Unison Parenting Blog: The Benefits of Travel for Your Kids

My sister was a concerned young mother of preschoolers who wanted to protect and shelter her children. I recommended she take them on a trip.

When she asked me why, I said, "You will see your kids grow rapidly when you travel."

She tried a trip and was pleasantly surprised.

Regardless of your child's age, travel is a wonderful opportunity for them to grow and learn - not just learning about other places and people, but learning about themselves and their family.

When children are very young, travel opens up stimulating new sensations for their brains. Also, when they experience the uncertainty of a new place, they rely on their parents more. Bonds are built as your youngsters sense they can trust you.

As elementary and middle schoolers, travel provides them opportunities to learn about their world. Engaging with people in different places builds understanding and empathy. They can learn about history, geography, food, culture, and more.

When we adopted our daughter Rebecca from China, our elementary school had one assignment for our seven- and ten-year-old boys: keep a diary. The boys added to their journals each day about what they experienced in China. When we returned, the teachers simply handed the journals back as family keepsakes. You can use a similar technique for your children to learn from even fun vacations.

When your children becomes teens, travel becomes an opportunity to include them in adult activities like planning, researching, deciding, and managing elements of the vacation. Use their input to decide where to go and/or what to do while there. Let them in on scheduling before and during the trip so they can begin to understand what it takes to execute travel.

Travel will change your child for the better if you manage trips wisely.