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Original poster

Are children missing out if they’ve been abroad?

178 replies

Shopperami · 24/04/2019 11:59

Are children missing out if they’ve never been abroad?

OP posts:
Spidey66 · 25/04/2019 15:08

Don’t know if you’d call it abroad but all my childhood holidays were in Ireland where my father and maternal grandparents were from. I have great memories of them. Most of my fathers family were farmers so coming from London milking cows and watching piglets being born was great fun, and we loved seeing all our cousins. Don’t feel I’ve missed out at all.

SmarmyMrMime · 25/04/2019 15:55

I think variety of experiences are beneficial. That could be the UK or further affield.

We've done AI but if we do, we leave the resort on trips or getting on a public bus to nearby villages/ towns. DS still remembers the jeep ride and markets from when he was 3. We've self-catered and made the most of local restaurants. We camp in the UK and have camped in France & Ireland. We are at a stage where we do some repeat visits to places that the DCs particularly like, in a few years, the joy of digging away on a beach will fade and our holidays will change again.

It is common in my county for kids to rarely leave their small town. They may get a trip/ holiday to the county's default seedy seaside resort, or for the better off a beach holiday to the type of resort where you could be in a warm version of Blackpool/ Skegness/ Weston-Super-Mere and not speak a word that isn't English or live on "British" food.

I remember one girl having missed school for a week to go to Bulgaria. I asked what it was like and she shrugged looked a bit blank and said the beach was nice. If it's the level of purely going to a beach resort and spending the entire time by the beach and pool, the wider benefits beyond a nice week swimming, building sandcastles and getting a tan which you could do at thousands of other resorts with the right climate and a coastline are being missed a bit.

The real value is knowing that the world is more diverse than your neighbourhood, but foreign holidays aren't the only way to achieve that.

I am very priviliged to have travelled to a diverse range of countries through Europe and Asia, but one of the great benefits has been helping me see Britain afresh. 5 days on the Trans-Siberian looking out on silver birches has really made me appreciate the diversity of the British landscape! Tibet has made me appreciate freedom of speech and democracy. Documentaries are great, but being there is incredible.

Going abroad isn't essential, but it is healthy to experience more places than you can count on one hand and they don't have to be far away.

Original poster
Shopperami · 25/04/2019 20:17

Bump

OP posts:
JJR17 · 25/04/2019 20:22

Really in need of some advice. I'm 18 and have a 4 month old son. I split up with his dad a couple of days ago for the final time, as I'd been breaking up with him and giving in and taking him back a day or so later. Anyway, he's been struggling with substance abuse that started while I was pregnant. Long story short, it's still on going, not as much but he still does it&I can't forgive anything he's done to me or my son. I'm just at a dead end because I have no idea how I'm supposed to co parent in this situation. I want what's best for my son, but I don't want to see his dad, and I don't like him going to his gran's for different reasons(where his dad lives). I understand it's probably not possible to avoid these things, but I still love him so much it just breaks my heart completely whenever I see him. I've never felt like this before, or had to deal with anything like this before. Thanks in advance

JJR17 · 25/04/2019 20:24

Sorry I don't use this much. Had no idea if just posted this on a completely irrelevant discussion to my problem. Sorry

ForalltheSaints · 25/04/2019 20:25

I think they miss out if they never study another language and have the opportunity to practice it, but that does not necessarily mean going abroad. Given the number of children in poverty the chance to go abroad or even on a holiday in the UK is not open to everyone.

WaxOnFeckOff · 25/04/2019 20:30

I think it depends. I never went abroad (or on holiday really) as a child. I grew up just fine.

My DC loved swimming and we live in an area where it's rare that they would ever get the chance to swim outdoors - I wanted them to have the experience of being able to go in and out of a pool or sea all day and be in the warmth when they came out. It's actually easier and cheaper for us to go abroad than to get to Devon or Cornwall.

You can have many cultural experiences and do many activities and try lots of different foreign foods etc in the UK, we really are very lucky from that point of view. Lots of nice cities, countryside, mountains, seaside etc so I don't think DC who have been abroad are missing out, but for us that pool and beach thing was something we wanted to do and it wasn't practical to do that in the UK.

padraig123 · 25/04/2019 20:35

Personally I don’t think so and this comes from a women who has taken her kids all over Europe and further afield. I spent a small fortune going to a expensive resorts in Mexico last few years , we swam in caves,swam with dolphins etc. We always try to do a Scottish highlands break or crief hydro as kids love it. Anyway I had booked to go bk long haul this year again and my kids kept asking to go back to the holidays in Scotland and I said we couldn’t as we had a summer holiday abroad booked and they looked disappointed so I asked do I cancel our plans and go a few mini breaks and a week up north or keep our plans and without hesitation they both shouted to stay in our own country!! They are 9 and 6!
My point is I’ve spent a fortune , scrapping money to pay a “luxury” holiday and give my boys the “ best” memories and yet the ones they love the most are the ones closer to home!! A holiday is away from your front door, forgetting ur day to day life and having FUN!!!

