Of course: traveling is something we adults dream about. It may seem selfish to drag your kids along on a long overseas trip. But in many ways, it's incredibly beneficial for the whole family to travel for family vacations - even with the youngest ones:
1. It's often a slightly longer trip, which allows for a lot of presence and quality time. It's also great for the father, who may find it difficult to establish as close a bond with his child during the first year. Travel is a great way to keep the baby entertained. It's for both mom and dad, where it's just you and each other away from the everyday.
2. You get to know your child - and yourself - even better. It turns out that babies are excellent at adapting and don't "break" if things don't go the way they usually do from home. The most important thing for a child is to feel the presence and calmness of their parents. It's contagious - no matter where you are.
3. It's really easy to go on a family trip with toddlers - contrary to what many people think. Most of the time, they are happy as long as they sit on mom and dad's laps and have their basic needs met. That adults have a lot of trouble with a long flight is a whole other conversation.
4. Kids are simply the best Icebreakers to connect with the locals. When we are on a family trip, the locals come to us completely unmotivated and unscheduled, simply because we are traveling with kids. It's like both us and them parade a little lower and there is a mutual openness to dialog. We are often invited to private homes. And we meet acceptance and genuine interest when we travel off the beaten path with our kids.
5.Happy parents produce happy children - happy children produce happy parents.