Travel has often been painted as a carefree venture that mainly involves either single people or a group of people most of whom are adults. The mere thought of traveling with kids comes across as daunting. You might be hesitant to take your kids along with you. However, families all over the world have proven over and over again just how good it is to travel with kids. Some just got started while others have been traveling for over a decade with their kids!
So why don’t you hear from their own experiences? Here are the best reasons to travel with your kids according to families who do it;
“Traveling with kids is an enriching experience and a great way to form closer bonds within the family. Our kids skipped a year of preschool, but instead, they learnt firsthand about culture, history, architecture, geography, language, and more.” Paola from Backpack & Rugrats
As you take your kids along with you to explore the world, the journeys will naturally make you even closer. Your shared experiences as you discover and live through cultures and landscapes will nurture your love and care for each other. Your kids will also get to bond better as they get to play with each other. Paola also says that kids gain confidence as they learn about new places.
The Backpack & Rugrats blog is present on FamXplor.
“Once my kids came, I knew I wanted to keep traveling as a family, to have experiences together, and to show our kids the world. We started when our oldest was three months old and haven’t stopped.” Keri from Bon Voyage With Kids.
We love our kids and when we love people we want to share the world with them. What better way can you do this than through travel? Keri started when her oldest was three months old and has never looked back. So don’t hesitate and show your kids the world. Let them learn that there is so much to see out there and that the world is filled with people of different cultures and races. This will open their minds as they improve and even make them better people.
Bon Voyage With Kids travels are on FamXplor map.
“With a passion for travel bordering on the obsessive and an appetite to rival an entire stable of Sumo wrestlers, Raffles’ first real “foodie” experience occurred in sunny San Sebastian, culinary capital of Spain and home to be the world’s highest concentration of Michelin stars.” Aleney from Boy Eats World talks about her son Raffles.
Travel is really exciting for kids. The idea of leaving home to go on a trip has always been fascinating to children. As long as they are with their parents, they can enjoy the trip and love exploring new places.
The Boy Eats World blog is on FamXplor.
Does this sound selfish? It shouldn\‘t because it has been a long-held false belief that you have to stop traveling because you have children.
“Ciao Bambino was conceived out of my need to continue living the life I loved pre-kids --- a life filled with travel --- after becoming a parent. I had thought the yearlong travel sabbatical that my husband and I took […] would take care of my travel bug, allowing me to happily settle down in one place and start a family. I should have known better, my last hurrah before motherhood only intensified my desire to see more of the world. Little did I know at that time what joys that travel as a family would bring...” Amie’s from Ciao Bambino,
The Ciao Bambino travel blog is visible on FamXplor.
“What? Let me expand on that. While traveling with a baby is more difficult than as only a couple, it is easier than with small children. Typically the younger the baby, the easier it is to travel with one. They only need milk for sustenance (if breastfeeding even easier), sleep a lot, and on the go […]. They can actually be great travel partners.” Jess and Steve From Familee Travel.
On the aspect of affordability when traveling with kids, Jess and Steve had this to say “Adding a baby to your travels should barely increase your travel expenses. On US domestic flights, babies can fly on a parent’s lap for free until they’re 2 years old. You only have to pay taxes which should be minimal. On international flights, you usually have to pay 10% of an adult fare for a lap baby”
Traveling with babies can be daunting because they get easily affected by any changes in their environment. They also get tired very quickly so long flights might quickly turn you into that parent on the flight with a baby who wouldn’t stop crying. However, it can be easy if you plan ahead. Have a flexible schedule that includes nap time and feeding time. This ensures that your baby is well-rested and fed. It makes the trip easier for them. You can opt for places to visit that are calm. This way the baby won’t be too overstimulated or even scared.
You can see Familee Travel experiences on FamXplor.
“Although parents around the world have very different lives and customs when it comes to babies, truly, babies are not actually that different from one another. You can draw comparisons across baby and parent life for the first year or so. Have you seen Thomas Balmès’s documentary Babies? It’s fascinating! We have had so many interactions with locals because of Elden, and if not for his presence they wouldn’t have happened. Babies break down cultural barriers, and that is where travel magic happens.” Jess and Steve from Familee Travel
Kids bond with other kids easily and lead you to people who will make the greatest difference in your life.
Discover Familee Travel adventures on FamXplor.
Babies and kids are usually referred to as sponges when it comes to learning new things. They absorb so much from their surroundings whether intentionally or not. Even when they are young and might not retain the memories, the travel experiences still play a huge role in shaping who they become as adults.
“Even though the baby doesn’t realize he’s traveling and won’t remember the earliest moments, the travel still affects him. We think it has a positive shaping effect that will last through life. Babies learn and absorb everything around them, quicker than we realize. Exposing them to different sounds, different smells, and eventually different tastes.” Jess and Steve from Familee Travel.
They quote Mark Twain from his book Innocents Abroad “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” This statement has been true all these ages.
More inspiring content from Familee Travel on FamXplor.
As a family, you are always looking for ways to spend quality time together. However, life might sometimes get in the way. Whether it’s school or work, you might be too busy to truly have time to be together as a family. This is where travel comes in.
Kirstie and Stuart from The Family Adventure Project say “In a world that can seem dominated by 24-hour TV and internet, curriculum-obsessed schooling, advertising and consumerism, fast food and obesity, overwork, and economic stress, we think a regular dose of family adventure is a helpful antidote.”
Travel allows you to be together, be active together, explore the world, challenge yourself to fun things, and learn new things everyday day. Kirstie and Stuart believe travel is the best way to try and have an adventure every day.
The The Family Adventure Project blog is present on FamXplor.
“My family and I were living in suburban America, happy enough, but feeling somewhat stagnant in our personal growth. We felt weighed down by the consumerist focus of our culture, busy with responsibilities and expectations that left us more drained than fulfilled. Looking ahead, we just saw more of the same, with maybe a bigger house and a newer car. But we knew that these things wouldn’t add more meaning to our lives.” Brandon from Pearce on Earth
Travel offers you a wealth of new worlds. Breathtaking at every turn and you would want to experience that with your kids. So don’t hesitate to take your kids along on your travels. They too need a break from our daily lives.
The Pearce on Earth family travel blog is present on FamXplor.
“I fully understand that a lot of people like taking breaks from their kids and heading overseas without them. We’re not like that. Two of our kids got to Europe before their first birthdays, and our third at 16 months. And starting at age four, each of my kids gets to pick any destination in the world every year for a one-on-one trip with me. I love the bonding and the different dynamic when I’m traveling with just one child.” Eric from Travel Babbo.
Create new memories, savor the moments, and bond even more, as you travel with your kids.
Travel Babbo travel destinations can be seen here.
“Whilst they do get to speak to lots of different people, often there is a language barrier in place so they learn the power of a smile, wave or high-five.” Jenny from Travelynn Family
She also says traveling provides kids with many new smells, sounds, and sights to explore, basically granting them a sensory playground. This is really good for their development. Kids also learn a lot and become more adaptable.
Travelynn Family blog is on FamXplor.
So there you go, more reasons than you could ever need. Don’t be afraid to travel with kids. Families that have been traveling with them have seen more positive effects than negative ones. Plan your trip well ahead of time and research your destinations. You can find destinations that are safer for kids to visit. What also helps a lot when it comes to traveling with kids is lots of preparation. Planning your trip well will be incredibly rewarding and you will want to do it all the time.