1. They help you grow
If there’s one thing my trip to South Carolina with my family has taught me, it’s this: The more I travel, the more I learn about the world, and the more I grow. Travel-loving moms realize they limit their kids’ growth by keeping them in one spot their whole lives. They encourage and even push us to do more traveling so we can experience all the world has to offer.
2. They teach you the value of money — and the value it doesn’t have
Traveling can be very expensive, and oftentimes families need to be frugal in order to afford a vacation every once in a while. I understand this, and I felt bad that we had to spend money in order to spend time together. I expressed these feelings to my mom and this is what she said to me: “Bill, you can always earn more money. Time spent with family traveling and seeing the world is priceless and is far more important to me than paper in my pocket. Always remember that.” Needless to say, it’s a life lesson I’ll never forget.
3. They give their kids the reigns to resolve their own conflicts
One of the worst things any parent can do is smother their kids and keep them from experiencing some of the pain the world has to offer. While I’m sure these parents mean well, by solving their kid’s problems for them, they’re keeping their kids from learning to fend for themselves. During our trip to South Carolina, we had 5 people jammed into a very tiny sedan. There was little to no legroom as all of our things wouldn’t fit in the truck, so some of it sat at our feet. The middle seat in the back was the worst — and that’s what my sister and I got into a fight over. She refused to take the middle seat and locked me out of the car. I got angry and profanities came out. Did mom speak up to stop us, cracking the whip of parenthood? Did she tell one of us to suck it up and sit in the middle? Nope. She let us hash it out for ourselves. Looking back on it now, I didn’t handle it very well — I was a 22-year-old guy screaming at his little sister over a two-foot space in a car for 20 minutes. Yikes. However, 10 minutes after the rage came out, we ended up hugging it out and making up. We both apologized and it was a lesson learned. Mom knew what she was doing the whole time!
4. They allow their kids the freedom to figure out the world for themselves
You know those parents who never let their kids out of their sight? That’s the exact opposite of moms who love to travel. These moms let their kids have the freedom they need to go out into the world. They’re comfortable with their kids getting lost (within reason). Why? Because they know their kids need to figure out how to find their own way themselves. My mom let my sister (age 15) and my nephew (age 8) go on adventures by themselves to the beach and up the road. If they got lost or stuck somewhere, it would give them an opportunity to find their way out of it and learn from the experience (of course, mom was always just a phone call away). So, if you’re a mom who loves to travel, you should feel proud knowing your kids are growing up smart. If you’re the kid of a mom who loves to travel, you should feel blessed to have her in your life.
