For several days I was wondering what determines our (parents) propensity to travel with children. Such active travel and not necessarily to the farthest corners of the world. Why, instead of sitting in front of the TV, we want to move with Mania somewhere else than the nearby playground? Here are a few of my thoughts:
1. You traveled, as a child? You will be an active parent.
Both me and Caroline, when we were children, we were “dragged” by our parents or uncles to various parts of Poland and across Europe. While Carolina had driven to the West and South of Europe, my foreign trip took place mainly to the eastern direction :-). We are not, I hope, an unique example that traveling as a child has a positive effect on the propensity to travel in adult life. The funny thing is also that the things that our parents did with us during these trips now they would consider as extremely irresponsible :-).
2. Knowledge, knowledge, and again knowledge.
The lack of knowledge results in a sense of fear of the unknown. Fear fueled by our surroundings. People who, for instance, do not know what looks like life in Chile, but they know for sure that there inhabitants instead of cars use horses, and the nearest doctor is still mixed herbs in a cauldron on the hearth. Therefore, if you feel even a little desire to set off somewhere else, start to look for, rummage and read. It turns out that people who travel with children is a whole bunch, and your idea is not as abstract as it seemed to you at the beginning.
3. Openness to “new”
We are brought up in a society distrustful. Absolutely not trust anyone. In addition, the majority think they know better and know more than others, and when it comes to raising children we reach extremes. Have you ever tried to express yours views on the behavior of other parents towards their children? I would recommend! I also recommend make sure that nearby there are no objects that could be used as a weapon :-). If you are open to other people and their point of view, if traveling with a child is no longer stressful, exhausting, in general ceases to be a problem. If we see parents coming to geothermal swimming pool with their child, this means that our child is also safe and there in no danger, despite the fact that you have to run out a few meters at a temperature of 0 degrees. We need to observe others and let us learn from them, or at least consider the behavior beyond our scheme of thinking.
4. Funds
A lot of texts were written on various blogs about how to travel cheaply with the child, or without a child – the rules are rather similar. If you do not want to spend a fortune on vacation you have to be open to new and have some knowledge (see Para. 2 and 3 ?). If you are also committed to the principle that the child does not have to be sterile and does not have to touch only sterile items, you may find that you can travel cheaply. I will not write it for a pittance, because it tends to privilege reserved for the real hardcore.
5. Partnership, which is comfort for all
Parents traveling with children must be partners! Growing up in a patriarchal culture, we pass most of the responsibility for the children to mothers. It is changing, but still we are far from the average. It seems to me that a lot of mothers decide to postpone travel with children. They know that for them, during the trip, will be mostly unequal fight, which will ultimately lead to frustration than satisfaction of being in a different place than your own home. On their heads will logistic and organization of the whole trip. They will have to wear / carry / dress / feed / put child to sleep, because the guy was not proper to deal with such “ladies” things. If you partners, everything will be easier and does not apply to just travel, but also everyday life. Besides, you will be together again, so at 100%, and I think that what this is all about.
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