‘Oh, I’m not sure I can travel again. I’ve got my children to look after…’
I grimaced. If I had a penny every time each of my friends with children said that, I’d have enough to buy a flight to Copenhagen again.
News just in. I’m now at an age where all my friends at home are popping children out like there’s no tomorrow and quite remarkably, each of them say it’s the end of their travelling. I digress. Taking your young children abroad on holiday is actually a GREAT idea! I just need to wait longer to have my own, but if you have children now, it shouldn’t stop you from travelling.
If you have young children and are currently trying to decide on a plan for this summer’s holiday, then there are lots of good reasons to choose a holiday abroad in Europe somewhere rather than staying in the UK. While there are loads of great places you can choose from in Britain, and you can have a great time wherever you go thanks to lots of good quality time as a family, going abroad can present a massive learning experience for kids that will stay with them their whole lives. Of course, if you choose somewhere like Spain, Portugal, Greece or the South of France and head to the coast, you can also have those fantastic fun experiences teaching them to swim in the nice warm sea!
Aside from the almost guaranteed good weather, which we can never really bank on in the UK, here are some of the reasons why taking your young children abroad for the first time is a brilliant thing to do this summer:
Understanding That Places Are Different From Home – But Good!
Depending on how old your kids are and whether they have started school yet, they may or may not already have some understanding that in other countries, people speak different languages, use different money, and other things like that. However, this doesn’t usually make a lot of sense until they actually experience it first hand. When a child is having a really great time and a positive experience on a family holiday, but sees people all around them talking in a language they don’t know, they understand this concept and also that while places are different to home, they can still be fun and the people there are still ‘normal’. This is something that will help them get to grips with diversity and travel a lot more easily as they go on to meet different people and even study languages at school.
Learning to Fly Without Fear
Please be assured I was inside the plane…
Unless you use the Channel tunnel or a ferry – which can also be really interesting new experiences for kids, your first holiday abroad with your young child will also probably mean their first time on a plane. Whether they are excited or apprehensive about getting to go on one of those things they’ve seen in the sky every day, learning at a young age what happens at an airport, and that flying is a positive experience that takes them to somewhere fun, will help them avoid developing a fear of it in later life.
New Experiences
Whether it is trying a new food, swimming in the sea for the first time, doing a new activity, or exploring countryside or landmarks, your foreign holiday can be filled with interesting new experiences that your child will learn from – of course, there can be plenty of new experiences for the adults too!
You can find lots of great child friendly holiday options both overseas, and in the UK by checking out Away With The Kids. It is a good idea to look for holidays aimed specifically at families, so all of your needs when travelling with children are taken care of, leaving you free to enjoy a wonderful time together!
So what are you waiting for? Get your children involved and have an adventure of a lifetime with your family together!
