Hello!

It was on this topic that I recently argued with one of my friends. She saw photos from the last trip on my Instagram and asked: “How did you rest? Did you two go?» I replied that the trip was five plus, I really liked Kaliningrad. And they didn’t go alone, but three of them: they took their eldest grandson with them, he is already 11 years old.

The friend wrinkled her nose: “And what kind of rest is this? He wants to go to one place, then to another. Then you need to buy something. No, with children this is not a vacation. My husband and I always travel together. Children — to grandmothers. Have a rest. rest like that!» I laughed: I just have a grandmother. And she took her grandson with her on a trip, because nothing develops the horizons of children like traveling.

Of course, due to age, our interests were somewhat different. So, for example, he did not want to go with us to an organ music concert in the Cathedral. We didn’t insist. Everything has its time, it will grow even more.

But he really liked the Museum of the World Ocean! Here for the boy was expanse! In general, he loves water and fishing very much, and with great interest examined both fish and marine reptiles in the aquarium, and drove a boat on the simulator, and looked at deep-sea vehicles.

And he even turned the real steering wheel on the Vityaz. Photo from the personal archive. And he even turned the real steering wheel on the Vityaz. Photo from the personal archive. Driving a boat on a simulator. Photo from personal archive. Driving a boat on a simulator. Photo from personal archive. It was allowed to ring this bell on the ship. Naturally, the grandson tried his best! Photo from personal archive. It was allowed to ring this bell on the ship. Naturally, the grandson tried his best! Photo from personal archive. At the aquarium with piranhas. Photo from personal archive. At the aquarium with piranhas. Photo from personal archive.

At the Cathedral. Photo from personal archive. At the Cathedral. Photo from personal archive.

With delight, he walked through the compartments of the submarine, ran along the decks of the Vityaz research vessel. Naturally, I remembered something, but not something. Something completely missed. But much remains in the children’s brain. And this “something” is a thousand times more valuable than the dry knowledge that a child receives at school.

And the Curonian Spit: dunes, coast and Dancing Forest? And the ruins of the fort? He was there, he saw with his own eyes, and it will not pass without a trace.

Through the dunes to the sea! Photo from personal archive. Through the dunes to the sea! Photo from personal archive.

I always took my sons with me on trips. The childhood of the eldest fell on the 90s. At that time, the task was to eat, dress and shoe the child. But anyway, I found an opportunity to take a child at the age of 7 in Tuapse to the sea. At the age of 9, the eldest son visited Moscow (we were shaking for three days in a reserved seat car, plane tickets cost some kind of exorbitant money), walked around Red Square, was in the Historical Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery, in the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, in the zoo. As an adult, the eldest son traveled all over the country while serving in the army under a contract. And he wondered why most colleagues do not use the opportunity for free trips around the country.

When the youngest son was growing up, life began to improve little by little, we had more opportunities to travel. By the age of 16, he had already visited many cities in Russia and 8 countries. At 17, he was no longer interested in traveling with his mom and dad. And at the age of 18, he and a group of friends flew on a trip on their own — on cheap subsidized tickets. And we started taking our grandchildren on trips.

At one time, both my parents and grandparents always took me with them on trips. By the end of school, I managed to visit 10 of the 15 Union republics. And I can definitely say that when a child sees with his own eyes what he read about in a textbook, it is worth a lot. I remember my son’s delight when he saw the famous fresco live in Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

With my son 7 years ago in Hagia Sophia. Photo from personal archive. With my son 7 years ago in Hagia Sophia. Photo from personal archive.

And here is the famous fresco. Scroll through the gallery, there is a larger shot here.

The same fresco that is familiar to all children from history books. Photo from personal archive. The same fresco that is familiar to all children from history books. Photo from personal archive.

And I also noticed that long-haul flights, changing time zones favorably affect the health of children. Change of conditions, probably, somehow boosts the immune system.

Somehow, at the end of October, we went to St. Petersburg with a large company: me, my husband and son, and my sister with her husband and two sons. The younger son of the sister at that time was a 5-year-old scumbag, always ill, not diarrhea, so scrofula, as they say. But very lively, curious and quick-witted.

It would seem that the end of October in St. Petersburg is a terribly dank time of the year. The kid steadfastly withstood all our excursions, however, most of the trips to the palaces rode on his father’s neck. And after returning, the child sharply improved, stopped getting sick, grew both in length and in width, now he is a 10-year-old strong man, he plays basketball.

And if you plan a trip to the sea, and even in the summer, you must definitely take the children! Of course, with children it is more troublesome. And you constantly need to control the children, and you can’t afford something. You can’t drink too much, you can’t spend the whole night in a club … But is this what people go on trips for?

In a word, we argued with a friend. But she remained with her opinion: — with children — this is not a vacation. From her point of view, resting is “thumping, getting wet in the pool, then — in the clubhouse until the morning.” Question: is it worth it to fly to distant lands for this?

Thank you for reading to the end! Do you try to take your children or grandchildren on trips at every opportunity? Or do you also think that children only spoil the rest?