Should kids go on holiday abroad every year?

Also I don't think a top job in an International Company is necessarily evidence of being well rounded. Two different things.

This is an interesting take on the subject, but I wonder whether the age of corporate globetrotting isn’t coming to an end, due to political and environmental reasons.

Not at all. Just thinking of my own childhood, when I didn’t leave the UK (bar one day trip to Boulogne on the hovercraft) until I was 13; and then the joy I had cycling round Europe by bike, or bus-packing through North Africa when older.

You haven’t really demonstrated the argument that travel opens your mind to other people’s viewpoints, there.

There’s a lot of black and white thinking on this thread. Not all holidays are pointless, only staying in a resort and gaining no cultural experience (which anyway has its own benefit). Not all cultural experiences are going to create super well rounded individuals. Not all intelligent and well rounded people have been abroad. Going abroad for arseholes won’t make them wonderful and caring. Two weeks in Spain will not make your child bilingual, nobody’s saying that. Surely it’s a two-pronged bit of reasoning; can you afford it, and is it something you want to do?

Travel is a massive luxury, yes. Doesn’t mean there’s no benefit to anyone in doing it. If you can’t afford it, but want to, that’s not great. If you have no interest in travel, that’s fine too! I don’t get the hate for travel for people who can and want to do it. People who travel a fair bit, speaking for myself, are not then going without trips to museums or other extra curricular experiences - it’s not necessarily one or another.

I have been on lots of trips with my kids. We plan and get involved in local culture, learn a few words, look up the stems of the language and way people communicate. What’s considered rude/polite and why? How did their cuisine develop (me and my kids eat more than chips)? We relax, switch off from work and school and immerse ourselves in another world - whilst yes also lolling about round the pool and eating ice cream. I don’t think my kids would be ruined by not doing any of this, but we have a brilliant time, and we do engage with the customs of wherever we are. Why does it have to be a waste of time just because it’s not a priority for some people? Many people can afford it, but choose not to do it. Some people can’t afford to do it, but equally don’t want to go abroad anyway.

My kids are ND and get a lot out of being away. Some will hugely struggle and cope better at home. It’s like arguing over what someone’s favourite dinner is. Everyone’s got individual preferences and budgets.

In answer to the original question, travel IS a luxury, of course. Does it make people more well rounded? No. Being well rounded takes a lot more than going on holiday. My kids travel a lot and are well rounded, but we have a house full of books, watch a lot of documentaries, they do a lot of free after school stuff and we go to free museums and galleries. I’ve also been open with them about life and people and the world around them. I’ve removed toxic people and situations from their lives, engage in their education. Travel is just a (for me) fun add on.

When I ask my DC about their best holiday ever, they answer the summer when their friends came to ours every day and I took them to the "dinosaur park" with said friends. It was literally friends arriving, a bit of play at home, then we packed a picnic and off to the park!
They were in primary school and I agree, they had a ball!
(I was made redundant and offered a bit of childcare during the summer holidays for DC's best friends!)
As teenagers it's the one where we went abroad to a theme park... because they didn't have the long queues.
2nd & 3rd are always varios camping trips with amazing swimming pools and a hiking trip where Dad got lost, then all the fancy & cultural stuff like a city break in Rome...
🤦🏻‍♀️

So yes, take it from me its a luxury and DC are really not that bothered about where they have all the fun experiences during their long school holidays!

Here

Interail passes are cheap and include both journey to St Pancras and the eurostar. €500 for 2 adults ( under 11s are free) that's cheaper than some UK breaks.

Grew up in the 60s and 70s. Never had a holiday abroad. My dad had served iin the war and had had enough of abroad. Don’t think it did me any harm. We had a seaside holiday in the UK every year. My first trip abroad was a sixth form trip to France. Certainly done my share of travelling as an adult.

Honestly for an adult, I do find that a very small life yes. I’m not saying he’s traumatised by it, but it’s certainly unusual.

I was keen to take DS on a plane and a foreign holiday to give him the experience and take advantage of the 'cheap', 'out of school holiday' prices the year before he started school. I feel fortunate to have done this. He's coming to the end of primary now and we've still only done it once.

