There are four tips, easily applied to any situation or country, which will go a long way to guaranteeing a fun and memorable trip:

Observe

Do a bit of research about the country you’re visiting. When booking direct with an operator they will be well versed and able to supply you with any information regarding customs and expectations for the destination. On a solo trip? Check with local tourism offices and once you’re on the ground take some time to look around. If you learn that shorts are frowned upon, wear long pants or skirts. You’ll be more comfortable if you don’t stand out unnecessarily.

Make children a part of the pre-trip learning process. Their excitement for the upcoming vacation will increase the more they get to know where they are heading. Customs, such as removing shoes prior to entering a Buddhist pagoda or greeting a shopkeeper in France with a, “Bonjour Monsieur (or Madame),” are important to know and will help children acclimatize quickly on the trip.

Listen

When travelling, listening is a valuable skill. Encourage children to notice how people speak to one another. Tone transcends language barriers and in certain countries, people express themselves in less boisterous ways than in others. This doesn’t mean shushing ourselves (or kids), but occasionally adjusting our volume. There’s a reason visitors to cathedrals speak in hushed tones; it shows respect for fellow travellers and those who are there for spiritual reasons. The same when dining out; know when to sing out loud — in a beer garden in Germany — and when to speak quietly — in an intimate restaurant where tables are closely set.

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Keep An Open Mind

Children are generally non-judgemental and open to new experiences, so there’s not much to teach them in that regard. It might be worth reminding them that people live with different circumstances and that we can all learn from one another. In some countries, children finish their schooling young. In others, boys and girls have different societal roles. Left to their own devices children will find a way to communicate with each other and some of the best travel experience they will have is unstructured, unplanned play time with other children.

Be Flexible

Greet new experiences with enthusiasm and your children will too. There will be times during a trip when plans derail — it happens — and nothing will take the joy out of a vacation quicker than not being able to adjust and move on. Children generally feel at ease with certain structure and knowledge for what is to come, but that isn’t always possible. When they see their parents calmly adapting to unforeseen situations, it will ease any trepidation they might feel. Flexibility in travel equals enjoyment in travel.

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It is a privilege to discover the world as a family. The planet is huge and there are so many nooks and corners and people to discover. Family travel is like mom and dad going to school with their children, but without textbooks to lug around and dates to memorize. The value of learning about the world and its diverse cultures cannot be measured and can only happen if we model respect in our own behaviour. Adults know not to run around airplanes, shouting and disturbing other passengers, and children can do the same. It’s simple, really. There’s a traveller’s code of conduct and it is spelled R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Teaching children to appreciate customs and different cultures has multiple benefits: it opens young minds to the beauty in differences and allows the people whose countries we visit to feel valued and understood. Any success in parenting young travellers will be measured in how well children can adapt and fully live every experience.

Written by: Katja Wulfers

Katja Wulfers is a freelance travel writer who’s visited four continents so far and has been carting her children around the world with her their entire lives. She’s taught her kids how to pack lightly, order a meal using elaborate miming techniques, and sit on a plane for 15-hours. Now they’re flying off on their own and she couldn’t be prouder.

Katja also writes about culinary travel, food, and family and her work has been featured onYummy Mummy Club, Life In Pleasantville, and Canadian Living as well as other publications.

The post How to teach children to observe and respect the cultures you’re visiting. first appeared on Smiling Albino.

Travel is good for kids. But do you know why?

Travel teaches our children things they couldn’t learn any other way. Things like confidence, competence, and cultural diversity.

Travel shows our kids that the world is bigger than they are, and that people are different… and very much the same. Taking our children traveling is an investment into their future, and into the type of person they will become.

Here are a two of travel’s major benefits and a couple of tips for making travel with kids easier on you.

Travel Enhances Brain Growth

Studies show that the greater number of experiences you introduce a child to (or an adult, for that matter), the greater — and faster — their brain develops.

Mothers have known this instinctively, which is why they shake rattles, talk to their babies, and have them touch different textures.

“Everything a child sees, hears, thinks, and touches transfers into an electrical activity. Each time the brain is stimulated, the experience rewires the brain.” 

Parents will take their children to the petting zoo, the park, aquariums and museum, with the intent of expanding their minds by introducing them to new experiences.

Travel takes that concept one step further, because it helps to increase the amount, and diversity, of new experiences in your child’s life, literally increasing neural pathways and enlarging your child’s brain.

So instead of petting zoos, it’s safaris, crocodile preserves, and elephant rides; we can still visit the the aquarium, but there’s also beaches and snorkeling; Latin or Asian music; Hindu temples; boat rides and plane trips.

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Travel Builds Confidence

We’ve all seen our child’s confidence grow when they master a new skill. It starts when they can dress themselves, read a book on their own, or swim across the pool.

Traveling together offers additional opportunities for them to move beyond their comfort zone and learn new things. Whether it’s converting into the local currency, or saying ‘hi’ to a friend in a different language.

Even something as simple as learning a language has huge implications for your child’s development.

Jessie Wise, in her book The Well-Trained Mind, states that,

“The study of language shows a young child that his world, his language, his vocabulary and his way of expression are only one way of living and thinking in a big, tumultuous, complicated world.”

Exposing children to new languages contributes to an expanded global perspective, sharpens their cognitive skills, and increases understanding of their native language. Plus they’ll develop a greater appreciation of cultures, and most importantly, the ability to make friends of other nationalities.

So travel is good for your kids, but how can you make it easier on you?

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Tip 1: Travel Longer

This may seem counterintuitive, but traveling longer with your children (taking mini sabbaticals) will make the entire experience more enjoyable (and less stressful) for the entire family.

Spending two months during the summer in one location gives you the chance to really ‘settle in’ and fully experience the local ‘feel’, without the pressure of ‘seeing it all’ during your two week vacation, which ultimately leads to burnout.

You can do this by setting up a home base, by renting a house or condo, and then take weekend and day trips from there. Imagine all the additional adventures you could be enjoying with your kids when you have time to stop and smell the roses.

Tip 2: Get Help

Don’t expect to do or know everything yourself. Get help from those who have been there or know the area. Research online, use guidebooks, find Facebook groups and ask them the best places and things to do. Take your spouse, or an aunt or uncle for extra hands and eyes. Hire tour companies to handle the details of your day or week trips.

The most important thing is to not get overwhelmed by it and create unpleasantries instead of lifelong memories. Know that when you travel you’re doing good things for your kids.

Written by: Rachel Denning
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The post Benefits of Travel for Kids: Plus Tips for Making it Easier first appeared on Smiling Albino.