When we become independent, we look forward to taking advantage of this newly acquired autonomy. We focus on building our careers, our families, and our routines, and the time we spend with our parents is drastically reduced.
Why should you travel with your parents
Maybe we share holidays or we visit them and accompany them in some daily tasks; however, quality moments are becoming increasingly rare . That’s why we invite you to travel with your parents as adults and enjoy all the benefits that come with it.
Since then, it is the friends or the couple who have become traveling companions.
Discovering new cultures, exploring new cities and visiting different landscapes hand in hand with your parents may seem strange to you; it is even possible that they too refuse to live these adventures. However, there are several reasons to do so and we want to share them with you below.
Why travel with your parents?
If you are a traveler, you will already know all the benefits that these small or large getaways bring us. However, experiencing them in the company of your parents can be even more rewarding. And here are the main reasons:
Traveling makes us happy, and that has been proven time and time again. Getting out of the routine and living new experiences helps us reduce daily stress and experience more positive emotions . But this happiness arises even before leaving home, and we have seen that planning a trip and anticipating all that we will experience improves subjective well-being and life satisfaction.
This extra dose of excitement can be especially beneficial for seniors . And it is that certain events that occur at this stage (such as retirement, empty nest syndrome or the loss of loved ones) can increase the risk of apathy, dysthymia or depression. In this context, the anticipation of traveling with your children can be a great mood booster.
But parents are not the only ones to benefit from these experiences; for children, it can also be a great source of gratification . In fact, although it is sometimes seen as an obligation, traveling with relatives is a great opportunity to chat with them, increase camaraderie, do things of mutual interest and enjoy each other’s company. . Something that can be very enjoyable, challenging and satisfying.
One of the hardest parts of aging is feeling like you’re no longer needed. When children become independent, parents may experience a shift in their identity (surely built tightly around fatherhood and motherhood). Gradually, they begin to feel more distant from their offspring, less useful and necessary for them, and less taken into account.
For this reason, offering them a shared trip is a great way to express the importance they continue to have for us. And it is that, despite the fact that we no longer depend on them, we continue to need and appreciate their support, their advice, their experience and their company.
Helps strengthen ties
As we said, the quality time we share with parents as adults is increasingly scarce. Work, family, and personal obligations on both sides can make it difficult to find time together. If we want to continue to maintain these links that unite us to our parents , traveling is an excellent way to achieve this.
And it is that it is an experience in which there are no schedules or pressures, in which we can talk, generate intimacy, rediscover ourselves and, ultimately, spend quality time with each other to others. Family tourism allows you to improve communication, strengthen bonds and increase bond satisfaction.
Although seniors are in the last third of their lives, that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy personally fulfilling and transformative years. This stage is conducive to reflection, analysis of values and priorities, and broadening of personal perspective. And, in this respect, nothing is more appropriate than to travel for personal fulfillment.