I know lots of people who go abroad every year. Im not super wealthy but due to mostly good luck I know I'm likely financially better off than most of them. But going abroad just isn't a priority for me so it doesnt represent value and that's my decision. It would annoy me that people might make assumptions about my finances based on this. Not because I'm that bothered myself but because people who simply cannot afford it might feel they are falling short when they really don't need to.

I grew up in the 1970’s and didn’t go overseas till I was 21. DH family were very wealthy so he did. Even his great grandparents toured Europe extensively before WWI. All his immediate family speak multiple European languages. I know with apps it’s all changed now but it’s still handy.

It is a luxury, DS has been lucky enough to go overseas with us every year, we went three times one year, apart from the 2 years of covid. He doesn’t remember it from before age 5 though. One of DS favourite was when we hired a canal boat for a week in Warwickshire when he was 13. that’s almost a decade ago, the price has now doubled and it’s 2k to hire a boat for a week so possibly cheaper to go overseas.

I have an 8 year old on oxygen, flying is a complication we just can't sort, and hours driving abroad doesn't work either. Not sure if that will ever change. I don't think I've let him and his brothers or ruined their life chances.

I grew up dirt poor and my first trip abroad was to Germany on exchange when I was 18 and doing A-levels. It hasn't done me any harm.

Mine are 6 and 8 and have only been to France once and Spain once. We aren't going this year either. We have 3 camping trips organised and a week in a caravan. We do loads of little outings and weekends away throughout the year. My kids aren't deprived for not going abroad every year.

My husband has never been out of the UK...I wonder if he's okay?

I never left my country (Australia) until I was in my 20’s and had a ‘proper’ job. When I finally went I reaaaallly appreciated it because I’d waited so long.

Would the OP think I’m not well rounded?

Much better for children to go less often and really appreciate it than just expect a fancy trip abroad every year.

If you live in the SE corner of England maybe!

Absolutely not necessary, but if you want then to experience other cultures get the ferry/eurotunnel to Calais and drive - northern France, Belgium, Holland etc don't take long to get to, and are beautiful. Far cheaper than flying and potentially easier than doing airports with kids

Of course it's a luxury- plenty of people don't go abroad but still have fulfilling lives.

We have been abroad with our son and are going again this year. We have also had plenty of years where we have had holidays in the UK and a year where we didn't go away. All have been lovely.

It's a luxury and many who take their children on holiday abroad make sacrifices elsewhere. My children don't do many activities but we went abroad twice last year (Italy and Spain). This year we will go on a bigger holiday outside of Europe plus a U.K. festival, but again, we make sacrifices elsewhere. Two years ago we couldn't afford to have luxuries including a holiday (U.K. or otherwise).

Yes it is a luxury that a lot of kids sadly never get, inside the UK or abroad. Definitely a nice to have.

I am one of those people who doesnt feel it's a holiday unless it is abroad, but there are plenty of great days out here in the UK.

We did a cheap and cheerful week in Devon last year. It was awful, weather crap, accom rubbish, not a lot to do. We came home early and I bitterly wish we had spent the £500 or so on days out instead.

I'll never do it again, if we cant afford an abroad holiday, likely next year as we are hoping to move, we will do a series of days out instead.

Loved foreign travel before DD but with DD I found it a phaff and bloody expensive. Went to Greece with DD when she turned 13 and it’s still an expensive phaff but I enjoy exploring new places and sharing new places with her.

Not yet had the spare cash to holiday abroad. Oldest is 12 years old. She's lovely and well rounded.

Is NOT critical.

Unless you are taking them completely off-piste, staying with locals, eating local food and happy with local entertainment, rather than an all inclusive or some other tourist package, then no, they are not missing out by not going abroad.
If you only want the chips with everything holiday, no point

It’s one of the many things that feeds into growing up with privilege. And privilege definitely plays a part in outcomes. There’s no denying it. In isolation however you could argue that foreign travel as a child in itself is critical.