Why Travel is the Best Gift You Can Give Your Kids (and Yourself)

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know that I talk about the benefits of traveling with your kids A LOT. We’ve delved into the research, and we’ve considered how it makes children better global citizens. But there’s an even more fundamental reason why travel is the best gift you can give your kids.

What your kids need most from you is simple: your love and your time. They need to engage in positive and enriching life experiences with you on a regular basis. Travel lets you slow down the pace and do this.

The Antidote to a Busy World

Doesn’t it sometimes feel like everything in our contemporary world—from work to technology—is conspiring to steal our time and keep us busy? Put another way, how do you actively engage with your children when you’re so exhausted that all you want to do is veg in front of the TV?

Travel lets you escape from the hectic routine of daily life. It allows you and your family to slow down and take your time learning about new places and new cultures. It represents an antidote to the busy world, especially when you opt for an unplugged destination. Once you’ve left your familiar surroundings and put the cell phone aside, you can immerse yourself in quality time with your kids.

Strengthen Your Family Bond

Traveling requires trust and patience. Your children have to place their trust 100 percent in you. When traveling with kids, they rely on you to protect them from loud noises on the train or airplane. They trust you to get them safely to the next destination. They look to you for social cues and a better understanding of what’s going on in a new and unfamiliar place. Travel builds trust and strengthens family bonds.

The experience also allows you to see your children in new ways. For example, you may feel surprised when your otherwise shy child starts greeting people in Khmer while visiting Cambodia. Or, you may see a new side of a child who becomes enthralled by wildlife recovering at a rainforest sanctuary in Brazil. Maybe your picky eater will astound you by trying fried guinea pig in Peru. These revelations work to build confidence and stronger family bonds, and they go both ways. Your kids may brag for years about the time you overcame your fear of heights while zip lining in Costa Rica.

Change Your Perspective

When you travel with kids, you move at a slower pace, and you find yourself focusing on details that you might otherwise have taken for granted. Kids, young ones in particular, really are among the best travelers in the world. They come with loads of curiosity and enthusiasm. They’re not afraid to ask questions. They have no predetermined or hidden agendas, and they’re willing to take experiences as they come with an open heart and mind. There’s so much that we adults can learn from them.

Traveling as a family means your perspective will change for the better. You’ll notice things that you previously took for granted. You’ll slow down and experience a place in the moment, soaking up the sun of a lazy afternoon. You’ll notice the anthill at the edge of the park or the dragonflies zooming overhead. You’ll see the world through your child’s eyes instead of getting wrapped up in the race to the next tourist monument.

Why Travel is the Best Gift You Can Give Your Kids

Reasons abound for why travel is the best gift you can give your kids. Traveling represents the antidote to a busy life, especially when you find a location where you can truly unplug. It builds stronger family bonds by encouraging trust while cultivating self-confidence. Finally, it lets you see each other and the world in new and extraordinary ways.

At Our Whole Village, raising globally-minded children is our passion. We create accessible tours designed for families who want to create lasting memories while making a difference.

We’re here to help you and your family experience the world, its peoples, and its cultures. Contact us today to learn more about the unforgettable experiences that we handcraft to introduce kids to the world and create better global citizens.