How Traveling From A Young Age And Experiencing Different Cultures Affects A Child
Traveling can completely transform a person’s life. Getting to know other lifestyles and different cultures makes us question our own point of view on things. The little ones do not escape this experience. Traveling from childhood can be a revolutionary event in a person’s life.
In a world where everyone is chasing their schedules and obligations, stepping on the brakes and observing our surroundings seems like a miracle. Knowing new destinations opens the mind and positively affects different aspects of life.
This doesn’t just apply to adults. Children, who are in the process of discovering the world, can marvel at everything “out there”. Getting a child used to travel from an early age is an excellent habit that parents can pass on.
Why do we say this? Next, we’ll delve into this issue.
The benefits of traveling
While we are often suspicious – and rightly so – about the miracles that travel companies attribute to travel, many of these positive effects are true. Packing your bags and getting out of the house for a few days has great benefits for physical and emotional well-being. These are a few:
- Reduces stress. Disconnecting from work, problems and commitments leads us to rest fully, recover energy and, therefore, be happier. It’s important not to over-plan as we could experience post-holiday stress and come back even worse than we were.
- Stimulates the brain. Knowing new places, aromas, tastes and living new experiences helps the brain to “work” to assimilate everything that is unknown. Thus, the young mind remains and able to continue incorporating new information.
- Collaborates with emotional well-being. Traveling improves self-esteem, as it involves personal challenges, such as locating and getting used to new foods, rules and even languages. Furthermore, lived experiences contribute much more to our happiness than any object we can buy.
Traveling from an early age is even better
If the traveling experience offers so many advantages for adults, for the little ones these advantages are enhanced. Keep in mind that for them to leave home is, on many occasions, to venture into the unknown. They may not even know how far their destination is, how they arrive or when they will return home.
Therefore, we could summarize the three great benefits of traveling for children in:
1.- A new perspective
When we are children, how we are encouraged to analyze and interpret the world is what determines our point of view. However, when a child leaves his city, country or continent, he learns to see life with new eyes.
He will then realize that not everything should be done as she learned. Among so many things to watch out for, she will incorporate new habits into her life and other values in relation to work, human relationships and the environment.
In addition, you will be able to try foods that you have never tried or sports that are characteristic of this place. The world is full of alternatives, it’s just a matter of looking.
2.- Curiosity is aroused
As you will see many things that you did not know and perhaps that you did not even imagine, the child will have many questions. Why is this language spoken here? Why do they like this food so much? What is the name of this song?
The best thing about this is that your senses will experience an intense sense of greed. Your attention will be 100% dedicated to identifying everything you see.
Consequently, they will also be promoting their reflective, critical and rational spirit. Everything that exists and happens has a reason to be, and they will want to know at all costs.
3.- Improves relationships and quality of life
Traveling from a young age with our family represents, in addition to the above, a challenge for all its members. It takes collaboration, tolerance and patience to support the presence of the other during the 24 hours, something that might not happen in everyday life.
It is an excellent opportunity to deepen bonds through new experiences. On trips, siblings and parents stop being family members and become companions.
Both they and the children face new experiences, so the focus is on what happens outside and not what the other does.
Advice to keep in mind when traveling with children
If you are going on a trip with your children, these recommendations can be of great help:
- Don’t forget to bring all the documentation you might need, including your health card.
- Pack the safety, hygiene and food items that a baby or young child might need.
- Some drugs – the most generic ones – won’t be a bad option to get out of an emergency (avoid self-medication, anyway).
- Plan activities with enough time to rest or make last-minute adjustments.
- Avoid places with a lot of people, without shadows or inadequate facilities for traveling with children.
- Always have some food, drink and toys handy.
Finally, be willing to take advantage. If you take the necessary precautions and with a good predisposition on the part of the participants, a trip can become an invaluable memory for a child. Traveling from an early age is opening a window to the world that will offer a fresh breeze for the rest of their lives.
