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Enriching your child’s learning through travel is one of the best things you can do for their growth. As wonderful as classrooms are for education, there’s a lot children can learn outside of their walls. Traveling provides one of the best learning opportunities outside of school for your children.

Children can develop essential life skills, learn to appreciate diversity, and nurture their relationship with themselves.

Let’s explore the above and a few other ways traveling can enrich your child’s learning and life.

Cultivate Various Life Skills

Traveling is wonderful for children because they can cultivate various life skills every trip. Not only will there be time for developing technical skills, but there will also be chances to grow their soft skills.

Look for opportunities to advance your child’s skillset while traveling. For example, it can start before you reach your destination in the planning stage. Teach your child about budgeting when planning financially for your trip. Consider using a kid-friendly budgeting app to help them grasp saving for the trip and spending money responsibly during it.

Staying safe is another crucial life skill your children can cultivate while traveling. Be sure they’re practicing the buddy system wherever they go. Designating meeting spots when exploring and ensuring they know what to do if they get lost will also help them learn safety skills.

There will also be plenty of opportunities to help your child develop these essential life skills while traveling:

• Communication
• Time management
• Organization
• Responsibility
• Teamwork
• Flexibility
• Problem-solving
• Creativity
• People skills

Traveling also exposes your children to different cultures.

Experience Different Cultures

One of the best things about traveling is experiencing different cultures. You can see how other cultures live, eat, shop, talk, love, and move through daily life. You also get to see the physical differences people have.

Your children need to experience other cultures because it will help them embrace diversity. You want them always to respect and appreciate others regardless of differences. In addition, when they embrace diversity, they can learn from everyone around them.

So, encourage your children to immerse themselves in the culture wherever you travel to. Meet new people with them, pick up a few words in a new language, try new foods, and do as many culturally-rooted activities as you can.

Another way traveling can enhance your child’s learning is by helping them become more familiar with who they are.

Help Them Learn More About Themselves

It’s vital for children to not just learn about the world and what’s in it but also to learn more about who they are. It’s much better for a child to understand who they are and learn to love it than to go through life confused and disliking themselves.

Traveling can help a child learn more about their own interests and desires. They’ll become more confident as they experience new things and face fears. They’ll also have a chance to do things that help them define what they like, don’t like, and are curious about.

Allow your children to explore their curiosities during travel and encourage them to try everything. Children can also learn more about the importance of family bonding when traveling.

The Importance of Family Bonding

Family bonding is necessary for all families. It’s essential for developing healthy individual relationships as well as sharing meaningful experiences as a family. Strong family ties also ensure your children have a robust support system to help get them through school and other life events.

Use traveling to instill the importance of family bonding. Give your children time to connect with their other siblings if they have them. Ensure they get time with each parent and with everyone as a whole.

Your kids will need their family throughout life, and they should learn to lean on your support early on.

Appreciate What They Have

You can enrich your child’s learning through travel by instilling gratitude in them. When you travel, especially internationally, the difference in how people live is apparent. Traveling to places with fewer resources and means is good for children.

Of course, vacations at fancy places with plenty of fun activities are a must. But it’s also important to plan trips to places with the purpose of showing your children how others live. Seeing how others live happily with less can inspire your children to appreciate what they have more.

When children learn to appreciate what they have, they become more humble. They’ll also learn to respect others regardless of means, something critical for success in adulthood.

Show Them the Value of Relaxing

Traveling allows you to show your children the value of relaxing. So much of the world encourages children to do something and advance in some way constantly. And many of those kids grow up as adults who can’t ever take a break and eventually burn out.

Relaxing and resetting are primary parts of traveling. So, you can show your children the value of both whenever you take a vacation. Set aside time each day you’re away for naps and relaxation. You can also put activities like spa visits, time at the beach, and a day at the hotel on the itinerary to further the lesson on relaxing.

Show your children the value of resetting and relaxing by making that a primary part of each travel experience.

Conclusion

Children learn a lot in the classroom. But they can learn more about life and the world outside those walls while traveling. Take advantage of as many traveling opportunities as you can with your children to enrich their educational journey.

About the Author
Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in education, mental health, family lifestyle and online safety. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. You can follow her on Twitter.

Technology is continually becoming a bigger and bigger part of our everyday world. This has been an ongoing trend for quite some time now, but was specifically accelerated over the past few years. The major technological and digital acceleration that happened recently was largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the globe.

As the pandemic reached its peak, businesses were shutting down left and right unless they were able to successfully transition to remote and digital operations. As a result, students began taking classes online and the remote-work and work-from-home cultures have absolutely erupted.

Additionally, though, this means that more students and professionals than ever before are performing the majority of their work tasks through a screen of one type or another. A laptop or desktop computer, a tablet, a  video-conference, or any other tech-facilitated activity today likely involves a screen.

Additionally, even our freetime is overloaded with technology and the presence of screens. From social media, to mobile gaming, to console-gaming, television streaming, and just about everything in between. Almost everything we do in a day in 2022 involves a screen.

