I’ve been a traveler all my life – fortunately had a family that prioritized new destinations throughout my childhood. Now, it’s my turn. At the age of two, he had seven countries and he was becoming a world citizen.
While traveling with kids at any age may seem like a daunting prospect, experts claim it can significantly improve development. They say travel can expand the world of children, make their compassion for cultural differences more compassionate and help them adapt to changing situations. It can even shape their language development as babies.
“They will start learning tools to build meaningful relationships, especially starting with differences from childhood,” said Dr. Robin Hancock, a global education expert at Bank Street College. Travel + Leisure. “Traveling has the potential to create a new narrative that teaches children how to resemble others [and] Laying a solid foundation, especially in the early days…we have the potential to raise a generation that knows how to live and coexist with each other. ”
It was my first time watching my nephew try beans in La Guarida in Havana and thought about everyone, just like testing it. I’ve seen him push his feet into the Dead Sea (and quickly pull them back) and try out ice cream in the shadow of Duomo in Florence.
Hancock said he may not remember these adventures, but it will affect his development. Brain development happens as fast as possible in the first five years of a child’s life, especially in the first three years, she said. From birth to around children about three years old, it is different from those who “normalize” the experience of this kind.
“When traveling and educating children at a young age ensures that they keep this information until adulthood, they become the role of the world’s citizens,” she said. “When someone starts to get used to or tradition… early in life, it becomes the basis for them to see the world in their lives.”
Erika Levy, associate professor of communication science and disease at Columbia University’s Teachers College, said taking toddlers, even six-month-olds, can also help them with language development.
“We know that in terms of language, babies see adults differently. As they get older, they lose the ability to differentiate many other speeches,” Levy said. “If we surround ourselves with sounds from voices from around the world… then we will keep these categories going, which will help their language later in life.”
Hancock said their experiences can actually help them at school when they come home from a trip.
“This makes them more open to trying new things [and] “Precaution with people and scenes they are not familiar with,” she said. “It will inevitably make the kids more open and eliminate prejudice.”
Here are some tips on how to maximize your child’s experience while traveling.
Stroll through the local community.
Hancock said while it was nice to see the main attractions of the destination, strolling through the local community was probably one of the most influential moments for children. Children’s brains tend to make connections based on what they are familiar with. “If you’re in Venice, spend time on the Grand Canal, if you’re in Paris, spend time on the Eiffel Tower, but the work that really resonates with the kids is the experience they can relate to,” she said. “If you only find a quiet neighbor and walk, it will make sense for your kids… Inevitably, you’ll see people sweeping their front yard and local vendors. It makes more sense – you’ll get a better day-to-day life and your kids will be better.”
Create a tradition while on vacation.
Traditions can help kids connect to travel. For example, as a kid, my sister and I collected soda bottles in every country we visited. “Traditionality makes sense for children,” Hancock said. “Anything that you can connect with your child’s world is a meaningful experience for them.”
Let your kids play with other kids.
Even if they don’t speak the same language, grouping children with other children will help their development, Levy said. “Let them meet other kids — they can play, learn and find ways to communicate,” she said. “They will learn that not everyone speaks English.”
Turn your journey into a game.
Asking children to point out new things, Levy recommends “let them show you three things they’ve never seen at home.” “You can do treasure hunts for them,” she said.
Prepare your child in advance.
Levy said it could be a long way to go to prepare for what children have. For example, tell them about jet lag in advance, or bring a special toy on the plane if they are neurally traveling. But ultimately, you shouldn’t be too worried: Levy says kids tend to be “more adaptable than we do in new situations.”