Comments on: Why We Travel

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:11:13 +0000

I go to a couple of professional conferences a year and always take my son. At first it was because he was a baby, I am a single mother, and who would he stay with? But we love those trips together! We usually spend a couple extra days, and I always take a couple conference breaks for museums, nature preserves, whatever the locale offers.
He’s starting first grade in the fall, and I’m sure my parents will think he shouldn’t miss school, but I can’t imagine missing these experiences together. He even went along to a conference in Tahiti. My funding source required I also attend one in Australia right after. (I wish I had that kind of luck more often). The airline we took (New Zealand?) was wonderful with kids–handed out packs of games and toys, but also did little things like invite him (3.5 years old at the time) to hand out candy to all the passengers near the end of the flight.

Jody, I wonder what your kids’ schoolmates would say re: a boy named “Barack Obama” who had a ‘terrorist’ middle name. One of the main reasons I voted for that man is that his understanding of the world was clearly shaped by experiences with various cultures at an early age. We’ll see what he actually does now that he’s in office, but I put a lot of stake in the benefits of really understand that difference exists.

Kayt, I love your post, but can’t figure out why you lug so much baby gear along! We are living in Germany now, visiting the States in March.

By: Liny

Liny — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:35:31 +0000

Traveling with kids have a lot of issues to be looked into which is for sure, but does it mean that we wont plan for the next vacation with our kids? So there is nothing that can stop us from going around and seeing the world and meeting people.

By: Jeremy Simmons

Jeremy Simmons — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:11:43 +0000

Hello, we just returned from Peru and Costa Rica with our 5 and 8 year old boys. What an adventure and education is was for them. We have been traveling and producing a travel guide DVDs for parents and kids for 4 years, which show the importance and the ups and downs of traveling with kids. Although we always get the “why bother, they wont remember it” we have realized it doesnt matter if they remember exact details, or the trip iteslf when they are 20. Who cares?… The point is we have amazing experiences and family time together now when they are young, and that has an impact on who they will become. Our family travel guide series “Travel With Kids” is available at Amazon and travelwithkids.tv with 10 destinations from Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Paris, England, Scotland and many more on the way.. all with young kids.
Thanks!

By: Kayt Sukel

Kayt Sukel — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:30:11 +0000

Traci, we’re doing the Germany to U.S. trip TWICE between now and January. I know that uptight feeling. But honestly, it won’t be as bad as you think. (And you will have Maui to console any SNAFUS while I will only have box wine and family at the end of my trips. Come to think of it, can I come with you?)

Catherine, the wife of a soldier I recently met is a pilot with Uzbekistan’s national airline. So you can get there! And I need to get me one of those globes. The old paper atlas is so not Web 2.0.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:57:50 +0000

My just-turned-four year old said to me the other day “Mommy, I want to go to Uzbekistan” (I kid you not). Thanks to an obsession with her talking globe toy, she has learned the names, anthems and cultural factoids of virtually all the countries in the world she has developed a genuine interest and curiosity in the many people and places on the planet. She and her sister have already filled a few passport pages, and we certainly plan to fill some more (still trying to figure out how to make our rtw dream a reality, financially speaking). Exposing children to other landscapes, histories, music, languages, food and ways of life is a valuable part of their education as they are citizens of an increasingly interconnected world. A lot of hard work goes into schlepping kids from place to place, out of their familiar routine and comfort zone, but it’s ultimately worth it. It help creates character, understanding, empathy, insight and memories. I wouldn’t miss traveling with my kids for the world! Now, excuse me, I have to go and try locate Uzbekistan on the map myself.

By: Traci

Traci — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:54:44 +0000

What an inspiring post. I have to admit, I never thought of things this way. Not with toddlers anyway, but you are so right. The DO get a lot out of it, most importantly — diversity. And if you can’t afford to go out of the country, just go to a new neighborhood. We live in Southern California and love to just drive somewhere on a Saturday and then just get out of the car and walk around the neighborhood or town and just experience a new place, different styled homes, different people. It’s a hassle with a toddler to travel, especially when they want to be up moving, not strapped in a car seat on a plane, but the memories are never of the few hours it takes to “get there” it’s always of the adventure we had once there. Thanks for REMINDING me of that.

And so many good comments on here too.

We’re going to Maui this fall, and I have been dreading the preparation and the plane ride (last plane trip my daughter had serious ear pain and screamed her head off) but this just gave me a much needed pick-me-up.

By: Kayt Sukel

Kayt Sukel — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:51:46 +0000

Jenny, that is the most important thing. If nothing else, I hope that all of our wanderings inspire Chet to travel on his own when he gets older.

By: Kayt Sukel

Kayt Sukel — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:50:58 +0000

Sharlene, I wholeheartedly agree.

I remember once trying to explain this to my mother. I said, “I want Chet to realize that not everybody lives in cookie cutter homes and has their own battery-powered, character-themed Jeep Wrangler at the age of 2.”

And she replied, “Well, I would have sent Chet one of those Jeeps already but it would cost too much to ship!”

True story.

By: jenny

jenny — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:16:37 +0000

Young ones learn as much as they can, travel with them until they learn on their own.

By: Sharlene

Sharlene — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 01:27:04 +0000

I travel with my kids because I want them to realize the world is bigger then there little spot in the suburbs. I will never forget 8 years ago when I watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics with some elementary and junior high school aged children and sat in shock as I realized these children had never heard of most of the countries the athletes represented let alone had any clue as to what part of the world the countries were located. I vowed at that point to never have my children be that ignorant of the world. I now have two year old twins who may not have left the country yet (two children and one income playing a major role in their lack of world travel) but they have seen more of their area of the country than most people who have lived here for 20 years. They have seen elephant seals at home in their breeding grounds and watched a whale and its calf go up into Sacramento’s Deep Water Channel. They have walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and they have Stood at the top of a peak high above Lake Tahoe. Will they remember this? Probably not. But it will shape the people that they will grow up to be. Life isn’t about who has the most Barbie dolls or legos. People don’t look back at those things with the same fondness that they do when they think of the family vacation where they spotted a bear in Yosemite or smelled the sulfur springs at Lassen. When they get older and start to become aware of environmental issues they will be much more likely to care about the environment because they have experienced its awe inspiring beauty. They will be more willing to fund art programs for schools because they have seen the brush stroke of a Renoir in person. They will be less likely to want to abandon the poor because they have seen that not everybody lives in a two story 2100 square foot house with a green lawn and two SUVs parked in the driveway. That is why I travel with my children.