Travel with children, Should you do it?
4 Reasons you should travel with your children.
“Wanderlust: n. a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.”
Since I took my first overseas trip as a teenager to the islands of Santa Cruz, in the Solomon Islands, I have had a desire to travel and see the world. My childhood was not one of travel. Our childhood holidays could be counted on one hand. But I have made sure that my adult life has been different.
When we had children, we didn’t want that to change. So at only ten days old, we packed up our car, and took our first holiday with our young daughter, driving from Melbourne to Batemans Bay. Three children later we have continued to travel and continued to try and install that same “wanderlust” in our children.
So many of friends have questioned our trips? Will they remember the trips? Is it worth taking your preschool children to Disneyland, to Athabasca Falls, across the Nullarbor, to Uluru, Cape York? They have told us, we should wait until they are older. We should go when they can appreciate it. But we don’t Wait, we Travel.
But why do we Travel with our children?
1 – It’s fun.
I would be remiss not to say My number one reason for travelling with our children. It’s fun. Nothing can describe the pure joy and excitement on our children’s face when they first walked through the Gates of Disneyland. The joy I felt when we took our children snorkelling at Hamilton Island. How proud I am as I watch our children make new friends as we travel around.
2. They learn so much about themselves, about others.
Not all classrooms have four walls.
Our children have travelled overseas, and extensively through Australia. They have grown up through our travels, they have learned so much.
They have learned about different cultures. They have learned patience, they have learned about our history (and didn’t realise it at the time). They have learned about peace, and about war. They have learned to adapt when things don’t go to plan. From Delayed flights to incorrect hotel rooms. Through missed transfers that ended up in missed activities. Life does not always go to plan, but that’s ok.
On long road trips, they have relearned to use their imagination, with no TV or Ipads to amuse them. They have learned to be alert and be aware of their surroundings, Playing fun games while they are doing it.
In travel, often the journey is part of the fun. We are teaching our children that it is not all about where you are in life, but how you got there.
Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. Greg Anderson
3. Our Children add to our lives.
When we were pregnant with our first Child, A wise mum said to us. Your children should come into your life and fit into your life. They add to it. Make sure that they fit in with your routine, not the other way around.
We love to travel, we love to take holidays, we love to go out for Brunch on the weekends. We love to walk around our Local Lake, we love to go to the beach. So we have always made sure that our children are involved in it. So they to love it.
People always mention how well behaved our children are out at restaurants, how well behaved they are when travelling. That is because it is second nature to them.
Over time we have had to adapt our travel plans, there are some trips that they are not ready for. We couldn’t expect them to walk the 6 day Overland trail track, but they can wander through the Otways with us. They are not ready for a 3-day Whitsunday Fishing Charter, however, they will happily go fishing off the jetty on the way to Cape York.
4 – Making Memories
We want our children’s memories of their childhood to be treasured. We want them to look back on their childhood with love and joy. We feel they get that through travel. When you travel with your children you get away from the normal day to day rush of life. There is no Tae kwon do to rush to, no work, no school. Instead, there is time to create memories as a Family.
Yes, those things are important, but when you are on holidays you can forget about the normal business of life and spend quality time together. It might just be a quick day trip to Lorne or a longer month long holiday to the states. The time itself is not the important part. It’s the quality, not the quantity that matters. It’s the memories.
So why do you travel with children? Why don’t you? Tell us below in the comments.
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I don’t have kids yet, but I fully intend to keep on travelling if I have children in the future. It’s so important for them to see the world and having kids shouldn’t hold you back 🙂
It really is wonderful giving your children the opportunity to see the world.
I always admire the people who travel with their children and have fun while doing it! If I ever have kids I’ll take them everywhere! 😀
We’ve met so many families on our trip around the world, it’s so inspiring! Makes us realize that we can have a family if we choose and still keep our passion for travel.
