Is it okay to take very young children on trips? What age group of children is generally not recommended to travel? In the journey of parenting, every parent hopes their child will be outstanding. Various training classes aim to expand their knowledge base, and various social activities are meant to broaden their horizons. Among these, traveling has become the most popular option — it enriches the child’s experience, and in truth, the parents gain new perspectives as well.
When it comes to travel, it’s always a joyful thing, especially when traveling with children. But there are also some rather “frustrating” aspects — for instance, when children are too young, they often don’t remember what they’ve seen, and even if you show them photos when they’re older, they still look completely baffled.
1. My friend Brother Zhou took his child, Tongtong, on a trip. He brought his very young child abroad for travel at around three years old. When the plan was first mentioned, everyone was excited — the adults had never been abroad either, and the child was happy as long as mom was around.
But once they got abroad, things were fine at first. PerhapsThe climate there is different from ours, and I even got sick during the trip. Most of the time, I could only stay with the child. In an unfamiliar environment, children are easily startled, and the difference from their usual living conditions is huge—kids are prone to illness, and their bodies just can’t handle it.
2. My colleague Yulong told us that when he was a child, his mother often took him on trips to all kinds of places, but he has absolutely no memory of any of it. He feels like he never actually went anywhere.
His mom then showed him a lot of photos and explained where they were, but he was completely baffled because he had no recollection at all. He said, “I was so little back then, I wouldn’t remember anyway. Why take me out? It would’ve been better to just play at home.” His mom replied, “This is so you can gain some experience. Other people wish they could go but can’t.”
That may be true, but when a child is too young, even if they can remember things at the time, they gradually forget them as they grow up and replace those memories with new ones.
Taking a very young child on a trip might lead to health issues such as fever or illness, causing the child to suffer and the parents to lose the mood for further enjoyment.
When children are too young, their brain’s memory capacity isn’t fully developed, so they won’t retain earlier experiences, and by the time their brain matures, they’re even less likely to hold onto those older memories.
Just like my child—he took a ship and a plane, and visited an aquarium when he was one or two years old. He was really happy at the time and saw lots of new things, but now he doesn’t remember any of it. The earliest things he recalls are from after he turned four.
If you’re specifically planning a trip for your child, it’s better to wait until they’re a bit older before going on long journeys. By then, their physical condition will be stronger, and their intelligence and memory will have developed more fully. They’ll be able to describe things, imitate roles, and have a basic understanding of certain things. That’s when they can truly learn something new and gain valuable experience.