Traveling with a young child is a perfect way to expand their knowledge of the world. Although the idea of taking your kid on a plane might sound like a nightmare, in the long run, you will thank yourself as your child develops into a well-rounded adult. A US survey of teachers revealed that over 70% of teachers believed travel impacts children’s personal development in a positive way, while over 55% believe it positively impacts their future careers. Here’s just some of the ways that traveling with kids provides them with a valuable learning experience.
Gives Them An Experience Of Different Cultures And People
Although we can teach our kids about diversity and inclusion, the best way to learn about it is to visit different places ourselves. Taking your child abroad from a young age exposes them to new people and places. Whereas school is a comfortable environment, taking them abroad allows them to embrace new environments, making them more worldly-wise and appreciative of diversity. Experiencing new cultures first-hand is the perfect way to give your child a lifelong lesson.
Allows For Quality Time With Family
Taking your kids on holiday is the best way to spend quality time as a family, whether you’re staying local or going abroad. We’re often so caught up in our daily lives at all ages, both work, and school, so stepping out of that routine allows you all to slow down and enjoy some time in each other’s company. Make some memories that you can treasure for a lifetime and that your kids will remember fondly as adults. A thought experiment by Tim Urban suggests that by the time your kid leaves high school, they’ve already spent about 90% of the total time they’ll spend with you in their lifetime. So treasure that time and make sure you take the opportunity to create relationships with them while they’re young.
Sets Them Up To Be Stable Adults
Traveling is a state of constant change, and you can’t control everything. Whether it’s waiting for a delayed flight, being caught in traffic, or having troubles checking in at the hotel, travel is always going to throw up the unforeseen. Handling a flight as a child, being patient when waiting in traffic, and adapting to different places is ideal for creating resilient kids that grow up into stable adults that can more easily deal with changing situations and potential obstacles. As life becomes more complicated as an adult, pushing comfort zones from a young age is a great way to get kids comfortable with change.
Gives Them A Sense Of Adventure
As an adult, you might worry that your child will suffer from an upheaval caused by frequent traveling or even living abroad. But if you’re considering that short-term condo lease in Damansara Damai, why not take your family on an adventure and live abroad for a few weeks or even months. Homeschooling is always an option, freeing up you and your family to live wherever you want. Living abroad for a time can instill your kids with a sense of adventure, as they adapt and learn about their new environments. Providing them with the joy of exploration as a child will allow them to develop that into adulthood, looking at studying or working abroad as a grown-up.
It Makes Them More Independent
If you engage your child in your upcoming travel, you can encourage them to develop decision-making skills and take on responsibilities. What would they like to do on the trip? What do they need to pack in their suitcase? Let them organize their things and manage their own time in packing. It will set them up to be more mindful of managing their own time, plans, and responsibilities as adults. These skills translate directly into a school environment, whether it’s managing their homework schedule or developing problem-solving skills.
They’ll Become More Sociable
It doesn’t matter where you go; travel exposes your kids to new faces and allows them to form bonds with new people. In an environment where most of your kids will have some exposure to screen time or social media, face-to-face socialization will boost your kid’s development. When traveling, they’ll be presented with new people regularly, getting them more confident when forming bonds and quickly interacting with different individuals. It’s also useful if your child is enrolled in any kids’ holiday groups, as they’ll be more used to enjoying time away from parents.
Head Start On A New Language
Whether you live abroad for some time or visit the same place frequently, chances are your child will pick up a few phrases on your travels. Studies suggest that children learning a language are more creative, learn things faster, and have better problem-solving skills. Getting them to hear the language in its natural environment will mean they are more likely to passively pick up the skills from a young age, make it easier for them to apply it to a school environment and even a future career as an adult.
They’ll Be More Open-Minded
Spending time with different people and in new environments gives kids the chance to become more open-minded. As adults, we tend to develop biases, judgments and generally become less trusting of people. Set your child up for the best possible start in life by exposing them to new environments before they have the chance to question or critique something different from what they are used to. Traveling allows kids to develop this naturally, as they will be socializing with people with different experiences and backgrounds whenever you visit new locations.
Traveling with kids is a valuable learning experience, allowing them to learn about diversity and inclusion and become a more open-minded and stable adult. It also translates directly to their school learning, as they can develop language and problem-solving skills. Exploring new places makes kids more resilient and independent as they go past their comfort zone, setting them up for a positive future well into adulthood.
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