Kids nowadays are often disconnected, cynical and less interested in what’s happening around them. It may be due to the effects of too much internet use, online games and gadgets. Their focus and interests have shifted and your mission is to bring their attention away from digital connectivity to real connections with real people, real issues and real places. Time for a family give back vacation?
Yes – why not introduce family volunteer travel to your kids? It’s a growing movement, contributing time and energy to a variety of projects to make a difference in the world. Whether it is helping at a women and children’s center or assisting in a kitchen soup, families are bonding with each other, contributing change and introducing children and youth to the value of giving back while on luxury vacation.
The service component of your family give back vacation will take your kids out of their comfort zone and help them realize what matters most in life. They’ll get to see how other people live – the real world. You will appreciate the changes in your kids. On a Hands Up Holidays trip they will also become aware of the amount of waste created and learn to reuse and recycle.
Now is the time to solidify generational bonds.
It’s good to start traveling and volunteering together as a family, especially for different generations to solidify generational bonds that can loosen up in the chaos of today’s fast paced life. As a family, it’s great to be part of the larger whole, to know about other cultures and be associated with a project that is giving back to the local community and worthy of your time and efforts.
What projects are suitable for kids?
Finding a suitable family give back vacation project for kids from varied age groups can be a challenge. You don’t want anything too demanding for under 12’s. Wildlife conservation projects, where young ones can learn an enormous amount about the animals and still get involved in meal preparation, feeding, walking and assisting, can be immensely insightful and make them firm conservationists.
For older kids and teenagers, taking on a particular project to work on that they can see concrete results during their volunteering days can build their self esteem and give them a real sense of achievement. Families on a give back vacation will bond closer together and teens will learn that despite cultural differences, they are one in aspiring change in the world.
Service work can also help them secure entry into their desired college.
What do families have as take away from their experiences?
Being exposed to different communities with completely different lifestyles and resources will definitely leave strong effects on every member of the family. For the kiddos, volunteering abroad is a great way to learn and appreciate how fortunate they are, the importance of their own culture and the things that really matter that are far greater than their gadgets and what they have back home. For parents, of course working with their kids can satisfy the yearnings in their hearts for closeness, bonding and connection. You will also experience the pleasure of knowing you are a good parent.
Families will come home with renewed strength and appreciation for their own family bonds and togetherness and that gratefulness for experiences that challenge not just their physical but emotional well being. The give-back part of their trip is almost always their favorite part of the trip – moreso than the kids clubs, pools, zip lines and kayaks.
Contact Us for a consultation to take the first step to experiencing a luxury family give back adventure that counts.
