We often get asked the question “Why do you travel so much with your kids? They are so young and won’t even remember it!”
We have many different reasons for traveling with our kids. Yes, travel memories are important, but they are not the sole reason for travel. We travel with our kids so that they develop a global perspective from an early age. We want them to get outside the bubble of our home and see that there are other ways of life. Caliper Kid may not remember that time in Hong Kong when he was passed from mother to mother at the dumpling soup stall so that we could eat a hot bowl of soup safely, but it was a formative moment. He learned to be OK with different sites, smells and sounds.
Purple Pixie may not remember that time on Ko Lanta, Thailand when she fell asleep walking through a crowded market and was kindly held by the lady who ran the noodle soup stall so that we could all eat. (I am beginning to see a theme here…) Again, this was a formative moment. It’s OK to be surrounded by strangers and loud noises and to know that you are safe in a place so different from home.
Kids also have a way of breaking down barriers and letting you connect with strangers that you otherwise might just walk by. No matter where you are, when your kid is crying or having a total meltdown, you can share a knowing look with other parents in the room, even if you don’t speak the same language!
Families live everywhere. Kids live everywhere. The more we travel, the more we learn that we are more alike than we are different. Kids are kids no matter where they are from or what language they speak. They find a way to play! Parents are parents. We are all just out there trying our hardest to be the best parents to our kids.
Some may say that there is never an ideal time to travel with kids, but we say that it is always a perfect time to travel with kids!
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