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Mini Travellers takes a look at why parents should be spending less on toys and more on family holidays!
Spend less on toys and more on family holidays
In recent years, it has become somewhat of a trend to spoil our children with the latest gizmos and gadgets, regardless of the cost. Parents want to make their kids happy, but in many cases, the toy is just a fad or a trend, that will be in a box up in the attic before the next birthday. Sure, they might beg and beg and beg for a pogo stick, but once they realise it’s not as easy to bounce like Tigger up and down the garden, the pro-jumper will soon leave the toy to rust.
Here at Mini Travellers, we are strong believers in the importance of experience and the more physical ways you can broaden a child’s mind and educate them via travel. We’ve taken a further look at why we should be thinking twice about the latest, inexplicably expensive Lego model and the importance of family holidays, so you can book one of those instead!
Oliver James is a leading psychological author, who has a wealth of experience in the parent-child relationship. He argues that many of the presents gifted to children aren’t wanted or valued, meaning the money spent on said gifts could be put to better use elsewhere. Brits are notorious for this behaviour, spending an average of £508 a year per child, giving us the title of the second-highest annual spenders on toys in the world.
Further to this, as the child grows up, the scale of toys required turns more into a gadget or device, and as such increases the price tenfold. This is usually prevalent around teenage years, when the child requires a connection with their parents and more reassurance than ever, making spending quality time together of paramount importance.
Despite this remarkable amount spent on consumables, it seems that both adults and children alike value a family holiday more than any other materialistic product. Children enjoy time spent together in a new and exciting environment both during the holiday and for years to come as they look back fondly on specific memories or experiences. Here are just three of the many benefits to taking regular family holidays:
Educational
Children learn a lot through the experience of new cultures and countries, and this can also be a great way to broaden their minds. For example, restaurants serving Orangina and citreon pressè’s is fascinating to children and, crucially, is a change to the norm.
Health
Escaping the norm and taking some time to relax and recharge has been proven to be good for your health time and time again. You may not even know you need a holiday, but you’ll know it was well-deserved after a few days of rest sorts you out. This is more important than ever, given the hectic, busy and stressful nature of 21st-century living.
Reconnect
Spending time together as a family unit will do wonders for your family relationships, giving you the opportunity to try new things together. Exploring an area that no one has ever been to before will leave you with everlasting memories of your time there.
The most important thing to remember is that children mostly enjoy holidays due to the undivided attention they receive from parents. School systems can be extremely stressful for children, and some will suffer the consequences more than others. Social and peer pressures can also affect children in negative terms. Spending time with your treasures will build their character, reminding them of who they are and family values that are at the root of their personalities today.
If you’re looking for somewhere closer to home to spend your holiday, yet still experience a new culture, why not check out some family friendly villas, France? Staying in a villa allows you to make the most of your time away, staying altogether and enjoying some splashing around in the pool!
So, before you fork out hundreds for the next, ‘must-have’ gadget, reconsider how you could be better spending this amount of money. Set it aside in a fund, and before long you’ll have enough money for a fantastic holiday that the whole family can enjoy!
NB: This is a collaborative post
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I completely agree with this post Karen. All of our spare cash (well most of it – I spend quite a bit on good food too) is spent on travel, short breaks, holidays and days out. Toys come and go but memories are forever and I really think travel helps to shape children into well rounded adults!
I’ve written about this topic several times and completely agree. In fact, we mainly gift trips or experiences rather than ‘things’ now. Plus it saves on the clutter – especially with so many of us!