Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Oct / Nov 2017: The Travel Issue | Page 43

Kids & Education
3
EAT LIKE A
LOCAL
Researching what grub to get where
is easy, thanks to a wealth of food
blogs, but it can be fun to freestyle by
popping in for a bite at what might
be a hidden gem. It’s worth noting,
however, that places packed with
locals usually indicate a quick food
turnover, translating to fresher (and
safer) meals for the family. This is es-
pecially true of street food: Trust the
stalls with the longest queues.
Wherever you eat and what-
ever you’re eating, though, invite
your children to taste a bit of every-
thing. This is exactly how my daugh-
ter uncovered a new-found love for
Japanese curry.
Families can enjoy learning about
their shared meals, too. Look up the
name and history of some of the
dishes, and you’ve got instant conver-
sation fodder. If you’re in Osaka, for
example, your family could sample
and research traditional takoyaki, a
Japanese treat of batter and octopus
cooked in circular molds. On a trip to
Beijing, it makes sense to investigate
the city’s famous Peking duck.
One more food tip: If your child
is a “foodie,” let him or her to keep a
food diary to jot down descriptions
and detected flavors. At home, he or
she can whip up some dishes from
the diary — especially if your fami-
ly encounters some generous chefs
willing to share a few recipes.
4
EMBRACE
CHALLENGES
Traveling as a family, there are like-
ly to be at least a few hiccups — and
you can leverage them as learning
experiences.
Perhaps an airline has lost your
luggage, or maybe language bar-
riers are preventing clear commu-
nication. With older children, try
brainstorming solutions together,
working on critical thinking skills and
creativity in the process. Your son or
daughter may even dream up a via-
ble solution that you wouldn’t other-
wise have considered.
Older children can help with initial
travel plans, too. With parental guid-
ance, trip planning is a complex ex-
perience that provides children with
an excellent opportunity to learn
about logistics, the value of money
and scheduling.
5
SUPPORT THE
COMMUNITY
One of my geography lecturers once
used the following quote, which has
stuck with me over the years: “Take
nothing but pictures. Leave nothing
but footprints. Kill nothing but time.”
And I couldn’t agree more.
Championing local organizations,
traveling with companies that support
the local economy, and shopping at
independent retailers are all ways that
travelers can soak up the joy of travel,
while also giving something back.
Travel Tip: For an ethical el-
ephant experience, consider
Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary
in Sukhothai, a 540-acre re-
serve in Thailand founded by a
British-born animal activist.
Here in Asia, many tourists from
overseas arrive with an elephant ex-
perience high on the priority list. In
this scenario, there are usually two
options: riding elephants, or helping
to care for them at a sanctuary. While
each organization should be thor-
oughly researched to check for mal-
practice, the latter tends to be kinder
and more supportive of the care of
animals, many of which have been
abused from working in the tourism
and logging sectors.
When we plant seeds of conscious
travel in our children, we help nur-
ture a new generation of travelers
who care about their footprint and
the impact they have on the world.
6
ENCOURAGE
SCHOOL TRIPS
School trips also provide great
learning experiences for children.
Spending time with classmates and
teachers outside of a child’s day-to-
day school routine adds a different
and enriching dimension to these op-
portunities. Interpersonal skills such
as leadership, teamwork, respect and
trust can all be honed and devel-
oped, helping to improve motivation,
performance and relationships upon
returning to school.
A good school will enhance their
pupils’ learning opportunities with
trips linked to their curriculum — per-
haps a geography field trip to a nation-
al park, for example, or a foreign lan-
guage exchange program. Sports and
outdoor-activity trips can ignite inter-
ests that last a lifetime, while providing
pupils balance and support for their
wellbeing. Where possible, allow your
children to take part in the ‘ed-venture’
trips offered by their school.
PHILOSOPHICAL
QUESTIONS
Depending on the age of your
kids, questions like these can be
starting points for healthy, family
debates during your travels:
© © Why do we travel?
© © Is travel a luxury or a necessity?
© © What is the difference be-
tween a traveler and a
tourist?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick had 10 years of teaching and leadership roles in both the UK
and overseas prior to joining Brighton College Bangkok, where he
serves as Deputy Head of Pre-Prep. Nick has lived in Bangkok for
more than eight years with his wife and two children and enjoys
making the most of the travel opportunities available to him.
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