The Beginning: Classic Family Road Trips
The beginning of the greatest family stories start with family vacations. That is the case for my family. Growing up, my parents took us on as many adventures as finances would allow. From Walt Disney World to Yellowstone National Park and as many sights they could fit in along the way. We still reminisce about our adventures – 20+ years later!
From the beginning my parents instilled the importance of travel in us early. Whether it was summer camping trips just outside of town, or weeks long road trips traversing many states, there was always fun to be had once vacation time hit.
Some of my favourite memories include watching the bison in the hot springs at Yellowstone National Park, discovering red sand for the first time in the Maritimes, and the taste of fresh caught fish.
Family vacations are not a luxury but an essential experience to bond over. You don’t have to go far to give your family memories that will stick with them long into adulthood. Even just a camping trip outside of town or a day trip into a nearby city is enough to create a lasting experience. That is how I started when my kids were really little. I practiced until I was brave enough to venture further away from home with them. Read more about my adventures as a young travelling family here.
The Importance of Family Vacations
Beginning a tradition of family travel has many benefits. Here are a few things I know family vacations taught me, both as a child and as a parent.
- Travel is a great learning opportunity for kids.
Kids can learn about geography, time zones, modes of transportation, different cultures, and so much more while travelling. Even playing games as a family around a wifi-free campfire creates a learning opportunity. Just getting out of your regular routine (aka rut) can do wonders for the imagination.
- Family vacations are a great way to bond with your family for years to come.
When you are away from your routine – work, school, friends, television – and you just have each other to look to for entertainment, family bonding is just inevitable. Even those times when things go wrong, we somehow come together. We learn from those disaters as a family – bringing us even closer. Even if your kids spent the whole time complaining about how long it was to your destination. Or even if the destination didn’t live up to their expectations (I’m looking at you Wall Drug Store). I can promise you they are looking back on that time with a little smile on their face.
- Travel helps teach your kids how to adapt.
Life is all about adapting. Even if we just wake up, go to work, go to bed and start all over the next day, we have to learn to adapt because one day one of those things will not go as expected. Travel is like a crash course in adaptability. They are sleeping in a different place, maybe even at a different time. They are eating different food (they might just have to learn to try something other than dino-nuggets). The people, sounds, smells, and environment are all different than what they are used to at home. You can plan the most basic family trips in the beginning it will still be the greatest lesson in adaptability you can give your kids.
- Travel while they are young to set them on a path to becoming better travellers as they get older.
Sometimes travel is inevitable. Your kids might one day have the opportunity to travel with school. Or perhaps their first venture to a new city will be when they are off to college. Or maybe they get that great job opportunity they have always dreamed of but it requires them to go on regular business trips. More likely than not, your kids will travel at some point in their lives. By teaching them from the beginning about what to expect, how to travel responsibly, and simply giving them that spark of adventure will make their future opportunities less scary and thus less likely to pass them by.
- Children who travel are more likely to accept things that are different.
When kids don’t get a chance to see what life is like outside of their neighbourhood, they can become closed off to “different”. Whether that is different cultures, different foods, and different worldviews, the more one can see the world from a different perspective the better. And I am not even saying you have to pick up and travel to a place the opposite of where you are from to get the benefit. Even teaching them about the world outside their city by going on a camping trip, teaches them about the environment, and how to be a responsible caretaker of the community.
- Travel encourages curiosity.
Curiosity. It sometimes feels like it is a lost art. By taking the time to get curious about the world with your family, you might just spark that bit of curiosity in your children that will lead them on to paths you can only imagine.
Get Out There
Okay, now it is your turn. You know all the ways family travel can benefit your family now it is up to you to take that first step. If you don’t know where to start, I suggest speaking with a local travel agent. They can help you get out there with less stress.
