Your Kids Need Travel More than They Need Sports

Photo by Gary Crow

The number one reason kids need travel is simple. They need to spend time with the travel version of you. I’m not talking about the I-need-a-break-from-life, gotta-getaway travel version of you. Save that for girl getaways or bromance weekends or couples vacations. The parent your kids need to travel with is the fully engaged version of you. Game-playing you. Silly you. Staying-up-past-bedtime-because-there-are-fireflies you. Actually-in-the-pool-splashing-around-with-them you. Sand-castle-building you. Teaching-them-fishing you. Relaxed you.

And that you is a far cry from the Saturday morning soccer sideline dad or the proudly clapping gymnastics mom. Kids need time with “travel parent” more than they need the parent they are performing for when they participate in all those activities that are keeping your family from traveling more.

Let me restate the key part of that sentence in case you missed it: When your kids are participating in sports they are performing for your attention, even when they are doing something they love.

I know that may feel like a punch in the gut. You are busting your hump providing them with a great life. You are there for them. You never miss a game/meet/match/tournament/recital/performance. They need those activities to get them outside and off of electronic devices. Those…