Getting Real with Shadra Bruce

Dave and I have always been avid travelers. We started our relationship with quite a few family vacations, taking the kids with us to Salt Lake and Reno more than once. Our honeymoon was three weeks long – two weeks in Europe and a week in New York. We found out we were pregnant with Parker when we returned, adding a fourth child to the mix, and I can’t even imagine children being the end to our traveling days. There is never an excuse to not travel with children. Travel with your kids.

Kids do not ruin a vacation.

There is always time for a couple’s retreat, and as our kids have gotten older, we do more trips alone, but you should never limit your travels to when you can snag a babysitter. I have loved taking my kids on vacations, even at young ages, because it was a great bonding experience. My kids may not remember every zoo they went too, but I still remember their delight as infants and toddlers. We still have all the pictures that my kids can look back on, and maybe they’ll find places they want to revisit someday.

Travel is about the experience.

You should travel with your kids for the same reasons that you read your children stories at bedtime or sing the alphabet repeatedly. They learn. Travel shapes their character because of time spent with you and the bonding that happens.

Travel enhances development.

There are so many sensory experiences to travel that it’s no wonder adventurous kids hit milestones early. When you’re traveling, you’re in position to point out new things. You’re also forced to improvise, which helps encourage flexibility in children. There won’t always be a high chair available, or a nap space other than a lap.

Learning diversity is important.

The most important thing that kids can take away from travel is how different the world is. People from various cultures and backgrounds can be friends, whether you speak the language or not. Exposing kids at an early age to the diversity that exists in the world will only benefit them as adults.

Don’t make excuses.

It can be easy to list all the reasons why you shouldn’t travel with your kids. Kids are squirmy. A baby can’t possibly handle an international flight. What if they get upset in customs? The reality is, people travel with children all the time, out of both necessity and pleasure. Your kids may cry on that first drive or flight, but eventually they’ll be pros at travel. Kids are incredible adaptable, and they will go where you lead.

There are enough travel tips with kids out there, this mom blog included, that you can find all the information to make your next trip a success. Traveling with kids enhances the experience for you, and it promotes an amazing lifestyle for them. Don’t miss out on something as magical as travel and blame your kids. The only thing holding you back from travel is you.