I was super-lucky to get to travel when I was a kid – six months around Europe in a campervan being the most significant chunk of travelling I got to do, and it shaped so much about my life – I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t be a travel blogger and podcaster if that trip hadn’t captured my imagination so much at an impressionable age.
Now that I have my own child, I’m keen to expose him to all the benefits of travel, too. And it seems that as a parent, I’m not alone. In this episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I talk to two travelling fathers who have realised the benefits of travel for their children, too – and then I’ve got my favourite interview yet, one with my own six-year-old son and two of his cousins. Enjoy!
Show notes for Episode 8 – Travel with Kids and Kids on Travel
In Episode 8 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I talk to parents about travelling with their kids, and then turn the tables and talk to some kids about travelling.
First up is Mike Campbell, a fellow Aussie who’s currently spending a year house-sitting his way across the United States with his family. He’s learnt a lot about the differences between travelling as a couple and travelling with a four-year-old daughter. My second guest is Tim Leffel who talks about his teenage daughter’s experience of living abroad in Mexico.
After talking to these dads, I decided I needed to talk to some kids, too, and had a chat with my own six-year-old and his eight and ten year old cousins, all of whom have been lucky enough to travel pretty extensively for their young age. When I asked them if they thought everyone should travel, there was a resoundingly positive answer – and I think we all should listen to them.
Links:
- Mike Cambell’s Live Immediately
- Live Immediately on Instagram
- 5 things my daughter is getting out of living abroad – Tim Leffel
- Tim Leffel’s book on living abroad – A Better Life for Half the Price
You might also like:
On Taking Your Kids Travelling – Episode 66 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
Cross Cultural Kids – Episode 85 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
Child-Friendly Cultures for Travellers – Episode 102 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
Please Travel With Your Children! – Episode 164 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
This was a great show. I recall the first time I took my three girls on a plane by myself. I had just gotten divorced and decided we needed to go to Disney World. Through offers and points, I was able to get us there without spending a fortune. I was nervous since this was a first flight for them in memory and I wasn’t sure if I was up to managing them all by myself. Turns out, I had little to fear. They were natural travellers . We’ve taken many road and camping trips since then and they always do well.
Glad you enjoyed it James. And it’s so true that kids often surprise us (or our expectations of them when we travel are too low) – so glad your trip to Disney World with your daughters went so well! And happy to hear you keep taking them on trips, too. Lucky things!