As humans, we have a natural, inborn fear of the unknown. It’s why a lot of people refuse to travel. Teaching children that new and unknown places are not scary, but exciting sets them up for a a lifetime of exploration and new experiences and makes them more likely to be successful just based on the fact that they aren’t scared of trying something new.
Traveling with kids teaches them so much! I love seeing my kids and how they develop when we take them to a new and exciting place where they can explore new things and experience new cultures. They love learning about new languages, geography, maps, cultures, landscapes and generally about new places. It also reduces their fears and anxieties about unknowns.
Let me just tell you a little story about my son, Dalton. He was a picky eater. Not only was a he a picky eater, but he was a picky eater with a food allergy. He’s allergic to wheat, rye, barley and millet. We tried and tried to get him to eat more corn-based foods with no luck. He was 5 when we went to Mexico and he decided he wanted to try what the Mexican kids eat. He found a love for tamales that he never knew he had. No more corn quesadillas for this kid! He even tried octopus, just because he wanted to touch it. Now he loves to travel just to try new foods just in case he might find something he loves as much as tamales! We called the whole trip a win just based on the fact that our picky eater is now not so picky!
Marlie Burt
Cassandra