Family holidays and trips are some of the most memorable and cherished times for children as they grow up. While it may seem easier to leave the children at home, including them in your travels can reap huge rewards in terms of building strong family bonds, developing their independence, and creating magical moments they’ll remember forever. This article explores compelling reasons why travelling with children of all ages is worthwhile for families in the UK.
1. Learning About Different Cultures and Places
Exposing children to new cultures, food, landscapes, languages, and people is an impactful way for them to gain a wider worldview from a young age. Whether it’s a weekend city break in Europe or a two-week holiday further afield, travel encourages curiosity about our diverse world. Children can try exotic dishes, hear foreign tongues, and explore UNESCO sites – they’ll gain an early understanding of cultural differences that will stay with them over their lifetime.
2. Spending Quality Time Together
Day-to-day life is often packed with school runs, extracurricular activities, work, chores, and distractions like social media and television. Travelling as a family unites you together on an adventure where you can give each other undivided attention. Without the usual schedules and stressors, there’s time for bonding by simply having fun in each other’s company as you explore. Children get to see their parents enjoying themselves, too.
3. Making Personal Discoveries
For children, every new place offers a chance to make their own discoveries about the world and their preferences. Trying hot and spicy dishes might lead to a newly acquired taste. Trekking through jungles can uncover talents for climbing and survival skills. Meeting children from faraway lands often leads to pen pal friendships. Even activities like building sandcastles on a beach for the first time can lead to personal breakthroughs. Travel expands horizons.
4. Gaining Independence and Life Skills
One of our main roles as parents or foster carers is to teach children life skills and independence. Whether you’re fostering a child from a foster agency like fosteringpeople.co.uk or bringing up your own child, there’s no better way of doing this than taking them on holiday with you.
Children have many opportunities while travelling to safely gain independence and practical skills. Things like navigating public transport, converting money, packing luggage, trying unfamiliar foods, and communicating with people who don’t speak their language allow children to become more self-reliant.
5. Strengthening Relationships
The bonds between parents/carers and children, as well as between siblings, are fortified when families travel together. Close quarters and heightened emotions—from seasickness on a ferry to awe at majestic mountains – lead to vulnerable moments where we support each other through difficulties. Triumphant moments like reaching mountain peaks are also celebrations. Laughter fills days without rigid routines, too. These shared memories last lifetimes.
While travel with children has challenges like tantrums and logistical considerations, the magical memories and lasting life lessons it creates make the effort truly rewarding for UK families. Whether it’s weekends away to European cities, UK cottage holidays filled with nature adventures, or longer exotic trips further afield, including children leads to immense cultural enrichment, independence building, family bonding, and so much joy.
DISCLOSURE – This is a collaborative post.
