While some parents are under the impression that it’s better to wait until the kids are older before traveling with them, as long as you plan getaways and activities that are age appropriate, it’s one of the best things you can do. In fact, many teachers feel that children learn so much from traveling they don’t mind if you pull them out of school for a week or so to go. That may be part of the reason why so many millennials, 44 percent according to Travel Agent Central, are traveling with their kids.
These are just a few of the lessons they’ll learn.
Gratitude
People consume more in American than they do anywhere else in the world. Particularly if you travel to a less-developed country they’ll realize that many don’t have access to things like hot water, proper sewage systems, 24-hour restaurants or even the Internet. They may notice that others are more conservative with things like water due to drought, and that they find other ways to have fun than watching TV or staring at their smartphones, like socializing together and playing outdoors. They’ll learn to feel more grateful, appreciating more simple things in life.
More About Themselves
Traveling naturally teaches kids more about themselves. While they’re still young they may not be sure which activities they like, whether they prefer cities or more remote towns, for example. They might discover their inner-adventurer, realizing that they love activities like snorkeling, hiking or even parasailing if they’re older.
Discovering New Foods
Traveling also helps them discover new foods that may not be available back home. They’ll quickly find out that there are many more tasty things than just pizza and mac ‘n cheese. When they’re older, they’ll look back on some of their favorites and might be motivated to return to a destination to enjoy them again. And, perhaps laugh about the foods they couldn’t manage to swallow. Blood sausage anyone?
Confidence Building
If your kids are old enough, let them take care of little things that they don’t normally get to do back home – it can be a great way to build confidence. They might pay for their own souvenir, choose an activity to do or an attraction to visit or order their own meal at a restaurant. If you’ve purchased, or plan to purchase one of the Coleman campers for sale, you might even let them help create a driving route for a road trip, picking out some of the sightseeing spots along the way.
They’ll Learn About Other Cultures and History in a Way They Can’t from a Textbook
If you travel to a foreign country, they’re sure to get important lessons about the history and culture in a much more fascinating way than any text book could provide. They’ll be in awe at ancient places like the Roman Colosseum, for example, or maybe watching the fisherman hang octopus in the sun to dry on one of the Greek Islands. In Iceland they can have fun soaking in hot springs while learning the reason why Icelanders consider them such an important part of their culture.
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