Why Family Travels Matters

When my kids were little, we relocated to Tokyo, Japan. Over our years abroad, we embraced Japanese culture and explored Southeast Asia, all the while experiencing the challenges and rewards of living as foreigners. Not long after arriving home, I took them out for pizza. Polite chit-chat with a guest at the next table revealed that we’d just moved from Japan. “How fascinating!” the woman squealed with a wide smile. She turned to my four-year-old son and asked him to say something in Japanese.

“ABRACADABRA!” Chase confidently declared. The woman’s smile vanished. I sank under the table, mortified.

Had our four years on the other side of the world amounted to nothing but gibberish? Did my kids remember anything about our life abroad?

I didn’t need to worry. Time would prove just how much of an impact our family travels had on our kids. I only needed to be patient.

Traveling with kids is hard work. Anyone who says it isn’t is lying. But the benefits of family travel are worth it, even for young kids. There are countless reasons to postpone family travel; it’s too complicated, there’s a language barrier, it’s hard to get around, we won’t be able to relax, they won’t even remember it.

Those are pretty compelling reasons. Traveling with kids is complicated, especially when there’s a language barrier. It is harder to get around. You won’t be fully relaxed. And, they may not remember anything at all.

But—

The benefits of traveling with kids are just as compelling, not to mention well-documented. Travel shapes us on multiple levels, regardless of age or awareness. Travel teaches us empathy, kindness, and tolerance. Travel ignites a love of the world that can alter our life’s trajectory. Travel boosts development and makes us more adaptable humans. Exposure to other languages, even as early as 6 months old, shapes our linguistic abilities.

As parents, we strive to create lasting memories for our kids. From the moment we first hold them, we want to give them the world. Many people postpone travel upon starting a family. But those who don’t will discover they’re members of a small and exclusive club. The cost of membership? Enduring long-haul flights with restless babies, battling jetlag, navigating unfamiliar food choices, and overcoming logistical obstacles.

But, jetlag can be overcome, strollers are overrated, and kids will survive a week without Cheerios. The benefits of family travel aren’t always visible, but they do exist.

So what are these benefits? First of all, when we travel with kids, we expose them to beauty beyond the confines of their everyday lives. Whether it’s geothermal pools in Iceland, redwood forests in California, Buddhist shrines in Kyoto, or the fall foliage in Vermont, these scenic moments, whether remembered or not, will leave a lasting impression on a child’s mind. An early appreciation of beauty will only continue to grow over time.

Secondly, kids who travel tend to be more confident, as they are more used to navigating unfamiliar situations. They interact with people who don’t speak their language, immerse themselves in diverse cultures, and learn to ask questions and embrace curiosity.

Thirdly, parents who take their kids on trips have unique education opportunities. Travel provided countless teaching moments. ‘Vietnamese people eat rice instead of pasta because rice grows best in a tropical climate.’ And, ‘This is Buckingham Palace, where the King of England lives.’ Or, ‘Mt Fuji is very tall and is shaped like a triangle.’ Every trip becomes a lesson in geography, history, and math.

Lastly, travel is known to improve mood and physical and mental well-being. Travel often invites an opportunity to walk, hike, and enjoy fresh air in a way unlike our car-dependent lives. Nothing lifts spirits and energy levels like the outdoors. As parents, our moods are as contagious as the common cold. Kids look to us to determine how they should react in new places and situations. Our happiness and contentment in unfamiliar places affect our kids’ happiness and contentment.

When our kids were in their early teens, we traveled to South Africa. Our daughter’s hormones raged with such ferocity she scared the lions. Sibling rivalry became an Olympic sport, with our children vying for gold.

The trip was complex and my husband and I wondered if we’d finally pushed this family travel thing too far. Our Cape Town itinerary included volunteering in soup kitchens, exploring the Bo Kaap Muslim community, and hiking Table Mountain. Later in the trio, multiple safari drives would test patience. Because to view the wildlife, hours of driving along rugged terrain and long moments of stillness are part of the journey.

Yet, despite some occasional bickering, our fears were unwarranted. The African bush tamed our two wild beasts and we bonded as a family in a way I couldn’t have predicted.

Fast-forward five years. Our daughter decided to take a gap year between high school and college—spending six months of the year in Africa. In Namibia, Ella participated in an anti-poaching campaign, cared for orphaned cheetahs, and lived in tents without plumbing. In South Africa, she worked the fields of an organic farm and later sold the produce at a market in Cape Town.

Would Ella have seized this opportunity if we hadn’t traveled to Africa all those years ago? Unlikely. Our family travels exposed her to cultures and customs that made her gap year a reality. Family travel matters.

It’s not lost on me that one of the reasons I’ve dragged my kids around the world is somewhat selfish. I travel with my kids to witness their curiosity. I still remember the look on my son’s face as he peered into a Japanese koi pond—mesmerized by the iridescent orange scales catching the sunlight. I recall my daughter’s delight as she was showered with pale pink cherry blossom petals on a windy day in Tokyo, pretending they were snowflakes.

I can admit it now, but there were times I questioned if those days mattered. If they were going to have an impact on our kids’ lives the way we’d hoped. If those early years of travel were wasted on them. But then something always pops up to erase any doubt.

For instance, when Ella was in elementary school, a new family arrived from Madagascar. Chiara stood on our elementary school blacktop clinging to her mother’s hand, visibly scared. My daughter approached Chiara and asked, “Are you new? My name is Ella.” Later, I asked what prompted her to reach out to Chiara. “I was new last year’ she replied, I knew how she felt.”

Emotional and social intelligence go hand in hand with travel. The more we travel, the more we are exposed to new things, new people, new customs, and new foods. Oftentimes, language barriers aren’t barriers at all—especially when young kids are involved.

When Chase was five years old, we traveled to Cartagena, Colombia. One afternoon, we stumbled upon a square where a group of kids were playing soccer. Chase ran out to join them, despite not knowing a word of Spanish. We watched them play from a nearby bench, realizing how little language mattered.

Today’s travel moments become tomorrow’s best travel memories—even if the moment was challenging. Especially if the moment was challenging. Those are the stories we recount each year at the Thanksgiving table. The ones that get the most laughs. The ones that bring us the most joy.

Family travel offers lifelong benefits. The sooner we start traveling with kids, the easier it becomes. Because one day, we’ll wake up, and just like magic—ABRACADABRA, our kids will be adults. Don’t wait.