Travel with kids – challenge or opportunity?
December 10th, 2009 | 
Author: To travel with kids, or to travel as a family, can for some seem like the ultimate challenge. To others, like ourselves, it’s just the greatest of opportunity for learning and growing together.Traveling together for a long time gives you the opportunity to get to know your family members and to see who they really are. In many families today, you don’t know your family members very well. You spend so much time away from each other, at work, school, at different activities and when you get home, you sit in front of the computer or the TV. And then, what’s left? How much time do you have every day to connect to and communicate with your spouse and your kids?
Long term travel with kids is so worthwhile...
Sometimes, when things doesn’t go the way I expect, or want and hope for them to go and I start blaming myself for not having done this or that in the right way (I know in theory, this is not the best of things to do, but I’m not perfect, yet
) I often end up thinking. “at least I won’t regret not having spent enough time with my kids”. My family has had a big priority in my life and a big part of our time together we have spent on the road.
When we talk to people about this, we’ve realized that many are concerned that spending a lot of time with their family would make them crazy. Maybe they’d even come back ready for a divorce?
What we’ve found in reality though, it’s usually the opposite. When you go on an extended journey, you leave most of the different sources of everyday stress at home. You get rid of the things that stand between yourself and the other members of your family: all the stuff, the activities, the obligations. What you have left is just yourselves and your adventure. Now you have the time to see who this person you sometimes meet in the hallway on your way out really is.
When you travel, you will be away together in new unknown places and situations. You’ll create new circumstances that can help you to break old negative patterns and habits that are connected to your life at home. You will experience loads of interesting things together. You will get plenty of opportunities to practice cooperating with each other since problem solving is a natural gift of every long term trip.
And sometimes, the road isn’t just easy to walk on and the sun isn’t shining and things aren’t very fun, but this will be part of your journey together and oftentimes, the “worst” situations are the one’s that’ll create your warmest memories.
Doing some long term travel with kids and spouse is just so different to being at home and if you haven’t done it, it can be really difficult to imagine what a “boost” for your family life it really can be.
So, what’s your family life like? How would you like it to be? Imagine yourself 20 years from now. What kind of memories would you want to share with your wife/husband and your children?
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
Posted in travel with children | 
Tags: kids, long term travel, Travel, travel with children, travel with kids
You are right in such situations we get to know the real nature of our family member against each other. I think it’s not a challenge, it is a nice opportunity.
Maria, great blogpost!
I can’t agree more.
It is so much fun travelling with children. It gives you so many nice experiences that you shared, and of course, the bad things that happend will be most fun talking about later:-)
Of course it can be hard to spend time in a small campervan in rainy Scotland. But every mother knows what it is like to be with the kids after a bad day in school! I definately prefer the rainy day playing scrabble even though the campervan was leaking and cold:-)
Also for fathers it’s a great opportunity to get to know the kids!
Lots of greetings, Gabi
Traveling is really such a nice thing as i know because it gives you relief from your stress and the second thing is that you can learn a lot from traveling. your tips are up to the mark dear thanks.
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According me it’s not a changeling, its a great opportunity. In this fast age we have no time to spend some moment with your family members or our friends. I think these chances rarely come in life. which should not miss.
I think that with a little planning, it is fantastic opportunity to share unforgettable experiences with the people we are the closest to in our lives.
Hi,
I think traveling with the kids is a really a great challenge because it is a difficult job so that if you are going somewhere then remember this thing that you have to take care your kids because some times most of the destinations became very memorable.
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You want a challenge. Try taking them on a sailing trip! It’s tough, but great to team building and you can always threaten to throw then overboard if the misbehave!!
always hard to travel with the kids but well worth it
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I have traveled with children a lot and I know first hand how tiring it can be. I think it is great however and definitely worth the effort – kids learn a heap traveling so Id encourage it a lot.
I travelled overseas with mine and I had no end of worry. The kids were ill, we panicked every time we couldn’t see them. Definitely wait until they’re teenagers if I were you.
Well i guess if you managed to keep the kids occupied and well behaved its always an opportunity,for them to learn so much! but if you cant handle all that then its a definite nightmare!!
Thanks for all of your comments!
And as you point out, traveling with kids can really be a blessing, but, as most things here in life, it’s not always easy.
Nor, is it always easy to travel alone, or together with another adult….
Our own experiences are that when you travel with kids, it’s important to adjust things to their specific ages. It’s not the same traveling around with a 6 month old, a five year old or an older teenager.
And the younger the child(ren)the slower the pace and the more time for everything you do, is to recommend.
I think that the more you try to live your life like your busy day at home, the more challenges you also invite in.
We have traveled with our kids whan they’ve been all ages, and every age has it’s challenges and opportunities.
Also, depending on their ages, the ways to travel and the things to do can be more or less suitable of course.
So the overall advice I’d like to give when you travel with kids (especially young ones) is to travel slowly, be in the now and remember that the way is the goal.
Agreed, I actually enjoy traveling with my kids. I manage to teach them so much as well. Instead of leaving them at home they actually reward a good trip and are on their best behavior making it all the more easier. I definitely think its an opportunity!
