Every New Year commences with profound resolutions aimed at putting your family first. You too may have resolved to spend additional time with your loved ones. Did you vow to explore the world together? Did you imagine creating cherished memories of family adventures?
As the weeks roll over, hectic professional routines dominate our lives and the sagacious words seldom turn to reality!
The world is a colossal place. Detaching you from the hustle and bustle of regular schedules, travelling can certainly rejuvenate your mind and add fervour to life. While for adults, it can interpret into relaxation and reflection; for children, it amounts to exploration and serves as a catalyst for valuable learning.
Here are 9 ways travelling can serve as a platform for imparting valuable life lessons.
1. Natural Learning
The school system is an unparalleled medium of imparting education. Having said that, let’s not undermine the importance of the natural surroundings towards the same. The real world is the most effective facilitator for growing children.
To begin with, exploring is far from text education. It doesn’t seem like a burden or a chore. The History, Geography, Languages, and Art lessons imbibed during travelling remain etched on their minds for a lifetime.
2. Family Bonding
In today’s world, the true meaning of the word ‘family’ is lost. Despite living under one roof, every member lives a separate life cooped in individual rooms.
Travelling together translates to closer family bonding. You chat, laugh and fuss together. Problems are shared and handled in unison. The journey will help you generate a bank of experiences. Kids can draw on these to overcome challenges in future.
3. Resilience
Every time you travel, opt for a novel and unknown experience. Every new opportunity brings new challenges and new lessons.
Allow exploring an unfamiliar domain, make space for kids to test their limits and overcome obstacles using their own prudence. Such experiences build confidence and develop personal resilience.
4. Survival
As parents, we perpetually strive to give our children the best that life can offer in terms of material pleasures. But does that really empower our kids to face the harsh real world?
Travelling ushers in a contrary experience that teaches to survive in difficult situations. It broadens one’s perspective. Children learn survival techniques despite having fewer resources. In future times of instability, they will remember that even with slight discomfort they can be fine!
5. Scheduling and Decision Making
Assign kids with the task of planning and watch their decision-making skills evolve.
If it’s a road trip, acquaint them with the details of the trip and let them decide the number of breaks to be taken during the journey. Let them choose their own clothes and toys to be taken along. They will learn to differentiate between the essentials and superfluous! Here are more ways to help your child become socially confident.
6. Navigation
Travelling has the most potential as a channel to teach navigation skills to kids. Agreed smartphones free you from the hassles of conventional navigation norms! But how about using a real-time GPS?
Help children to trace route maps. Road trips can serve as ideal opportunities to teach directions and map symbols. Map reading and basic navigation skills ensure kids will never find themselves lost or stranded; with or without technical connectivity.
7. Creativity
Travelling means taking kids away from their television and tablet fixed routines. So now when they complain about being ‘bored’, encourage them to think out-of-the-box and invent new games.
Push their creative talents and you will be astonished how they manage to entertain themselves! Of course, you can offer help by introducing them to classic travel games like I Spy and License Plate Game!
8. Patience
This is a skill least developed in children yet most required in adulthood! No matter what mode of transport you take or where the destination lies – the question ‘have we reached yet?’ will haunt you throughout!
Instead of shutting them down, utilise this time to inculcate the virtue of patience. Believe me, this one will take them far in life!
9. We All Are the Same
War is the biggest scar on the escutcheon of mankind. The world craves for unity and harmony. Let us nurture kids who understand the significance of being unified and living peacefully.
Travelling embosses the fact that regardless of our differences in culture, languages, food habits, clothing and skin colour – all humans essentially are the same. We all desire happiness and peace!
10. The phase of real parenthood is brief!
Do not settle down for a life lesser lived! Before your little ones spread their wings to fly away, make lasting memories of adventurous times spent together. Need more ideas for activities that help you spend time with your kids? Click here to know how you can turn a simple chore into a fun activity!
Lessons learnt along the way will germinate the seeds of strong conduct and your children will mature into bona fide frontrunners!
