Psychology books, Instagram reels, educational memes, I could go on listing all of the different forms of information we encounter on how to raise our toddlers right.
All of it can feel overwhelming as there is already the intrinsic feeling that we will mess up our child somehow anyway, no matter how many books we read.
The immense amount of information flow might have made you forget that most learning actually comes from experience. Living real life and making mistakes.
And what better way to do it than travelling? Your family can explore the world and make memories, as your toddler develops essential skills in life.
Take your toddler on an adventure and watch them grow
Facing the wide, unknown, and unpredictable world will help your toddler evolve and make you grow as a guiding figure. Travelling literally takes the family into an unfamiliar environment where certain decisions and actions are taken for the first time ever.
If you as a guardian offer support for the toddler in such situations, both of your personalities will grow.
Below you will find specific skills that travelling helps to develop in a toddler. If this list won’t convince you to book a flight afterwards, then we’re at least sure you’ll grab your little one and take them out on a mini adventure in your town.
Remember, travelling doesn’t have to be across the continent, there might be a place to explore just around the corner.
Now, onto the list!
13 character skills your toddler develops while travelling
1. Patience – better to have more of it than less
I’m sure Einstein did all the calculations but I wouldn’t be shocked if the way he discovered that time is relative is by spending a day with a toddler. For the little one, everything has to happen here and now, which is why queuing is an inconceivable concept.
Travelling is full of queueing and waiting from airports to museums to a simple restroom queue. The toddler is forced to uncomfortably wait and learn to behave according to the social rules of waiting.
But the best kind of queuing that will develop their patience is when they’ll have to wait for something they really want like a ride in Disneyland or to play with an interactive exhibit in a toy museum.
They will learn that patience is necessary to get what you want.
2. Creativity – the key to success in 2021
What happens when you’re stuck on a train or in a cafe when all of the toys are back in the hotel or at home? You will have an irritated toddler picking at you on your plate.
In this situation, you can guide them in using their own mind to come up with creative ways to pass time. The boredom that your toddler experiences forces them to become creative at passing time.
There are possibilities to be entertained everywhere around them, a toddler just needs to learn to use their imagination.
3. Adaptation – Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
Travelling puts the whole family in a new environment with new smells, noises, languages, etiquette, and so on.
To feel comfortable in an unfamiliar environment, the toddler needs to adapt instinctually. Even just tolerating all the new stimulants will require a toddler to learn to adapt which will greatly apply to their usual daily life at home.
For example, when they’ll join a new sports team or go on a field trip with their kindergarten group, they will already have experienced adaption to a new environment.
4. Tolerance – the world is better when there is more of it
What better way to teach your toddler tolerance than to introduce him or her directly to all the different cultures and people that live around the world?
Travelling to places that are full of people looking or sounding different from where the toddler lives will clearly show how diverse the world is.
Toddlers will learn that the wide world is filled with people that do things differently than at their home. For example, eating with sticks instead of a fork and a knife, speaking different languages or even wearing different clothing.
Just like accepting their sibling’s behaviour, they need to learn how to tolerate masses of people behaving and living differently.
5. Navigation – so they don’t need to follow the stars like our ancestors
Whether it is a navigation app on the phone or an actual map that you will introduce your toddler to, they will learn about the concept of navigating in space.
They will be more exposed to signs, directions, and the whole concept of space. They will also learn that they need to try to remember places or what to do if they get lost.
6. Making friends – we all need them
Of course, there is the kindergarten where your toddler can learn how to make friends but it’s much easier when a group of kids are stuck in the same space every day and the little one can gather their courage for weeks to walk up to someone.
But what to do if they have just an hour at the beach and feel lonely playing by themselves? Here, you can give them a nudge to share their toys with another lonely kid, which will teach them that being selfless is a virtue valued by others.
New environments with less time to find friends will develop their skills in how to make new friends faster. Your toddler will learn to even communicate with other toddlers that don’t speak the same language.
And trust me, it’s quite fascinating to watch. You might even take their example.
7. Open-mindedness – teach them how to be like a parachute, it only works when it’s open
Discovering new places that look and feel different from your home will show your toddler that there’s a lot more than what they see in their hometown or city.
Trying unfamiliar flavours like curry for a European toddler and having new experiences, such as seal watching in Cape Town will open your toddler’s mind. Travelling will teach them that there is more to life than just the little worlds they’re used to. To be accepted in it they have to be open to it themselves.
8. Problem-solving – there will always be problems
Of course, you wish that your little angel’s life is as easy as possible. However, the reality is full of twists and turns and it’s better that your toddler learns how to tackle the issues as they come.
Travelling will offer a number of small problems that your toddler can learn how to solve. From packing his backpack to communicating with kids that don’t speak your language, and so on.
A number of things won’t go their way while travelling and the toddlers will have to learn how to solve the problems if you encourage them to deal with them.
9. Communication – because it’s key
Being thrown out of their usual environment where there is a routine and the toddler is used to his needs being met without asking, travelling will flip everything around.
There are many situations when the toddler will have to push through and learn to communicate in order to get what they really want.
Whether it is a nap or a toilet break, they will be forced to express their needs in order for them to be met.
10. Physical skills – moving won’t hurt nobody
It’s scary how many activities nowadays are sedentary. Toddlers don’t have to move as much to be entertained.
However, going on a trip will one way or another include extra movement and physical activity.
Walking, trekking or even swimming by the beach will develop your toddler’s physical skills and coordination.
11. Responsibility – we all love to avoid it
There is always a toy that you can’t forget when leaving the house because your toddler will get really angry.
Well, travelling can be a chance for you to teach your toddler to be responsible for his own possessions.
They can pull their own little suitcase or with your guidance, they can make sure not to leave their backpack and other possessions every time you leave for another spot to explore.
12. Confidence – put them in a batman t-shirt to add some extra of it
One of the greatest skills that travelling can develop in your toddler is confidence. Confidence in their actions and decisions.
Exploring foreign countries allows the toddler to develop a better understanding of what they enjoy whether it’s running on the beach, climbing mountains or visiting cities.
Travelling includes regular everyday activities that require confidence such as asking directions when lost or struggling to make yourself understood by a foreigner.
Overcoming these adversities will grow your toddler’s confidence immensely.
13. Most importantly, travelling strengthens your family!
Travelling, in general, strengthens family relationships. A good family turns into a great one after enduring a trip with all of its ups and downs.
Experiencing difficulties, making decisions, and having fun making the most of life, all of these different aspects of travelling create unbreakable bonds between family members, between you and your toddler.
Unlock your toddler’s potential: let travel help them learn and grow
Overall, travel can be a great way to help toddlers learn and grow. From increased independence to new skills, toddlers can benefit from the experiences they gain while travelling.
Plus, it helps create lasting memories that will stay with them for a lifetime. So, if you are considering taking a family trip, don’t forget to include your toddler so they can reap the rewards too.
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You may also like to read about what to pack in your toddler’s back pack for the airplane journey, the best travel car seats and best travel suitcases for toddlers.