Very true
I remember every trip my parents took us on from the time I was around 3.5 yrs old. It was part of growing up, Easter holidays at the West coast, summer holidays anywhere else. I would not change it for the world and they are some of my most treasured memories with my parents. Thanks for sharing.
That’s what I am hoping my children think as they grow up
My parents took me travelling as a child and I honestly wouldn’t be the same without those travels! You’re giving them such fabulous experiences!
Thanks. Those memories are treasures aren’t they.
My sister in law recently had a baby boy and she just asked me if they’d still be able to travel. I’m going to send her this article because it was so informative and very interesting to read, thank you!!!
Awesome. Tell her to keep travelling it’s so much fun with kids
Although I don’t have kids yet I am looking forward to start a family and go on adventures with them. I am a full time nanny and love kids and go on little day trips with them!
What a great experience for the children you look after
Some great tips here, although we don’t have kids yet – I will definitely be sharing this article with my sister who does. Lovely photos too.
Thanks 🙂
So cute. I don’t have children but if I did I would definitely be traveling with them. I live abroad and would continue to do so if I had some kids as I think the experiences of traveling the world makes children learn so much.
They do learn so much.
This is a beautiful post! I don’t have kids but if I did, I’d want them to be world travelers like me. It is a classroom of it’s own. Good for you!
I intend to travel with my kids once I have a family because travelling has been an amazing learning curve for me as an adult. growing up, I remember my mum taking us on roadtrips for holidays. These were some of my favorite memories
Great read! These are the EXACT reasons that I want to travel with my children. Right now, they’re still only 2 and 5, but they’ve already flown to other states, had some decently long road trips, tent camped for several days straight, and had plenty of exciting and unexpected things happen along with the planned adventures. This was also one of the reasons that I chose to homeschool. I want to be able to use the world as our classroom.
Traveling with children can be stressful, but as long as you are organized and flexible, the experiences for the kids and parents are memories that last! And like you said ‘it’s the quality that matters’.
I agree so much with all of this! I don’t have children, but my parents took me on every single trip they went on from the time I was born. We traveled a lot overseas (luckily my parents were able to do that) and I think it really shaped (and changed) my outlook on life.
I could imagine people often say “they’re too young, they won’t remember”, but you made great points about them learning from an early age patience and adaptation.
Have fun, you guys!
It’s so true that you shouldn’t change your way of life just because you have kids, on the other hand you want it or not, everyone has to adapt. Traveling with kids is never the same as without them, but we do it too, and one thing for sure – we have so many great memories!
It is true. Our travel has changed since kids, but we still travel 🙂
My favorite….Not all classriom have 4 walls….My favorite way to teach children is outside of the classroom….or bringing the World to the classroom…excellent read
I love this post. I agree that travel is a fantastic way to educate your kids about life, and the world. I recently watched an interesting youtube vlog about how travel changes your brain because you’re constantly having to adapt to new, unexpected situations, so it actually helps you develop survival skills (which I’m sure you know, as an avid traveler). I think developing those skills at a young age is incredibly valuable! I don’t have kids (yet!) but when I do someday I hope to bring them along on my adventures too 🙂
That Vlog sounds really interesting. I know as an adult I have learned so much through travel.
Don’t have kids but I could see the appeal of traveling with kids. And as a former kid who entered the gates go Disneyland I can attest to the truth of your statement about it being fun.
I don’t have children but I have many fond memories of travelling with my parents when I was younger. I totally agree that it is a wonderful way to learn about the world, beyond your own borders and walls.
Great tips! I definitely agree with your point of view here.
I don’t have kids, but when I do I will definitely travel with them.
My in-law lives in different state and my parents live in different country so we had and have to travel since our son was a baby. In the first 5 years since our son was born, we focused our traveling on visiting family and sneaked in places around our destination to our itinerary. Then we started visiting other places. I can see that my son has a boarder knowledge compare to his friends from our traveling because he got to see or do things that we don’t see or do around the city/state as well as meeting people with different background and culture. But we traveled to places closer to home, too, not only to places far, far, away.
