There are a lot of reasons to travel. Travel provides new experiences in new places, and it allows for adventure and relaxation at the same time. Having travel experiences creates enriching memories and an appreciation for the world beyond your normal life. Traveling as a family is one way to share these feelings and lessons as a family unit. It’s an opportunity to teach these lessons to children, and share experiences with your spouse.

My travel experiences with my family growing up and with my own family as an adult are some of my most cherished memories. I remember the lessons taught to me by my parents, the breathtaking experiences shared with my siblings, and my plans for travel as an adult. With my own family, I relish the same lessons I get to teach, and live for the memories and experiences they absorb. Traveling with family is important in the same way that any travel is important, but it also creates a bond in the family unit that can’t be replicated.

Creating Memories

Traveling with your family is important because it allows the entire family to make memories and have experiences together. These memories help to shape relationships and build how a person sees the world. Traveling can be a practice in being present, so doing this as a family allows everyone to be present with each other and focus on the family unit. Take photos, do activities that benefit everyone, and focus on how that trip can help build memories together.

In addition to creating memories, you should also focus on safety while you travel. Whether you’re flying while pregnant or with an infant or if you’re driving to your location, be sure you’re focusing on seatbelt and car seat safety for kids in both of these settings. Oftentimes, the travel is the most stressful and dangerous aspect of a vacation. Once you’ve prioritized travel safety, the rest of your trip can focus on creating memories.  

Relaxing as a Family

Everyone needs to relax, even children. Including the whole family in your travels shows them that you can relax and get away together. Though sometimes alone time is good, finding ways to relax as a family is a great way to foster calm and togetherness that will carry over into home life after the vacation is over. Whether it’s going to lay on the beach with some good books or taking a family yoga class, you can find relaxing activities to do together that will benefit everyone.

It is important to remember that travel can be a stressful activity for some people. If you or someone in your family feels some form of travel anxiety, work on ways to keep calm on your travels to be sure the whole family can relax during their vacation.

Creating New Experiences

Traveling as a family is not just about making memories, it’s also about creating new experiences. These experiences have a hand in how you think about the world in a variety of ways. For kids, it’s hard to imagine a world beyond what you’re used to. This is why these new experiences will help to broaden their horizons and give them insight into other people, places, and ways of life.

How you choose to explore the places you travel to is up to you and your family dynamic, but some activities can help you to experience a travel location to the fullest. These activities include meeting the locals, eating local cuisine, journaling about your experiences, or traveling off the beaten path to experience a location in a more authentic way.

Learning How to Travel Responsibly

The more you and your family travels, the better they will be about it. Just like anything else, the more you do it the easier it gets. Initially, travel can be a hassle. It can be stressful, scary, or overwhelming for kids and adults alike. In addition to that, there are certain things about travel etiquette you might not know until you do it a lot. Traveling as a family will allow you and your children to learn about how to travel responsibly so that everyone feels comfortable and familiar with the process.

From a financial standpoint, teach your growing kids about the financial side of traveling. Talk about things like knowing if you need credit card travel insurance as well as airline insurance. Talk about keeping your valuables secure and currency exchanges. Talk about flying rules and safety tips. Discuss what to do in an emergency. Flights, drives, and other forms of transportation all involve their own etiquette and rules for travel, and it’s helpful for kids to see that process.

Not only is responsible travel about keeping yourself safe and learning about being in a new place, it’s also about eco-friendly travel. Teach the family about eco-friendly locations for travel and what that means. Talk about the importance of avoiding plastic water bottles, buying local, and walking when you can. Remind kids to never litter and to respect customs and laws in the location they are visiting. Creating responsible travelers is another aspect of your responsibility when traveling as a family.

Teaching Appreciation

Traveling as a family is an opportunity to learn appreciation, and teach that to the family — especially the younger ones. It’s about appreciating time together and being present with family at all times. It’s about understanding that travel is a privilege that many families don’t get. It’s learning about a new location as a family and appreciating the values and culture of a location unlike your own. Take the time on your travels to talk about appreciation for each other, your experience, and the location you’re visiting. This will help teach travel appreciation in a mindful way.

I love travel in every form, no matter where I’m going. For me, who I’m with changes the entire feeling and mood of my travels. Traveling alone makes me feel empowered. Traveling with my spouse makes me feel intimate and adventurous. Traveling with my family helps me to feel a sense of responsibility and creates a feeling of closeness with them. Traveling is important, no matter which form it takes because it’s a way to experience the world around us. Traveling with family is important because it turns that experience into a closeness we won’t get in our own backyard