Parenting Tips: Why Is Travel Important

 Parenting | travel| children | travelling with children| travel tips| education | how to inculcate love for travel in children| life skills| important life skills for children 

One of the fondest memories of my childhood is traveling with my parents. My father made it a point to plan short trips for the family regularly. He inculcated in me a love for travel that has stayed with me all my life. I am so grateful to him for being the beacon that has shaped my personality. All thanks to him, I have passed on the same to my daughter and it is a delight to see her catch the travel bug, turning her into an avid traveler. 

Thanks to my father, I have traveled the length and breath of the country, ( India) and to many places abroad. Travel has indeed shaped my personality and broadened my thinking. It has made me appreciate various diverse cultures and made me tolerant towards different lifestyles. 

WHY IS TRAVEL IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN 

● Children learn to bond.

● It teaches them responsibility. 

● Travel pushes their boundaries and they learn to think out of the box. 

● Travelling forces them out of their comfort zone.

● Travel teaches them important life skills. 

● Meeting new people, adjusting to new places and seeing new cultures makes children more tolerant of diversity and they learn to appreciate divergent ways of living. 

● Travel broadens their horizons. 

● It makes the children more tolerant of people who have a different lifestyle. 

This is a famous clock in the Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad, Telangana.  It is more then 100 years old and in working condition. Children are fascinated by it as I found out while visiting.  I could not resist taking a picture of the clock. All the parts are from England and it was assembled at Kolkata. 

● It teaches them to plan.

● Travel demands attentiveness and alertness.

● Children realize that the world is  vast with immense possibilities. 

● Travel teaches the children empathy. 

● Budgeting for travel can lead to money lessons that is an important life skill.

● Travel teaches children leadership qualities.

● Travel teaches children a sense of adventure. 

● Travel prepares children to handle situations and come up with solutions on the spot.

● Getting into the unknown can build character. 

● Travel can open the eyes of children to the need for a more sustainable lifestyle for  preserving the beauty of the planet.

● Children can learn important lessons about climate change and become more conscious of their duties towards the environment. 

● Teavel will teach children about various cultures, food habits and way of life of people different from them.

The car and motorcycle collection at the Chomahalla Museum, Hyderabad, Telangana ( India) fascinates people of all ages. Children were very keen and inquisitive and brought a smile to my face. I had to click a picture of the vintage beauties.

● Interacting with local artisans and craftsmen will make them appreciate the importance of hand made local products. 

● Bookish knowledge is not sufficient, it is imperative to travel and gain first hand experience of places.

Old guns are again very fascinating for children. 

● It is easy to see and then understand about the places like Taj Mahal, India Gate, Ajanta & Ellora, Kanyakumari, Himalayas, Gate Way Of India, Golconda Fort, Red Fort, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Andaman etc and  assimilate what is being taught in the text books. However, it is not practical to see everything. 

Seeing the lifestyle of people from bygone eras is easier to understand than just reading about it in textbooks. This picture was clicked by me, courtesy the Chomahalla Palace Museum. Here, old dresses have been painstakingly preserved.

● My suggestion is to take your children at least a couple of times to an outstation location and a few times locally on your city tour. This will bring about a vast change in their personality and they can take up travel in their adult years.

● You don’t have to take your children on expensive vacations. Budget for the trip and involve everyone in the family. Take budget friendly short trips. You can explore your city by using public transport. 

Grandeur  of the old kings and queens. This was again clicked by me. A large number of families were present here and children were very inquisitive. 

● Post covid, due to hyperinflation and sky rocketing fuel prices, everything has become exorbitant. You must be wondering as to how you can afford any vacations. Talk to your children about the inflation, as they have to learn to live with it. Travel is still doable, just budget for it, keep it simple and do not try to keep up with the Jonneses. You don’t know other people’s reality, the jet setting around the world might have pushed them into debt. 

     

      This picture was taken by me on my visit to the very well preserved heritage site.

Ruins of the palace of the Kakatiya Dynasty at Warangal is a world heritage site. You have to come here to actually see how well it has been preserved. This is located in district Warangal, Talengana, India. The nearest airport is located at Hyderabad, India. It is easily accessible by train as Warangal is a famous junction of railroad network. Also, it can be accessed easily by road.Such places are full of information and children find them easier to grasp rather than reading about them in the textbooks.

● Do not take loans or use debt to finance your vacations. Save and plan for your trips. This part is as important as the trip itself for the important life skills you are going to impart to your children. They are really observant and your actions will shape their future behavior. 

I am sure these reasons and suggestions will motivate you to undertake travel with your children and make lifetime memories. 

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