May 3, 2012

Is There A Perfect Age For Children To Travel? Part 1


“What’s the right age to take kids on extended family travel?”   

“What age is too young to travel to developing countries?” 

These are probably the most common questions most parents grapple with as they dream of a nomadic lifestyle, or at the very least, a few months’ trip away with the family.  With more than one child, you also have to find the right time for all the children involved.  I don't know if there is a perfect age, but this is what we found.  

Our youngest was just 3.5yrs old when we left for our 12-month trip.  Physically she was very able and could probably out-walk her older sister, so we wouldn’t have to worry about whether to take a stroller or not.  She’d been toilet trained since she was 2yrs old, so no need for diapers either.  And without the need for regular daily naps meant that we had more freedom in our day.


Arriving at our first destination, 26 January 2011


Child development experts say that 4-yr olds are at a stage where they are trying to make sense of their world, and at the same time are like sponges for picking up new skills.


But still a part of us worried that she would be too young to ‘get as much’ out of such a trip and that she wouldn’t have much memory of it.  It was a borderline call, and based on the age of her older sister, it was going to have to do.

And although we had not intended on homeschooling, we did ‘unschool’ our kids on the road.  We were happy to discuss a bit more deeply any topic or situation that arose.  For example, when faced with the high incidence of street children in India, we discussed what it would be like for those people to live like that, and how it’s not a matter of choice.  So when our kids found that they an extra dress that they no longer wanted to carry, they donated it to one of these kids on the street. 

Maddy's yellow dress has a new owner.

Now at home, when my 4.5yr old discovers the many articles of clothing which no longer fit her, she matter-of-factly says that we should give it to ‘a poor person’.

Another topic that came up a lot while we were away was religion.  Generally we don’t talk about it much ‘at home’.

Then just tonight, out of the blue as we were driving home after a short trip to pick up dad from the train station, our 4.5yr old states, “Australia is a good country, but when you die, it’s not so good as other countries where you can get born again.” 

Yes, our 4.5yr old was somehow thinking about reincarnation.  Clearly the discussions based on what we saw and experienced during our time in India, Sri Lanka and Bali, where they were predominately of the Hindu religion, had a strong effect.  (We did have another brief conversation about how reincarnation really works—that we don’t chose what we are born again into, nor are we born again as the same person!)

Hindu devotees at a Temple

So now after being home for just over 3 months, it’s encouraging to see that our experiences are still impacting her.  Rather than being overwhelming, travel has clearly given her a more rounded perspective on her place in this world.  Clearly, she’s gotten more than we’d ever imagined from this trip.



13 comments:

  1. Wonderful article! We've been traveling with our son since he was 3 months old. He's almost 3 now and I am amazed by the things he remembers from our travels. Learning first hand how children live around the world is so much more impactful than reading about it in a book or seeing something on TV.

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    1. Wow--traveling since he was 3 mo old! Kids are so adaptable and full of surprises, aren't they?! Like sponges. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  2. I think that travel with children that are any age is possible! As long as everyone is happy!
    Love how she now understands about needing to give clothes to those that dont have any, and she is so right!! About Australia not being the best country for reincarnation - she is one smart little 4 1/2 year old.
    I reckon that kids learn more on the road travelling/life experiences then they can through sitting in class rooms :)

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    1. Yes, I agree--travel at any age is possible, so some ages maybe more 'ideal' than others perhaps? Probably not, always pros and cons!

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  3. Fantastic guys! Our daughter absorbs so much when we travel and I find myself having to attempt some complex explanations!

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    1. Love it when our children make us think! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  4. Ok, first I need to know how you potty trained a 2 year old... We're still lugging diapers around the world.
    Our opinion on travel is that it's never too early. Kayan was 1 and Ava 3 when we started and they are both the better for our RTW journey.

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    1. haha--we got lucky with both our girls with regards to potty training :) we actually tried the Indian method of 'timing' since they were babies, which i think helped bring awareness for them.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. It is really impossible fro the people to travel with very little kids. But i it emergency then they should take extra care of them,Petter Joe

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  6. We are just about to set off with our 8 yr old daughter, we have waited for this age as we think it just about as ideal as it gets; before she becomes too independent and is old enought to appreciate. See un on http://cms.cosseys.webnode.com/

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    1. I think 8yrs old is a great age to travel--and she could probably even carry her own backpack--jealous! all the best on your trip.

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  7. Hi,
    Absolutely love your blog and find it very encouraging. I couldn't find any input on health issues regarding the kids though. Did you experience any problem with your children while travelling? We are thinking about taking our two girls to India when our youngest is around 3.5 and our older daughter is 5. We travelled extensively in the past in SE Asia and we always got ill at some point and particularly in India, but never bothered us. This is my only worry regarding my kids - I don't want them ill, dehydrated and not knowing how they would manage without access to proper medical care nearby. I would be very curious of your opinion. Thanks!

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    1. Hi
      we've written about our experience with local health providers throughout our blog, here and there. Generally, we never got seriously ill, beyond the occasional 24hr dose of diarrhea and sniffles. However, I was hospitalised for a week in Cameron Highlands (Malaysia) with septicemia pneumonia (there's a post) and once in India, our 4yr old had a very high temp that wouldn't go down with regular parecetamol tablets. We brought her to a private clinic nearby and we were seen promptly. She was given an injection of parecetamol which cost us around $1.50. So that's the thing--good medical care IS readily available especially IF you are not a poor local living in poverty. For us $1.50 US is not expensive; for some of the locals, it is a lot. We also visited a clinic/private hospital while in Ponducherry and in Cochin in order to receive doses of vaccinations as we had not had our vaccinations before we left and many require multiple doses.

      Generally I really believe that our kids were much healthier during our year away than if we would have stayed home. They definitely had fewer colds and flu that they normally would have, especially from fellow school mates. 'Proper medical care' is pretty much readily available if you are willing to pay for it. I'd highly advise you to also have travel medical insurance too, especially a policy that has 'Evacuation' coverage to give you real peace of mind (Cambodia, for example, has a terribly inadequate medical system and serious treatments need to be done in Bangkok). However, having said that, the hospital and treatment cost for my 1 week stay in Malaysia (public hospital) was less than $300 USD! My travel insurance did cover it though, along with other payments for my family due to my hospitalisation.

      Use common sense, was your hands before you eat (wash basins are EVERYWHERE in India), drink lots of coconut water(for natural electrolytes against dehydration) and bottled water and GO! South India in particular, was quite easy to travel with kids to! Good luck!

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