I guess it depends on where you’re taking them. If its a place where you can have them kept occupied than yes its an opportunity! but if you’re on a getaway from work trip, then maybe it would be pretty challenging to get some rest!
well i am single so i don’t have experience but i think its not easy to manage children while traveling but i think after gone through your post parents will easily manage there kids.anyways thanks.
I love taking my kids around, its rare that i get to spend time with them and when i do i would like to see them with a smile on their face
Yeah, kids just love going around anywhere as long as they dont have to be bored at home.. Just find a place that you would enjoy and go there, and your kids will be just fine..
Traveling with kids is always fun, specially if you have enforced the traveling spirit in them! I mean there is so much to see in this world, you’ll be lucky if you see even 2% of the entire world!
When I told a friend of ours that we were taking our kids Liam 7 and Scarlette 10 months on a 1 month holiday travelling around Thailand they said “that’s not a holiday, that’s a change in location”. How wrong they were, both my partner and myself have done a lot of international travel, both before and after we had our kids. It can be a little challenging at times, but that just adds to the adventure of it all. We are already planning our next holiday, hopefully this time we will be away for 3 months.
How exciting Ian that you will (hopefully) go away on a 3 month trip!
Sure, it can be challenging at times to travel with kids, but no matter how you go, things happen along the way and challenges are part of every trip,either you go alone or with 5 kids. The thing is how you relate to what happens. If you see your challenges as hindering obstacles or as just a natural part of the trip (or of your life).
You can also check out our new post on this subject “Travel with kids – challenge or opportunity – part 2″ and maybe get some more ideas.
Maria
happy family table :grin: very nice article. thank you for sharing :cool:
I think travelling should always be seen as an opportunity rather than a challenge. Although, being in a foreign place could always be challenging but the idea is that the challenge is an opportunity to enrich the experience and make it worthwhile rather than a burden.
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Totally agree, you should never miss an opportunity to take your kids out! specially if its on a trip to some where exciting! the smiles on their faces..priceless!
I think traveling with kids is pure opportunity to have family good time. If you prepare the travling well and thinking about activities for the kids, you can enjoy the travel. Dont forget and Remember all the trip to be Patient!!
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What should I bring for my 22-month-old daughter on an international flight?
Creo que es posible realizar un viaje con muchos niños, la verdad que yo tengo 4, edades, 3, 6, 8, 12
todos muy chiquitos…pero todo se puede si se realiza una buena planificacion, esta muy bueno el articulo..Saludos
Hi Maria, this was a great read. Once you have children I think it’s important to make it a habit to travel with them. My dad spent a lot of time with us and we still remember it and it has helped to build the relationship we have now. It’s rewarding to see childrens’ perspectives through a journey.
I’m not a fan of travelling with kids. I have a niece and nephew who are so badly behaved it has put me off for now. I might change my opinion if I have my own children of course but right now I’d rather enjoy my holidays without kids.
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I think traveling around is a way to help your kids figure out the outside world a lot better.. And they really do enjoy it, so you really should take them out!
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I think traveling with the family is an opportunity to bond and get closer to your family. Since its a one on one time and moves you away from your routine daily life and makes you pay attention on details that you never paid attention too while leaving in one house. You are able to create a bond of closeness and togetherness and a trust is bestowed while you are enjoying the different activities with your family. Children also see another side of you and probably be left shocked by your other version…
You well seem to have a good time and photographs are superb.
I’m not a fan of travelling with kids but it is necessary to confess that it puts animation.
Nice post you got here!
Sometimes we just focus on the bad side of things instead of looking at the brighter side — and that includes bringing children to trips.
It’s hard to bring children along with you because you can hardly enjoy the place where you’ve gone to, but come to think of it, after several years you would go back to those memories over and over again, so might as well enjoy every bit of it.
Traveling with kids can be both a challenge and an opportunity. If you’re bringing kids (especially toddlers) with you, you might think that you will not be able to enjoy your vacation. But think of it as an opportunity to bond with them.
Someone mentioned that it’s a good way for children to get to know the world and a little about other cultures and I agree with this. It gives them a great experience that a lot of other children won’t have so I can see the merits in it, provided they behave well enough.
Travelling is a huge learning activities for children. Not only they’ll have good childhood memories, it is the best time to bond with them. Parents are much more relaxed, therefore they are more tolerant to their kids. Been doing it for 3 consecutive years now.
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I’m not a fan of travelling with kids. I have a niece and nephew who are so badly behaved it has put me off for now.
Well, it may be different if you were to travel with your own kids. Furthermore, when you’re out in the world and let go of your normal everyday situations, experience loads of new things and grow closer together, even “bad behaviour” can change:)
Hi, this really a wonderful blog. I find myself so filled with encouraging words that has to do with life, goal, purpose and every activity that has happened in man’s life. Your words really made me realized the significance of decision making in choosing and finding what we want to do in our life.
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Travelling kids is always an opportunity, for you and for them! true its a challenge , sometimes its just too hard to keep up with them! but at the end of the day its their happiness that matters right?
Well, it’s their happiness as well as your own, isn’t it?
And those two are interconnected I guess :)