Is it good for kids to be in the car for miles and miles on a family road trip?
If your family took family vacations, I bet lots of the cherished or embarrassing family stories are about things that happened on vacation. Why are there so many memories from time away from home?
Novelty.
Novelty is good for the brain, when you are in a new place or new situation, your brain is more likely to take notice. These events make memories.
Road trips are great ways for kids to encounter new places and situations. These new things create brain growth. Road trips can be incredibly sedentary vacations, so families need to be sure to include lots of walking, hiking, biking or swimming to offset time sitting. Frequent stops enrich the trip and offer opportunities for exercise.
Surrounding your children with novelty will deepen their brain development and possibly even help them develop a more inclusive world view.
When is the best time to travel with kids?
Memories
I hear many parents struggle with the decision about when to travel with their kids. The main concern that I hear is, “Will they even remember the trip?”
While it is true that kids do not start to form long term memories until around the age of 7, there are plenty of reasons to travel before then.
Language development is impacted by exposure to the sounds in other languages as young as 6 months old. Keeping them surrounded by novel sounds keeps their brain flexible for longer. By traveling with your infant you are enriching their language development.
Pre-teens remember more than you do about life before 6. I found this crazy fascinating. Adults forget these memories, but young kids do remember their early years, a 10 year old may be able to remember their first birthday party!
While they might not be able to recall those as they age, those memories help them from their attachments in their family. So cool, it’s worth all the work you are doing mama.
So, even if they do not have long term memories of trips taken before they are 7, there are a few more compelling reasons to travel in the early years.
Forming Personality
The brain develops most rapidly before the age of 3. Traveling with a very young child can give them confidence as they grow, extend their language learning, and create connections in and outside of the family.
When a child is very young they are developing their self concept. They are learning who they are and how they feel about themselves.
Travel gives them opportunities to see themselves in the world, they see differences and similarities and it gives them a mirror to see themselves and a window to see into the lives of others.
Family Culture – What is normal?
Traveling with children, no matter their age, may just become a family value.
Children are looking at you to see what is normal. If you want to travel, do it together.
There are so many ways to make travel and exploration normal in your family and this is an area of great passion for me. Here are a few ideas you could try today.
What about all that sitting?
Road trips involve lots of time sitting in the car, and this can be a concern for parents who road trip often.
Be sure to include lots of activities in your trip to keep blood flowing and bodies moving.
Try these ideas to get everyone moving after a long day in the car:
- Get a hotel with a pool and swim. You too mom, swimming is good for everyone.
- Pack a frisbee and throw it around at a rest stop. Be sure to play where there is plenty of space away from traffic.
- Walk when you stop. Every time you get out of the car, walk around for a few minutes.
- Bring the bikes! Truckers who are very health conscious buy folding bikes to exercise in between all that driving. Would this bike on Amazon work for your family?
If you guys have fitness tracking watches, consider offering a reward for everyone who hits their step goal!
Where should I travel with my kids?
When you start planning your road trip, consider starting by visiting a new place that is about 2-3 hours from home.
This will give you the feeling of being far away without adding lots of stops. If things really hit the fan, you can go home.
Start planning by looking up your city on withinhours.com and see what is around you. This site will tell you all the major cities and attractions that are, you guessed it, within the hours you choose from your city.
Even if you are starting small,
Don’t put off the big trip. Take it now.
It is not just because life is short, even though it is. It is not just because childhood is short, even though it is.
Science tells us that novel experiences stimulate brain growth. No matter how old your child is, the trip will help them grow in confidence and intelligence.
Traveling as a family can also reduce stress, decrease the chance of divorce and strengthen family bonds. If you plan it correctly (the science tells us how, I give you the exact recipe.)
Should my kids miss school to travel?
Whoo-hooo, this is a hot button issue for many parents. I am a licenced teacher and I have spent 6 years in the classroom, so I know that side of school absences.
There is some evidence that students who travel do better in school, the compulsory attendance law requires children under 18, who have not graduated, to be in school. If your child misses too much school, expect a visit and a court date.
So, should you pull your student for that dream vacation?
You need to talk to your child’s school. Private schools may be more lenient with absences, or your child may be able to engage virtually while on the road.
Each school will have their own policy, but do not be shy about suggesting creative solutions. Could your child join class virtually via facetime or google classroom?
What about that beginning of the year meeting when you schedule classes. Ask which teachers run class websites. Those teachers are already set up for your student to work remotely.
Elementary vs High School
The difference between traveling in Elementary School is that your child has one main teacher. This simplifies communication between the family and the school.
When you miss school in High School there are 5-7 classes with different teachers with different expectations. This makes it harder to coordinate an absence.
While the choice to miss school is personal to each family and each situation, I recommend you plan to minimize absences in middle and high school.
Should we homeschool?
I am biased, but I say yes.
When you look at your family bucket list, do you see lots of trips that won’t fit in school breaks?
Plan ahead and take a year at home.
It is very simple in most states to withdraw your student from school, and returning to school will vary in each district. So in your research phase, ask in your local mom’s group what it takes to re-enroll in your district. A commitment to homeschool does not have to be forever.
Unless your child is in high school, credits and grades are of little importance. Students will be placed with their same age peers 99% of the time when enrolling in public school.
If you KNOW that homeschool is not for your student, or your family. Try K12. It is an online public school, so it is tuition free and completely online. I have a great friend who loves using this resource for her child. It fits their life perfectly.
There are other options too, and you can read about 8 options in this article, I bet there is at least one that you didn’t know existed! See if there is something there that will fit your family’s needs.
What is Worldschooling?
The defining characteristic of worldschooling is an emphasis on travel as education.
Worldschooling families may join a group of other worldschoolers or they may just take extensive vacations on school breaks. Some families choose to enroll their children in school abroad while traveling and some are homeschooling their children.
You can learn more about worldschooling, and a few other options in this article.
So, is it a good idea?
Traveling with your kids, no matter their age, will stimulate brain growth. If you can find time and money, a trip is a great investment in your family life.
Trips do not have to be elaborate European vacations to make a difference in your family’s dynamic. Try one of these almost free vacation plans, or plan a trip for $100 and GO. Go this weekend.
The best time is now.
