How might your kids act when they're strangers in a strange land? And how can you help ensure that your little ones will be at ease?
Debbie and Mike McElroy of Massachusetts were so in love with France that they went to live in Paris for a year when a job opportunity arose. They took their two daughters with them: Erin, then in kindergarten, and Caitlin, who was in fifth grade. During this magical year, they spent as much time as possible touring Europe.
Debbie mentions several issues she found to be key with her girls:
Culture. Before we traveled anywhere, I tried to get books and stories on the area for our girls ahead of time, both fiction and nonfiction. Caitlin and Erin enjoyed this, our sightseeing didn't come as a total surprise, and they got more out of our touring.
Books about the area you're visiting, particularly about wildlife and mythical creatures, make a trip really come alive.
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Food. There is no way to really get kids used to foreign food. Although we tried to please our girls wherever we went, they did have to eat what was on the menu. Luckily, most countries do have basic kids' fare. If kids are too young to read the menu, they can sometimes be fooled. We called duck"French turkey," and our youngest tried it and loved it. It's all in the name
for some.
Social and Cultural Interaction. Walking is the best way for anyone—kids included—to get to know the feel of another country. Our girls fell in love with French pastries, and we enjoyed finding little out-of-the-way parks to eat them in. Whenever possible, we'd take our girls into shops so they could buy something. Not only did they marvel at the fare, but also the interaction with the shop owners was a wonderful cultural experience for all of us.
More Tips...
Dr. Jane Wilson-Howarth, mother of three, British pediatrician, world traveler, and co-author of Your Child's Health Abroad: A Manual for Traveling Parents, offers a few of her own tips for keeping kids happy and for making them feel at home in other cultures:
Books about the area you're visiting, particularly about wildlife and mythical creatures, make a trip really come alive, although some children may be alarmed by temple guard spirits or traditional stories about destruction and mayhem. Other children lap these up.
From the age of about six, many children will enjoy using their own camera, and parents have a wide variety of models, including disposables, from which to choose.
Giving a child a small allowance of pocket money makes wandering in bazaars more interesting.
Finally, don't forget the universally popular diary, in which each child draws or writes something about the day's excitement.
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Article copyright © Alice Cary.
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