LuxuryTravelDocs' Five-Part Series about the Benefits of Traveling with your Children! Part V: Time

Last time we saw how your children's health is one of the most important gifts you can give them.

LTD presented a 5-part series on the benefits of traveling with our children and some of the science behind why you should make traveling with your children a priority and this is our final part: time.  Here are the five things that your child may gain from family travel that we have highlighted for you by the end of this article:

1. happiness
2. brain development
3. education
4. health
5. time

According to experts, family vacations are the gift that keeps on giving and what better gift is there than time?

Part V: Time

Give the gift of time to your children.  What do we always wish we had more of?  TIME!
There is not a closer bond than the child parent relationship and you may realize this is a difficult section to write... For adults who were children when their parents died, the question is hypothetical but heartbreaking: “Would you give up a year of your life to have one more day with your late mother or father?”  Think about that as a parent with at least one lesson to be learned from this:  Don't miss quality time with your own children.

Would you give up a year of your life to have one more day with your late mother or father? Credit Pexels

At the most basic level, autobiographical memories refer to personally experienced past events.  According to Dr. Krystine I. Batcho, author of Longing for Nostalgia, "In a study of autobiographical memories, one young woman fondly recalled going to baseball games with her father—memories so lasting that the smell of popcorn and grass still revive them."  Of course the big-ticket items are often remembered fondly, but smaller events of special times, can be equally or more meaningful to us as adults.

Studies show that mothers' time in particular activities with children is positively associated with child well‐being, but results are mixed regarding associations between child outcomes and the sheer amount of time that mothers spend with children. 

That’s not to say that parent time isn’t important. It is just that the quantity of time is not as important a factor as the quality of time.  Probably this is because our individual stress and moods are projected onto our children frequenlty.  Plenty of studies have shown links between quality parent time, such as a vacation, and positive outcomes for kids.

A 2013 survey administered by the U.S. Travel Association geared toward family members’ views and feelings about vacation and family travel has produced findings, which, while perhaps not revealing anything all that novel or surprising, do offer some important reminders.

On the younger end of things, just about every child surveyed (more than 9 in 10) agreed that on vacations “I get to spend quality time with my parents,” and most strongly agree that “vacations bring my family closer together.” Youth participants between the ages of 8-18 also strongly agreed that on family vacations they “see and do new things that I’ll remember for a long time,” and that “some of their best memories are of things that I did during a family vacation.” (TravelEffect, March 13, 2013, http://traveleffect.com/news/20130313/us-travel-spring-survey-finds-family-vacations-create-lasting-memories)

At the other end of the spectrum, 75% of vacationers older than 55 agreed that they “still have ‘vivid’ memories of childhood vacations” and 84% reported that “some of their favorite family stories are from family vacations.”

Of travelers over 55, over 84% reported that some of their favorite family stories are from family vacations. Credit Pexels

What  these survey findings seem to remind us, is that when we travel or vacation, we are taking a journey, setting out on an adventure. When we do this with our loved ones, we are giving them the gift of adventure and experience and memory. And these are the greatest gifts we can give.

Remember, if you have questions related to your health, always consult your doctor or medical professional.  The information presented here is informative only and is not medical advice. 

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