While technology can certainly make life a lot easier, spending all of our waking moments in front of screens simply isn’t good for the health of our eyes in the long run. This is why blue-light glasses have come about and risen in popularity over the past few years.

What is Blue Light?

Blue light is a wavelength that’s naturally present in a light source. In fact, blue light is even present in light that’s emitted from the sun. However, blue light is a particularly short wavelength which many doctors associate with a higher risk for eye-damage. Because blue-light is a naturally present wavelength in all light, it is actually emitted from the majority of electronics. Even lightbulbs and other less intricate forms of technology radiate a percentage of blue light.

TV screens, computer monitors, and other high-end-technology though, are often created with LCDs or liquid crystal displays. As such, LCD screens produce a lot more blue light than non LCD screens. However, because of the clarity and crisp imaging that LCD screens provide, they continue to be a popular choice for consumers and manufacturers alike.

It’s also important to note that most of the harm from blue-light comes from over-exposure, and that blue-light isn’t innately bad for us. In fact, blue-light can also improve alertness, awareness, and be a signal to our bodies and brains that it’s time to get up and start the day.

Understanding all of the different ways that blue light is naturally present in our lives, as well as all of the additional sources of blue-light that we utilize in our normal everyday routines can illuminate a need for greater eye-protection if possible. Afterall, we rely on our eyes in more ways than we even realize.

The Potential Harm of Over Exposure to Blue Light

Over exposure to blue light has been associated with headaches, eye strain, visual fatigue, and has even been identified as a culprit in interrupting one’s natural circadian rhythm. Chronic headaches can be a nightmare to deal with, while having an abnormal circadian rhythm can make it difficult to ever get a reliable amount of sleep in a night.

Not only that, but if you’re someone who needs to be able to read large spreadsheets or deals with data on a regular basis, visual fatigue and eye strain can really tamper your ability and in turn, productivity.

The Theory Behind Blue Light Lenses

The idea behind blue light blocking glasses is that they’re made with a specially designed lens that blocks or drastically reduces the amount of blue light able to pass through. In turn, this cuts down on computer-screen-induced eye-strain, visual fatigue, and can even help lessen the severity of screen-induced headaches.

As such, if blue light blocking glasses can be successfully manufactured, working professionals, pro-gamers, and anyone else who finds themselves regularly using a screen for hours-on-end, can finally rely on a product that will reduce eye strain and fatigue caused by the short blue-light wavelength.

What the Science Says so Far

However, this is kind of a big if. The studies conducted on blue light blocking glasses have been relatively inconsistent and inconclusive so far. There have been multiple trials conducted with blue-light blocking glasses, but the results haven’t proven anything definitively.

While more research and trials are needed on the efficacy of blue-light blocking glasses, some individuals still swear by them, and they may be worth trying for yourself.

Final Thoughts on Blue Light Lenses

If you’re regularly using screens for hours at a time in your day-to-day life, you may be looking for ways to reduce eye strain and vision fatigue. The best way to reduce these effects is by taking regular 10 minute breaks every hour or so. If you’re looking for more, though, blue light blocking lenses may just work for you.

Kids can be brutal to one another. It results in stress for your child as they process what is happening and learn to cope with it. Of course, it’s also of great concern for parents as well.  If you’re worried about your child, it’s only natural to want to help them defend themselves and keep them safe.

Let’s explore some red flags you should watch for to know if your kid is getting bullied.

1. Headaches and Stomachaches

Kids bullied in school may not have the courage to talk about it. The signs appear in other ways, like frequent ailments. Suppose your child constantly complains of a headache or stomachache. In that case, they might be going through something at school that is causing their anxiety to permeate through their body in physical ailment form.

Dietary changes like a loss of appetite can be a symptom of bullying. Try approaching your child with understanding and questioning them about the reason for their sudden changes. Scolding them for not eating enough will likely just make matters worse. Coax them into telling you what is going on.

2. Withdrawal From Family Functions

Being a parent sometimes entails reading between the lines. Kids are likely ashamed of being bullied and can fear getting in trouble or being judged for not standing up for themselves. This can be challenging with the never-ending to-do list you already have, but you should do your best to take notice when your child is suffering.

Any changes in their behavior, dietary habits, and socialization can cause concern. Connecting with others is an essential way of relieving negative thoughts and anxiety. When your child withdraws from family, they’re likely feeding into insecurities brought on by judgment from others.

3. Losing Interest in Socialization

Bullying is scary for children. Often, they don’t know how to react. When they tell, they can be labeled as a tattletale. When they fight back, they can get in trouble for fighting. Bullying can be confusing, and when kids don’t know the best route to take, they can get overwhelmed and completely shut down emotionally. This can cause a complete loss of interest in any social gatherings or hanging out with their friends.

They want to avoid any situation where bullying would likely occur, including going to school. If your child is suddenly using every trick in the book to get out of going to school or attending extracurricular activities they used to find fun, there’s a good chance they’re being bullied in some way or another.

4. Difficulty Sleeping

Difficulty sleeping or having frequent nightmares can be a sign of bullying. Any shift in your child’s sleeping patterns is a reason to worry because quality sleep is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Most older kids aren’t getting the needed rest and are more likely to experience various sleep challenges.

