Sosua, Dominican Republic

In a previous post I introduced the idea that Children are Your BEST Reason to Seek Travel and Adventure. This post expounds on some of the ideas about WHY travel is good for your kids.

The greater the number of experiences you introduce a child to, the faster their brain develops.

Dominical, Costa Rica

Mothers have always known this instinctively.

That’s why they shake rattles, play Baby Einstein, put mobiles above their cribs, read stories and make animal noises.

This continues as the child ages and takes the form of trips to the petting zoo; visits to the aquarium or museum; parks & playgrounds; ballet class or soccer practice.

“What parents have known for years – that good early experiences are good for our children – is now being proven by doctors and scientists at research centers and universities all over the country.” (ChildCareAware.org)

“Everything a child sees, hears, thinks, and touches transfers into an electrical activity. Each time the brain is stimulated, the experience rewires the brain.” (Springerlink.com)

Your child doesn’t remember every story, every ‘field trip,’ every ballet class or soccer practice.

Bocas del Torro, Panama

But imagine a parent saying, “I’m not going to _________ (you fill in the blank – speak, read, etc.) to my child until they’re old enough to remember it.”

We’d think they were insane.

We don’t speak to our children because they will understand or remember what we’re saying.

We speak to them (or read to them or take them to the zoo) so they will learn how to do it themselves, and so they will learn about the world around them, and the world outside their ‘little corner of the earth’.

Similarly, we don’t have to wait until they will ‘remember’ traveling to travel with them.

The benefits and lessons of travel will be hardwired in their brain, regardless if they remember individual experiences, locations and adventures or not.

Climbing Copan Ruins, Honduras

Travel takes the concept that parents have been perfecting for years just one step further -

instead of petting zoos it’s safaris; snorkeling and beach combing replace the local aquarium;

Mayan & Aztec ruins become a climbing gym; they learn merengue, flamenco or futbol from locals.

It magnifies the experiences that we give them at home, and adds a whole new element as well with the introduction of new languages, cultures, customs and foods.

And what happens is incredible to behold – despite ‘remembering’ or not, we find they are ‘becoming’ an individual with confidence and an expanded world view.

Yes, yes, yes, all this can be done without travel. You don’t have to leave your home town to raise great kids.

But if you didn’t want to do that, then you wouldn’t be reading this blog, would you?

When the subject arises of ‘traveling with children’, there seems to be a general consensus that ‘it can’t be done.’

Most believe that your traveling days are over when the dawn of ‘da-da’ and diapers begins.

The reasoning behind this train of thought varies from a list of ‘toos’ – such as ‘too dangerous’, ‘too much work’, ‘too expensive’ – to a focus on what may be missing from their child’s life – such as family and friends, school and stability. (Which I’ll address in another post).

Others surmise with an all-encompassing explanation of ‘they won’t remember it’ – so what’s the point anyway?

But the truth continues to come to light is that travel is possible after kids – and in fact beneficial for them.

Africa Mia, Costa Rica

I once wrote an article published by BootsnAll entitled How to Develop Character in Your Children (and Yourself) Through Travel which extolled the merits of international travel as a tool for personal and family development.

While the overall response was positive, one commenter said,

“Parents who travel with toddlers do it only for selfish reasons…

The simple truth is that children at very young age can’t appreciate what their parents are doing…Small kids enjoy being with their relatives, but not too far from home and their culture.”

This statement was surprising to me, because it is so far from the truth I’ve come to know.

Unlike the stereotypical traveler – a young, unattached, wandering backpacker getting as many countries under their belt as they can before ‘settling down’- we traveled very little before we began our family.

Our desire for travel developed after the kids came.

With three children, before ever donning our traveling pants, we imagined the day that we would do so – and our primary motivation – in fact the driving force – was the value it would bring to our family.

Living abroad would immerse our children in a second language (Spanish was our choice), and introduce them to contrasting cultures and ideologies.

In Tamil Nadu, India

We also wanted them to experience our ‘shared humanity’ – to encounter firsthand the commonality of people of all colors and nations – and to see the goodness that exists in people all over the world.

So while it is true that my husband and I thoroughly enjoy our family adventures, our decision to travel was based on a belief that it was in the best interest of our kids.

Our experiences since then have confirmed what we originally believed – traveling is good for our children – and the ‘excuses’ for not doing so are just that – excuses.

(From here on out I’ll refer to reasons for not traveling with children as an excuse – no matter how valid it might be – as long as it’s keeping you from doing what you really want: traveling as a family. If that’s not what you want, why are you reading this blog?

In one of our favorite children’s book, No Excuses: How What You Say Can Get In Your Way, author Wayne Dyer teaches that anything which keeps us from living the life we want is just an excuse.)

In the coming weeks, I’ll address the benefits children receive from travel, as well as the excuses that keep us from doing it.

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• Family Travel Supports Brain Development (for Kids and Grown-Ups Alike)

Why do you travel with your children?