Why young families should travel abroad
If you’ve got young children, you might be undecided about whether or not you should take them abroad; travelling to hot countries can be a worry when you’ve got a baby or toddler to keep out of the sun. The stress of being away from your home comforts, the language barrier and the change of cuisine – and if like us, your little ones are at school, you also have to weigh up the cost of the very-expensive summer holidays!
Many of our friends prefer to holiday in this country until their children are older. But, I am a big fan of getting the kids to see as much of the world as possible and we love to travel – here are some of my reasons why:
They’ll grow up loving new places
Introducing new things to children when they are young, makes it easier for them to carry on in later life. Children that eat a wide variety of foods when they are younger are often adults that cook, enjoy food and love trying new things. Children that travel are adults with no worries about flying or travelling, they are the people that take their own families away without fear. Being open to the idea of travel can also open up opportunities. One day they might want to study abroad, like some look for boarding schools in England for international students or they might even get a job and live abroad one day – open their eyes to bigger opportunities.
They’ll try new things
As adults, we can be dubious when it comes to new things – you decided long ago whether or not you enjoyed ethnic cuisine. Where some of us go abroad and love nothing more than trying new foods and flavours, others desperately seek out the ham and cheese toasties and chips on every menu. Your children are much more likely to try new things and experiment with new tastes if they’re surrounded by it on their travels. It’s not just food though, new modes of travel, sights, smells, climates – it’s all such a big adventure for them!
They’ll learn
We’re not meant to take children on term-time holidays, because they miss important schooling, but sometimes you need to think about all of the things that they’ll learn on holiday. They’ll learn about the history, language, and culture of a new location, they’ll learn skills like compassion and empathy as they meet new people and help their new friends. They’ll learn to be brave and adventurous, and they’ll get a chance to develop their life and social skills. More importantly, they’ll do it all while having fun. Tagging an extra day on to the inset day won’t hurt every known and again!
Less screen time
Do you struggle to get your kids away from screens and playing with toys or outside? It’s a common problem for many families nowadays. Go away and show them that there’s more to this big wide world and that they can enjoy spending quality time as a family.
*This is a collaborative post.
