home.
4. Teaches Life Skills
Traveling as a whole is a huge learning experience. From navigating new cultures, currency, and more, it also teaches our kids invaluable lessons like flexibility, respecting authority and self reliance. Learning these important life skills will help set your kiddos up for anything they go on to accomplish as they grow up.
5. You Don’t Need “Things” To Have Fun
When you travel you don’t bring along a lot of stuff. Yes, of course you pack the essentials, but you don’t rely on toys or electronics to have a good time. Whether it is camping or traveling internationally, there is a huge world to be seen and explored. Traveling forces us to get away from our stuff and try something new.
6. Experience New Cultures
Children are naturally curious and born without prejudice. Traveling opens them up to a ton of new cultures and gives them an opportunity to meet new people. You will often find that when you have kids with you will also be more immersed in the culture because children make friends wherever they go, regardless of language or cultural barriers.
7. It’s Not As Expensive As You Think
You may be thinking “we can’t afford to travel now we have kids.” This actually isn’t always the case, especially with young kids. A lot of times it is not that much more expensive than when it was just the two of you. Kids under the age of three most often get free admission to theme parks and under the age of two can fly on your lap. Another huge plus is they don’t usually eat a ton, so skip the kids menu and split your meals, I’m sure there is plenty to go around. Plus “travel” doesn’t mean international or even another state, because that isn’t always an option. It can easily be a family camping trip or visit to a local historical site.