Does travel really broaden the mind for kids?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
We travel for ourselves and bringing our kids is part of the package. Luckily DC(8) loves travel and soaks up all aspects. DC(5) doesn't seem as into it so we may have to adapt our travel style to find what interests him. We don't bring iPads and generally restrict screens even at home.
The key is interacting with your kids, whether at home or abroad, and demonstrating manners firsthand. |
Anonymous
| My kids don't remember any travel when they were young and it was things like Disney/kid friendly. It's not really meaningful till MS or HS and it really depends on the child and if they enjoy traveling. Parents do the travel or them, not the kids. |
Anonymous
|
It really depends on how you travel.
A lot of families who can afford it spend a lot of their money on making travel easier, especially with kids. So it's nice resorts with kid clubs and suites for the family, the hotel where they have status (which means chain, even if high end), first class flights, hired cars instead of cabs, etc. That's all very nice if you are an adult on vacation, especially if you have children and want to keep everyone happy and calm. But it's not character building. Travel is character building and mind-broadening when it's hard. It can be hard and fun, but it has to be a little bit hard. Actual language barriers, getting around on public transportation in a city you've never set foot in, piling the family into a tiny double hotel room in Paris where the youngest has to sleep on a cot that gets wedged between the two beds in such away that there is literally nowhere to walk. Character! (BTW I love resorts and easy travel, I love using vacation to just unplug and stop thinking. Not a judgment. But taking your kid to lots of beach resorts or staying in Hiltons all over the world will not broaden their minds.) |
Anonymous
|
Just a small anecdote: after a horrible freshman HS year ( lots of friend drama, bullying, academic challenges), we were in Europe visiting family and DC turned to us and said, “everything in DC feels a million miles away. The world is so much bigger than Xx high school.”
I think travel offers perspective. It doesn’t have to be international, a trip to a national park or a different setting offers a different point of view and can help kids see beyond their own little bubble. |
Anonymous
| My parents took us all over the world starting from when we were 7 and it was a fantastic experience, but this was in the days before devices and social media. |
Anonymous
If you are bringing a nanny or putting the kids in a kids club all day, you might as leave them at home. |
Anonymous
| You can teach basic manners everywhere. Travel as much as you want to. |
Anonymous
Absolutely this. If these are places or experiences the parents are interested in, they should go. No it doesn't really change the kids. In fact they get inured to it all and it's not special. A 50yo understands that an African safari is amazing. To a 5yo it's basically the zoo. |
Anonymous
OP here. I love this anecdote! And thanks to everyone for offering their perspectives. |
Anonymous
|
You are the parent of toddlers. Don’t judge teens.
I have well traveled tweens and teens. When we are in the different countries, they experience culture and family time. They are well rounded kids. When they were younger, we traveled more domestically and to the Caribbean. We visited many children’s museums, zoos, aquariums, science centers, playgrounds and parks. When we are with OUR adult friends and their young children, our tween and teen may seem checked out. They are very different when they are with their friends. We live in an affluent area where everyone travels. It isn’t anything special. |
Anonymous
I love to travel. It is my passion. We probably go on 10 trips per year. Some are driving trips to the beach, nyc and pa. Some are to the Florida or Caribbean. We usually go skiing 2-3x. Then we go on 1-2 big international trips to Europe or Asia. I don’t know anyone who has taken a 5yo on African safari. I have taken my 5yo to disneys animal kingdom. I have taken a 5yo on a Mediterranean cruise ( more for me, not kids) and gone to Asia. Not everyone loves travel. It is not in everyone’s budget. They may prefer to use that money elsewhere. Others think it is a hassle and don’t want to fly far. I know many families who think traveling with kids is stressful and not fun so they don’t do it. We have always traveled since kids were babies so they are great travelers. People always tell me we make it look easy. I don’t think it is hard. |
Anonymous
| We took our kids to Europe a few times in their teens. They loved it and it definitely expanded their view of the world. |
Anonymous
|
It can depending on how you travel with them. Reading books, discussing history, meeting people from different backgrounds, going to art museums and listening to a wide variety of music can also broaden one’s mind.
IMHO the best thing for a broadened perspective is to instill a sense of curiosity and humility. |
Anonymous
| Both our kids were born abroad, one in Europe and one in Asia, so traveling was at first a necessity that became a pleasure. Of course it broadens the mind, just like reading books about different places, watching movies about different places, and eating different cuisines also broaden the mind. I don’t think it’s a necessity for families who don’t care for it or can’t afford the time or expense, but I think it inspires curiosity, empathy and appreciation in an indelible way. |
Anonymous
| My kids love traveling even though we are just doing domestic, mostly car trips, for financial reasons. They don't bring electronic devices. |