I am huge advocate for solo travel. I often think about how much I regret not doing it earlier in my life, but the huge aspect for me is how much I have learned by stepping out of my house, taking trips to unfamiliar places and doing things by myself. I truly believe that encouraging your children to travel has so many benefits that will follow them through their lives and stay with them forever.

Reasons Why You Should Encourage Your Children to Travel

I can understand why the prospect of your children going travelling can be daunting to some parents, your number one priority from the moment they are born is that they are safe. However there are also other things that you should want for your children as they grow up and develop into adults themselves.

They Become Independent

Unless you’re a bit of a “helicopter parent” who hovers over their every action you should want and encourage your children to grow up making their own decisions, learn from their mistakes and have their own experiences.

They Become Organised

We’ve all done something, made a mistake whilst travelling, but the point is that you learn from them for next time. You learn to check that you have your passport before heading to the airport, you learn to set your alarm and give yourself plenty of time to catch your flight, you learn to make proper arrangements so you don’t end of short of funds and you learn to keep the details of where you are staying so you’re not left wandering strange streets.

They Become More Confident

Now when I say this I don’t mean it will change your child’s personality. If your children are introverts then let them be introverts. When I talk about becoming more confident I mean that simply they’ll become more comfortable with being themselves, doing things by themselves and (if they want to) meeting new people. 

They Learn New Skills

Whether it’s a few words of a new language, surfing, or cooking, there are so many things you can learn whilst travelling. Plus you never know, they might decide that this new experience has become a real passion and it might change their career plans or simply develop into a new hobby.

They See the World

I don’t just mean that they’ll have visited a vast number of countries over their lifetime, I mean that they will have seen that every country on the planet has an issue with poverty, homelessness, pollution, violence, racism, sexism, economic and social unrest. By travelling your children will see both of positive and negative aspects of the world.

Employers Will Love It

Take all of the above points and encourage your children to put them on their CVs. All employers will be impressed by independent, organised, confident, socially aware, environmentally conscious, skilled individuals. 

How do you encourage your children to travel the world?

 Let me know in the comments.