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Sure, family vacations are fun and relaxing but did you know that they also provide a long-lasting impact on your kids’ overall happiness and growth?
It doesn’t have to be grand or luxurious, it’s all about creating new memories, gaining new experiences and the quality of time spent together.
Now if you are wondering what these benefits are, just keep on reading.
It helps with their brain growth.
According to Child Psychotherapist Dr. Margot Sunderland in her article for The Telegraph, family holidays exercise two genetically ingrained systems in the brain – the play and seeking system, which aren’t usually exercised at home.
“The brain’s PLAY system is exercised every time you bury your child’s feet in the sand, tickle them on the pool lounger, or take them for a ride on your back. The brain’s SEEKING system is exercised each time you go exploring together: the forest, the beach, a hidden gem of a village.”
The more your kids are able to keep these systems active, the more it enhances the development of their brain as well as their personality traits.
It can make your child smarter.
From the same article, Dr. Sunderland associated vacations in enriched environments with higher IQ. An enriched environment is something that offers new experiences that promote social, physical, cognitive and sensory interaction. Traveling provides endless opportunities for your child to experience new things, explore a new environment and interact with new people, thus making them smarter.
It de-stresses them.
If you think adults are the only ones who experience stress, then you are wrong. Statistics show that kids regularly experience stress too, which reflects to short-term behavioral changes. If you want to help your child, a vacation day does a good job as a de-stressor.
It will help them during difficult times.
I’m sure many of you will agree with me that looking back and remembering your family vacations usually put a smile on your face and make you happy. Well, that’s what you call the “happiness anchor” effect, according to John McDonald, Director of the Family Holiday Association.
“Reflecting on our happiest memories of joyful time spent together as a family can be extremely powerful in bringing relief and respite when faced with the darker times that life can bring. By using these memories as an anchor to take us back to more cheerful moments, we’re often able to approach problems with a fresh sense of perspective. But for many without such memories, reigniting a sense of optimism for getting through the tougher times can seem like an impossible task.”
Family vacations are indeed, one of the best investments that you can give your child.
