According to a new survey, kids are more likely to be successful in life if they are taken to vacations more. A poll commissioned by the Student and Youth Travel Association found that 74% of educators believed that travel has a great impact on children's personal development. Moreover, a majority of 56% also stated that travel's positive impact could help a student extend his education and career.
Travel can have a tremendous impact on children of all ages. Those who get lucky enough to travel and experience other cultures than their own tend to be incredibly tolerant and humble with a vast willingness to learn and thirst for new things.
But what is the best age to travel with kids? That's the wrong question- the best age to travel doesn't exist. Let's put it this way- there is no perfect age to take your little one to travel, therefore any age can be an ideal age to travel.
The whole idea might seem complicated for many. Why? Each traveling family, each travel plan and children come with their own subtleties, so it would be better to ask, "What is the perfect age to travel for my child?
One thing is for sure; you should start traveling with your kids no matter their age. It might help you know that the opportunity for travel such as time and money will appear anyway, so the age should not be an impediment. So, no matter how or when this will happen, as a parent it is your duty to present your kids something different than they were used to seeing every day.
Infants and toddlers
Yes, traveling with infants is possible, and you might be surprised to learn how many families choose to travel with kids younger than five. Some choose to travel for a few days, others for a few weeks and others travel indeterminately.
Traveling with infants comes with plenty of advantages. For instance, when kids are this young, they are easy to keep around, and their main source of attention and entertainment is you and the world around them. Infants don't need new games, books, or a fascinating playground to have fun; infants already see the world around them as a captivating playground. Every new thing they encounter, be it a water bottle, a stick, or even your hairbrush can be a great source of enjoyment. Who needs fancy toys and games?
Toddlers would play with anyone
Toddlers aren't picky at all when it's time to have fun. They can play with whatever kid they see on the beach, no matter the language they speak. As you probably know, play is a universal language, and kids at this age can find a company without problems.
Contrary to what you might have heard, traveling with toddlers won't cause you a whole in the budget. A family trip can be significantly cheaper if you take the plunge while they are still very young. A toddler can eat less than a teenager, and you won't spend too much on accommodation and transportation fees. But if you plan on taking your best SUV for travel, ensure you equip it with necessary car seats, cup holders and something to keep them busy to avoid all the tantrums and boredom while driving.
5-10 years old kids
Many would affirm that this can be the best age to travel with kids. Kids this age are ideal for a family trip as they are able to walk, climb, and even carry their own luggage with relative ease. This is when they finally start to realize how responsibility works, care for their own items, practice tolerance, and learn to navigate a train station or an airport.
Traveling with them can be extremely interesting, especially when they just start to come up with their own ideas and opinions regarding the place you're visiting. At this age, traveling can be a vital aspect in their development as they can absorb any sort of information when they're exposed to different cultures, languages, foods, and people.
Even though not all families encounter the same difficulties, for some, traveling with kids at this age arises during a strange transition period in their life perception. While younger kids seem to enjoy any source of entertainment around them, the older ones begin to desire the same level of entertainment that parents enjoy too. To put it in simple terms, for kids of this age, the same level of engagement won't work as well as it does with much younger or older kids. A great idea would be to sort out their type of fun and implement it into every day, regardless of what their agenda might say.
Tweens and Teens 11-18-years old
If you travel with teens, then you already know what it can bring. They don't have trouble walking for too long and the best of all, teenagers can take on more responsibilities which will lift some weight off your shoulders during a trip. They are avid to experience new things and make new memories that will last a lifetime.
Traveling with teenagers can be truly amazing. They are constantly curious about the world, new languages, cultural differences, and technology. Teenagers begin to build up their own informed ideas of how the world works. And in case you're just taking the plunge with your teens, a traveling experience will open up the world for them.
Taking teenagers to see the world comes with a few challenges too. For instance, they become even more selective regarding who they spend the most time with. At his age, some tend to be more attached to their friends than their parents. And once with puberty, you should expect some rebellion too, let alone mood swings and conviction that their elders know nothing about their "suffering." Indeed, not every teenager will experience the same things, but most of them do, and you should learn when to say no.
