Anyone who says, 'Don't travel with kids. They won't remember,' must not have traveled as kids themselves

I am a big fan of traveling with kids early and often. We traveled the world quite extensively before we had kids, so why wouldn't we want our daughter to have the same experiences? I've often heard people say that there's no reason to travel with small children because "they won't remember." I would beg to differ. My theory is that those who say that, never travelled as children themselves or they would realize this is NOT true.

I personally have very good memories of traveling to Australia and New Zealand when I was 4 years old. While I'm sure I don't have the same detailed memories that my parents might have, I have several memorable things that still stay with me in my adult life.

I remember the anticipation and excitement in preparation of the trip. I still remember sitting in my preschool class, soooo… excited that I would be missing school for this new adventure, hardly able to wait to be picked up to leave on our trip. I also remember the special books and activities that my mom brought for me to do on the plane.

As we were preparing to land on the plane, I remember looking out the window and wondering how we could possibly fit in the cars and buildings that were so small. I thought we were flying into a miniature version of our world!

I remember each morning waking up to a carafe of cold milk waiting at our hotel room door. And then my dad and I sneaking and taking the unclaimed milk from one of the other nearby rooms, then drinking so milk much I felt sick.

I remember flying on a small plane and landing on a glacier in New Zealand. Then, the thrill of walking around in solitude of this beautiful glacier.

I remember seeing the cast of the Love Boat (which was very popular at the time!) at our hotel. I remember captivating a group of nuns with my pole climbing abilities, while on a sailing cruise in NZ. And watching sheep shearing…and on and on.

While I will agree that infants probably won’t remember their travels, once kids are old enough to really EXPERIENCE their surroundings, they will remember their favorite aspects. My 2 year old still remembers the name of the first pony she rode while on vacation in Lake Tahoe months ago. Gizmo. Will she still remember this as an adult? Maybe not, but she still remembers it now so it was worth it.

Even if the skeptics are right and kids don’t remember the experience, I still think it’s worth it! Travel creates a spirit of adventure and curiosity in kids. It makes them more adaptable to change, as they are exposed to different environments and people. It is also a real life history or geography or biology lesson and they don’t even know they are “learning.”

Whether it’s a weekend camping trip, a week long road trip or a trip around the world, get out there with your kids! And thirty years from now, I’ll bet they still have great memories from those experiences!!