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Want adaptable kids? Travel with them.

We boarded our flight, sat at the gate for over an hour, just to deplane and do the whole process over again with two kids in tow. Reluctantly, we grabbed all of our luggage and got off. 

Oh great! Was all I could think.

These kids are going to complain, I’m sure.

It’s already been a long day and now THIS!

A million thoughts of anticipated annoyance ran through my head. And you know what? 

They were fine. Not one complaint! It was a nice reminder to 1. cógelo con take it easy and 2. how adaptable kids are! Even more when you make travel normal to them. 

Just GO!

You don’t have to go far, or plan big extravagant trips to give your kids a sense of wonder and a taste of the world. Start small and close to home. We don’t always have the opportunity or luxury to catch flights. But road trips, day trips, any adventure that gets your kids out of their normal routine and comfort zone is setting them up for success.

When we lived in Florida, we would take day trips to places that were 2-3 hours away. Yes, that means 5-6 hours round trip in a car with kids under 4 (at the time). But these mini-long haul rides helped get them comfortable with being on the go, while at the same time allowing us to explore in a way that was both accessible and sustainable for our wallets.

Not only that, but these experiences are what your kids are going to remember. Any moment to travel, near or far, gives you a chance to disconnect from the routine and connect as a family. Your kids won’t be into it every time, but they will remember the time spent together.

A study on Vacation and Family Function “results reveal that family vacation contributes positively to family bonding, communication and solidarity.” Families are able to not only build bonds within themselves, but also as a unit as they respond to a different environment, together.

So, it doesn’t really matter where you go, just that you go! Somewhere, anywhere, explore the world around you. I know you’ve seen the quote around the internet, how we only have 18 summers with our kids so make them count. Forget summer, don’t wait to take the trip and make memories together.

Get Uncomfortable Together

Travel isn’t always smooth sailing. Cancelled or delayed flights, too many hours stuck in traffic, really anything can go wrong and it sometimes does. But pressure makes a diamond. Overcoming uncomfortable or less than ideal situations as a family will show your kids they can do hard things. It’ll reinforce in them that they can count on their family unit to be there for them and help them through anything.

These less than ideal situations or roadblocks also help to build resilient kids. I know you know a child that has never heard the word “no,” how do they behave in uncomfortable situations? Do they adapt and process? No, they’re probably yelling and screaming until they get their way. Now, take a child that has traveled and been in uncomfortable situations, who understands they can’t always have their way, and have been exposed to different walks of life. Studies have shown that children who travel improve children’s skill development, well-being, and emotional tolerance.

Traveling builds stronger kids, with a more open and understanding perspective on life. It helps them build planning and problem solving skills that will stick with them for life.

Travel is the Best Teacher

Sure, trips are fun. But every adventure has a deeper lesson, even if you don’t realize it. Travel invites what is widely considered the ideal method of learning, or experiential learning. This an educational approach, as coined by David Kolb in 1984, that involves gaining knowledge through hands-on, real world experiences and reflecting on them. Or in simpler terms, it’s learning by doing. I’ve included an image below of the phases of experiential learning and some examples

According to this study on children’s learning processes through family travel, factors such as social models, tourist destinations, and cultural backgrounds play pivotal roles in their learning process.

• Social: Travel lets children interact with people beyond the family in which “children can learn from various perspectives and experiences through contact with other people when traveling.” This helps children also learn empathy and obtain a global attitude. Children in more immersive settings can also benefit from the cultural and language learning aspect through daily interactions with locals. All of this is vital to a child’s social learning development
• Tourist Destinations: Children’s experiential learning is more effective at a well-known World Heritage Sites and museums. This is usually because recognizing these global sites also spark parent’s curiosity, knowledge, and involvement in the learning process. This positively impacts children’s learning response and desire to learn more.
• Cultural Background: Culture impacts the way we learn through our family. Some cultures might prioritize education, while others may prioritize language learning or even learning through play. These cultural factors might also impact where you decide to travel to and ultimately impacts how you interact with the world around you.

So, What are you Waiting for?

You don’t need to travel far to give your kids a piece of the world. So, what are you waiting for? For tomorrow? Or next year? How about next summer? My question is, WHY WAIT! Don’t let life pass you by.

That is why we prioritize adventure and embarked on our move abroad/world schooling journey. The more kids experience, the better humans they will be. The younger they start to have these experiences, the more well rounded and adaptable they will be. 

Get your kids uncomfortable. Get them used to the unexpected. Travel will help build their social skills, adaptability and flexibility to handle any thing in life, their confidence to try new things, and build well-rounded humans and members of society.

So, where will you travel first?

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