Traveling With Kids: A Great Way to Expose Them to Valuable Life Lessons
March 28, 2016
As you may know, my husband and I love to travel as much as our busy schedule allows, and we almost always include our kids. Writing this Blog and managing GlutenFreeTravelSite and the Dine Gluten Free mobile app have given me the opportunity to share two of my greatest passions...traveling and finding safe and wonderful places to dine gluten free wherever we go. Our son's diagnosis with Celiac 11 years ago has made things a little more challenging when traveling, to be sure, but this post I'm sharing today, written by gluten free travel agent Ellen Morse and the 2016 Family Friendly Cruise Travel Planner, reminded me that including our kids on all our journeys is worth every bit of extra effort. Not only does it create memories and quality family time, but it teaches our kids valuable life lessons. I loved reading this wonderful post, and I wanted to share it with you.
Seven Valuable Life Lessons and Skills Taught by Travel:
1. Travel helps children develop decision-making, and builds confidence – As you travel, a wide variety of choices present themselves. Gone are the routines of home; instead, children have the opportunity to make choices about which new experiences to experience, museums, wonders of the world, different destinations and foods they would like to try. Stand back, and let them make some choices. They may surprise you!
2. The Development of Problem Solving Skills – Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Travel is fluid, and teaches children about the possibility that things may not go as planned. It’s essential to be flexible, and having things go awry can actually be one of life’s best lessons. Unforeseen circumstances happen over and over in life, and adapting with grace is one of the hallmarks of strong character.
3. A Broadened Perspective for your child – Travel helps to present your children with a valuable worldview. A foray into other cultures affords them the knowledge that other people, places and things can be very diverse. Exposure to different cultures, standards of living, languages and even sounds will serve children well over time; it serves to develop tolerance and compassion. Traveling is an excellent way to show children that different points of view are a normal part of life, in an educational, non-threatening way.
4. Travel Helps Sow the Seeds of Altruism – Children can begin to understand the challenges faced by those in different life circumstances. Sometimes travel can allow them the opportunity to help those in need. As an example, Crystal Cruises offers a way to give back on a cruise, via their “You Care, We Care” program. The line has developed a series of volunteer programs where guests and crew can get directly involved in worthwhile causes in the destinations they visit.
5. Travel Enhances Certain Traits Necessary in Life – When you travel, you may see character traits that don’t necessarily reveal themselves at home. You might see new traits of charity, compassion, and diplomacy. Or you may realize that your child has an interest or passion that comes to light in this new situation. Interestingly, they may get more out an experience than adults, due to their interaction with the locals. Children can cross cultural boundaries that are more difficult for adults, simply by being children.
6. An Inside View of the Business World – Take your children on a business trip. There’s value in understanding the challenges and rewards of hard work. Seeing you perform your business activities is an eye opener for most children. It clues them into the skills it takes to be successful and may help them with career choices later in life. It also provides valuable information about coordinating the logistics of travel, currency and navigating customs. Above all, they learn about the importance of time management and the consistency required to stick to an itinerary.
7. Travel: A Shared History and Sacred Memory – Your common travel experiences—good and bad—will become part of your family history. During travel, there may be times when you feel closer than ever before, as well as times when you wish you were back in the comfort of home and in your own personal space. These things will be a topic of discussion for years to come. Encourage children to keep a travel journal. It will help them remember the travel itself, and their reactions to the experiences of the trip.
Travel’s benefits to children truly are incalculable, so now is the time to start planning your next family vacation. Ellen (pictured here) would love to help you find the perfect destination. Through Ellen Morse Travel and now Gluten Free Travel-Us, she has been creating customized itineraries for travelers for 18 years. Having started in the cruise industry, Ellen learned the difference between mass market and upscale, personal attention. Through much research and hard work, she has been able to translate that to any trip, anywhere. She has established relationships with every travel provider from the most expensive tour company to the wholesalers providing hotels, transfers, and excursions in every category.
Since Ellen was diagnosed with Celiac disease as a very young child (and is also dairy intolerant), she understands the challenges her gluten free clients face. She has been able to successfully combine her travel expertise with her own experiences and knowledge of being gluten free. Her contacts around the world enable her to create amazing itineraries for her gluten-free clients while always keeping them food-safe at vetted restaurants and hotels. If you'd like to call Ellen at 312-337-9235, she would love to talk to you! You can also email her at ellen@glutenfreetravel-us.com