We are the same some of our trips have been overseas, but many have been only hours from home as well.
I do not have kids but know tons of people who travel with theirs and I can see how that influences them on the positive side. They express themselves with so much maturity and even have a list of places they want to visit. So, I love to read about parents who travel and make memories with their kids. #feetdotravel
No kids for me yet but absolutely agree. It’s an education beyond walls!
This was a lovely read! I traveled a lot with my parents when I was younger, and it definitely opened up a world beyond our home. I’ve always been grateful for the amazing experiences I was fortunate enough to have from a young age!
I don’t have kids myself, but my bestie brings her 2yo on a lot of trips with us, and she makes the whole adventure decidedly more fun!
We took our kids backpacking to Thailand when they were 14 and they loved it – it gave them the travel bug and seeing different cultures is so educational.
Lovely post! I have a 5-month old daughter and would love to bring her on trips with me as soon as we’re able.. I’m also a firm believer that lessons are not just only taught within the confines of a classroom, rather it is taught anywhere… So great to have read your post.. Glad to have more reasons to travel with my daughter!
Super inspiring! I don’t have children but if I did I would love to travel around the world with them.
Traveling with children is not always easy but it is so much fun to see the excitement on their faces. You have captured all the wonderful reasons why we should travel with children. The memories are so special. Happy you shared! #feetdotravel
My parents weren’t able to take us many places growing because we had a family business. Luckily, I’ve been able to take my girls many places, and I think it is one of the best investments I could have ever made!
Interesting what you said about children adding to your life and making sure that they fit in with your routine, not the other way around. Usually, parents stop living their own lives once the kids are in the picture. This is a great post.
I don’t have kids but I always thought that to travel is really important for them and it’s a good thing for parents to show them the planet we are living on
I used to travel with my daughter all the time, we had some amazing times together! Unfortunately the mother got jealous because I was taking her all these places and now it’s very difficult to take her. I hope in the near future it will be possible to travel with my daughter again, it beats traveling alone and it beats traveling with friends or a partner!
travelling with a only ten days old baby is impressive! I don’t have kids yet, but like you, I plan to start their travels young so they won’t know any different
Very much agree! We allowed our daughter Alexa to hike with us so she would appreciate the outdoors. We want her to take her nose off smartphones and gadgets, which is sadly what kids nowadays are addicted to. Our efforts paid off. Alexa is now a budding hiker and wants to try more extreme adventures. 🙂
What a great post!! Traveling really does teach kids a lot about adaptability and really opens them to new experiences. Many of my fondest childhood memories are from trips my parents took me on. I’m sure your kids will appreciate all these memories when they’re older 🙂
I love traveling with my daughter for precisely the same reasons. You make memories to last a lifetime and the kind of education they get, beats every other means. To add to it all, there is an added element of learning tolerance. Which no text book can ever teach. Glad you put all this out for those who are still wary of taking their kids.
I’m sure it’s a different fun to be with kids, let alone your own children. I wonder when I can have that opportunity/moment 🙂
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My kids are 3 and 1 so we haven’t really done a huge amount of travelling abroad. We’ve done plenty of long road trips though and they get so much out of seeing new places and it’s the best education they can get.
I have a phobia of flying so we haven’t taken the kid abroad. We do try to take the children to a range of places to increase their understanding of the world, nature and history. Thanks for linking up with #globalblogging
Couldn’t agree more! It’s so important to travel with kids.
We travelled with our children and they love it. They learnt so much more about the world, culture, history, geography current events… travel brings it all together.
Kudos for traveling with your child so young! I thought we were doing well, taking our wee one to Japan at 5 months old. Haha.. totally agree with all your reasons for traveling with kids, and though it’s exhausting at times… it’s SO worth it. I see how easy and comfortable my daughter is in almost every situation and environment, and with all kinds of different people of different ages – and I know it’s because she’s traveled to 12 countries before the age of 3. That’s something no classroom can teach you! 🙂