Hi there. How have you been during this time of Corona?!?!?! We’ve been so antsy so we started to venture out and start traveling again. The travel industry has been hit pretty hard, and I think it’s important that we still support them if we’re able to. There are so many safety protocols that have to be taken, so I’ve never felt uncomfortable traveling through the airports, in planes, etc. I’ve been holding this post in my drafts for a while because it didn’t feel appropriate at the time, but I think now is the time, so read it with an open heart and save it for when you are ready to start traveling again =)

This is a blog post for people with or without children – With because I don’t want you to hold back on travel; Without because seriously… Please FEEL for us! Lol. It’s harder on us than it is on you.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been approached at the airport and people are telling me that they could never handle that on their own, or they didn’t travel with their young kids because they weren’t going to remember it, etc. I just say thank you and don’t really think much more of it. Then, I started thinking and realized that my kids have been traveling on airplanes since they were babies, like little tiny babies, so it was just natural to me.

Now if you’re a parent that’s hesitant on taking your kids on trips with you because you don’t think they’ll remember it, you’re afraid, or whatever else it may be – keep reading. This is my personal opinion so take it however you would like, but I think it’s worth a read.

Why Traveling is good for young kids:

1. Travel helps kids be more adaptable. When kids (or even adults) are only in familiar places, they don’t know anything other that what they hear about. When you travel to other places, you are physically there, seeing and experiencing what is going on around you, and learning about it. I think this can help with their confidence level as well.
2. Travel is one of the best ways to learn. Not only are you socializing your kids, you are teaching them about the diversity in the world, geography, culture, how to tell time, etc. If you think about – isn’t it more exciting to learn about something in person rather than just reading about it? Travel encourages kids to want to learn and show them that although there is a lot of difference in the world, we should not fear it.
3. Travel teaches kids to try something new. Every city, state, country, and continent  is known for something different. It might be the food, the type of music, dance, dialect, and so on. It opens the child’s mind to other things that they wouldn’t normally find at home.
4. Travel teaches kids to value experiences. In our family, we prefer gifts of experience rather than the material items. Don’t get me wrong – the kids still love their toys, but when faced with “would you rather buy this toy or go to….” the trip is usually the one that is chosen.
5. Travel encourages family time. You may be thinking “but don’t you always spend time together at home?” True, however, when traveling, it’s a different type of quality time together. It helps us reconnect and not have to worry about the day-to-day, which might bring out a much better side of us.

And finally, if you’re still wondering, “My child is young – what will they learn?” Here’s my thought process on it. From the moment a child is born, they are constantly developing and learning new milestones. We sing, play, read and talk to them, teach them sensory play, feed them new food with different textures, and so on. Traveling isn’t any different – it’s incorporating new sites, smells, and sounds to them at a young age. So even though they may not remember it, it’s possible that they’re still learning from it. What’s your take on it?