GinghamStyle · 25/04/2019 20:36

Both my and DS’s lives have been enriched by travelling abroad. I never went abroad as a child and so I get very excited when we go to Europe and the cars are on the opposite side of the road, everyone is speaking different languages, the foods are different, the street signs are all “in foreign” - it’s absolutely amazing and I can’t wait for our summer holiday this year!

I will never forget the feeling of having DS aged 7 sat opposite me at a cafe in Italy, greedily looking through the phrase book so he could ask the waiter for the bill in Italian!

We’ve only been to a few countries so far and outside of Europe still seems a bit too daunting -and expensive- but as he gets older hopefully we’ll go further afield. Then for the rest of the year, there’s still plenty of the UK for us to discover!

AllCaughtUp · 25/04/2019 20:44

Depends what you mean by abroad.

Experiencing a different country, culture, history etc, then yes.

Going abroad just to sit in a all inclusive complex, by the pool all day, club entertainment by night then no. They can get that at home.

KennDodd · 25/04/2019 21:34

They miss out on boasting to their friends.

I read once (can't remember where) that it benefits children's psychological health to go on holiday to the same place every year.

Having said that my children have been all over the world on lots of different types of trips, we've all loved it. I am becoming very concerned about the environmental impact of this though. I wonder, when our children grow up, if what they'll actually think/say is 'how could we have been so irresponsible given to costs to the environment'.

Original poster
Shopperami · 26/04/2019 10:55

Bump

OP posts:
Downthecanal · 26/04/2019 11:01

Why are you bumping shop have you not got enough research....

Titsywoo · 26/04/2019 11:33

We go on holiday to spend time as a family and get away from the daily grind. That just tends to be where we can afford. We have taken them abroad a few times but mainly it's been this country. They don't appear to be less well rounded than their friends who go to Spain or wherever every year. Yes I'm sure it would be lovely for them to travel the globe and experience all the different cultures but that gets pretty expensive! Camping, centre parcs and the odd driving holiday to France is what they will be getting and I'm sure they won't suffer horribly because of it! Talk about first world problems. I'm sure the majority of the planet isn't able to afford to travel - does that make those of us who can better than them?

SinkGirl · 26/04/2019 11:39

Yes I think so, but then I’ve never been on a holiday where you go to a resort and stay there the whole time - I’ve only been on one AI holiday (to jamaica) and we went on trips out at least half the days.

My twins 2.5 and I can’t even fathom taking them abroad yet, but definitely will when they’re older. I have lovely memories of a child of going to little villages in Germany, France, Greece and Spain with my mum, she was a single mum with two small kids and often took us on holidays on a coach... she was a brave woman!

swimmerforlife · 26/04/2019 11:49

I don't get why people get so pissed off with poor weather whilst on holiday in the UK?! and use that as an excuse to avoid going on holiday in the UK. I have one memorable camping experience when DS1 was about 2, it absolutely poured with rain (tent flooded!) but we still had a good time, still have photos of DS standing in the tent with his wellies on and got to explore even in the wet.

I went to Ibiza years ago with some girlfriends and it pissed down for the whole holiday..

Downthecanal · 26/04/2019 11:51

That’s ok if your in to soggy tents and camping swimmer Grin

SihtricsHorseWitnere · 26/04/2019 12:08

I'm sure the majority of the planet isn't able to afford to travel - does that make those of us who can better than them?

Exactly! Such utter snobbery on this thread.

swimmerforlife · 26/04/2019 12:11

Fair point! I am probably a special case Grin But it was an interesting experience...

Karigan195 · 26/04/2019 12:55

‘I'm sure the majority of the planet isn't able to afford to travel - does that make those of us who can better than them‘

Interestingly done right it’s cheaper to pop across on the ferry and have a holiday in camping friendly France etc than it is to holiday in many places in the uk.....

There’s no reason why people can’t go abroad if they are prepared to drive and camp.

Pootles34 · 26/04/2019 12:59

Karigan you're aware that many can't afford to holiday in this country? Or drive, for that matter?

Karigan195 · 26/04/2019 14:21

I was more pointing out that if you can holiday in the uk you can abroad. But yes I am thanks.

dreichuplands · 26/04/2019 14:27

To be fair my parents couldn't have afforded passports for all of us to go abroad.
I don't think my dc are better as dc than I was because they have been abroad or brighter but they are more rounded and international in outlook.

GinghamStyle · 26/04/2019 17:41

I think that people get too obsessed with a holiday having to be a certain duration or to somewhere popular to “count”. I find travelling with a railcard and staying at Travelodge on a Sunday night makes city breaks very affordable. While there, we visit the cathedral, local museum and park. Stratford upon Avon Travelodge, for instance, is £39 for a Sunday night in August. The park there is fantastic. You don’t have to break the bank to have a break,

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 26/04/2019 17:51

It's not an essential just like many other things but I believe ince old enough to remember things like travel, activities, museums, galleries etc help shape a chid.

Some do travel but never see more than the beach or pool.