If your child is waking in the middle of the night or suddenly having issues falling asleep, consider talking with them to find the cause. Often, kids don’t want to go to the doctor, so telling them you’re worried and might need to take them can get them to open up to you about what is bothering them. Be consistent with their bedtime and limit their screen time to see if that helps before making the trip.

5. Decrease in Self-Esteem

Bullying can manifest in your child and lower their self-esteem. If you notice your child’s confidence plummet or they begin doubting themselves, they might be a victim of bullying. There isn’t much you can do to help your child if they don’t communicate with you. Encourage your child to open up about why they’re so hard on themselves. Adolescence and teenage years are tough and can harm kids’ self-image.

Encourage your child to love themselves, take time for their mental health, and support their friends’ self-image as well. Be observant and set positive examples and expectations for your child. Ensure they know who to talk to when they feel bullied or notice a bully harming someone else.

Signs Your Child Is Getting Bullied

Bullying can be physical, with apparent signs you can be watchful for – like torn clothing or bumps and bruises. Bullying can also be verbal, emotional, and hard to detect in your children.

If you witness any of these symptoms, your child might be a victim of bullying. Learn how to protect your child against bullying.  Do your best to establish an open line of communication so your child feels comfortable coming to you with their fears and concerns.

Author bio:
Cora Gold is the Editor-in-Chief of women’s lifestyle magazine, Revivalist. She strives to live a happy and healthy life with her family by her side.

Follow Cora on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Autism is a neurological disorder. It impacts how an individual learns, interacts and behaves with another. The condition affects social skills and causes repetitive actions yet has a distinct set of strengths. The good news is that besides therapy and study programs, a park can also contribute to the good emotional space of an autistic child.

In this environment, a child with autism are less likely to be scared of socializing, have a clear understanding of safety awareness and reduce the fear of misunderstandings with fellow visitors. CDC estimates that about 1 in 44 8-year-old children have been identified as ASD which is 23 per 1,000.  According to the newest autism statistics, the ASD prevalence in the US has increased by 312% since 2000. Therefore, the focus on effective methods of therapy will continue to be vitally important.

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A specially designed play area offers sensory inputs. It is tremendously useful for children with autism since it helps boost their tactile, visual and auditory systems. Getting the layout and facilities right is vital else it can turn into a dangerous place for kids with disabilities. They may have meltdowns or struggle with going to busy places. Depression can also set in which anyway affects 7% of all children with autism. Below are a few tips to design a playground that can be a safe space to express themselves.

1.  Incorporate Sensory Play

Engaging the senses can help a child develop proprioceptive and vestibular systems. This can improve orientation and balance. More than 90% of children with ADS report hypo and hyper sensitivities in different domains which range from mild to severe. This can be handled with a sensory play which ensures healthy brain development to build nerve connections. It can be done by adding sensory panels, motion play, musical instruments and water fun to support problem solving-skills, cognitive growth and social interaction. Educate parents so that highly sensitive kids do not get overwhelmed.

2.  Build Quiet Places

An autistic child may feel sensory overloads leading to entering a freeze, flight or fight mode in response. They start feeling panicky or unsafe. A cozy space away from the main play area can create a positive environment. Parents can also enjoy peace of mind knowing that their child is less likely to run away. This is a common tendency and surveys have found that children diagnosed with autism aged between 4 and 10 have often tried to elope to escape unpleasant sensory stimuli. Hiding spots offer a good break and help them recenter. You may consider pods, small shelters or anything cocooned.

3.  Highlight Nature

Children with autism benefit from staying close to nature. They gain motor skills and agility. Exposure also boosts observational skills, reasoning and awareness. The child must be able to scoop leaves with their hands, jump in puddles or smell flowers. Teach them to take photos of their surroundings, paint trees and ponds and feed birds. Autistic children can also learn about changing seasons and being kind to animals in the playground.

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Young kids get a clear idea of colors like blue, green, yellow and orange when nature is in abundance around them. They tend to become calm and relaxed in the presence of natural elements like a cool breeze.

4.  Smooth Surfacing

This is a big step in creating a safe space for children living with autism. Engineered wood fiber, poured-in-place rubber, recycled bonded rubber, recycled rubber loose fill and recycled rubber tiles are the best choices. Make sure these are not highly textured to avoid the hassles of children with crutches or wheelchairs. Kids with ADS are likely to stumble upon anyone who does not experience motor impairments. They may also jump off equipment like monkey bars which could be slightly harmful. But a safety surface can diffuse the impact and keep them from severe injuries like fractures.

This is especially crucial since playground accidents are responsible for approximately 200,000 US emergency department visits in children below 18 years. You may add special paths and tracks covered with mulch instead of an open layout. This gives a sense of direction for them to move in and reduce anxiety levels.

Autistic kids should be able to naturally interact with peers with different abilities. Build a socialization area with benches and picnic tables since these special children have a strong desire for friendship. Do your best to accommodate all skill sets and sensitivities to introduce them to new experiences as well.