Do you often struggle to take time off work when your school-age children have breaks? Between Christmas, spring, and summer vacations, holidays, teacher planning days, and other days off, children have more days off than us! However, when an unexpected four-day weekend pops up, consider asking the grandparents to take the kids on a gramping adventure!
One new trend that is becoming more popular among families is gramping, also known as skip-gen travel. This involves grandparents and their grandchildren traveling together without their parents. Thanks to better health and increased activity levels, many grandparents are able to enjoy this type of travel.
Gramping travel provides an opportunity for grandparents to bond with their grandchildren and create lasting memories, while also giving children a chance to explore new cultures and locations.
According to AARP’s 2019 Boomer Travel Trends report, around 15 percent of Baby Boomers have planned gramping trips for the 2019.
In addition, it can be beneficial for parents as they get some much-needed time off from parenting duties.
We decided to allow our daughter to travel with her grandparents for a month to Asia where they will be exploring Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. At first, I was hesitant to let her to go on vacation for a whole month because I would miss her. However, I ultimately decided that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Ever since, I have not regretted it and am so grateful that she was able to experience this!
In this article, we will discuss the Seven Key Reasons why gramping is awesome!
Can a Grandparent Travel with Grandchildren?
Yes, it is perfectly legal and safe for grandparents to travel with grandchildren. Depending upon the age of the child, they may require a letter of permission from the parents authorizing them to take the child abroad or complete other necessary paperwork. Having grandparents accompany children on international trips provides an extra layer of security since most countries require that all travelers be accompanied by an adult.
As a Canadian citizen, I was required to provide my in-laws with a Child Travel Consent form so that my daughter can travel without her parents.
The Seven Benefits of Gramping (Skip-Gen) Traveling
I am happy to share that my daughter has come back from her trip with her grandparents and has positively changed and gained a lot from the experience. After listening to travel stories from both my daughter and in-laws, I am excited to highlight seven benefits of gramping.
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1. Quality Time
Gramping traveling provides a chance for grandparents and grandchildren to bond and spend quality time together without the distractions of everyday life.
It also allows grandparents to share their wisdom, experiences, and knowledge with the younger generation.
In just a month, I have noticed a significant strengthening of the bond between my daughter and her grandparents. Rather than feeling any jealousy, I am thrilled for them. I truly believe that the more love and attention my children receive from those around them, the more confident and happy they become!
2. Parental Break
Taking a break from parenting duties can be a great idea by entrusting your child with their grandparent. This allows you to have some much-needed time apart, while still ensuring your child's safety and care.
It also gives grandparents the chance to spend more time with their grandkids. This break can also create opportunities for us to spend some quality time as a couple or even take a vacation to recharge.
While our daughter has been away this month, my husband and I have been able to accomplish a lot of errands. It has been a productive month and we were even able to enjoy a few dates, which is a rare opportunity due to our busy schedules with the kids.
3. Educational Experience
Traveling provides an opportunity for kids to learn about new cultures, foods, and sights. Grandparents can share their own personal experiences and knowledge with their grandchildren, creating an intergenerational learning experience. They also get a chance to practice their language skills if they’re traveling to another country where a different language is spoken.
Grandparents have an unique perspective shaped by their history, while our kids bring a fresh new lens. Combining these perspectives can give them a richer understanding of themselves and the world.
During their visit to Hong Kong (both my inlaws and my home country), they showed her around different landmarks and tried different foods while sharing their own stories and experiences about Hong Kong.
This allows my daughter to grow stronger love for Hong Kong culture, food, heritage, and the language.
Related Article: How to Travel with Kids in China to Cultivate Chinese Interest?
4. Personal Growth
When children travel with their grandparents, they are often exposed to different lifestyles and gain new perspectives that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. This can help them to become more open-minded, mature, and independent.
Since my daughter returned from her travels, I've noticed some positive changes in her. She now appreciates food more, and she squeals in excitement when it tastes good. Additionally, she has become more independent and requires less assistance with everyday tasks.
She even takes initiative helping her younger brother!
5. Grandparents and Grandchildren Need Each Other
Both grandparents and grandchildren can benefit from spending time with each other. Studies have demonstrated that kids experience physical and mental health benefits from such interactions, while grandparents can live longer by spending time with their grandkids.
I have fond memories of when my first daughter was born. My mother and mother-in-law were present at the hospital, and I saw how much joy my baby brought them. It was heartwarming to witness their reactions to the baby, and their bond grew stronger over time.
I'm grateful to see how excited both my kids and their grandparents get when they see each other.
6. Build Lasting Memories
Gramping allows grandparents to create long-lasting memories with their grandchildren.
My husband has been traveling with his grandmother since he was young, and now my in-laws want to continue this tradition with their grandchildren. They think that building memories with their grandchildren is best done around the age of 6, as they are still young enough to take time off school without falling behind academically, and old enough to remember the experience for a lifetime.
I am confident that my daughter will never forget her one-month trip to Asia with her grandparents, just like my husband and I still remember our own vacations when we were six years old.
7. Sibling Break
My in-laws decided to take only my daughter on vacation because they didn't feel confident to care for more than 1 child alone in another country for a whole month. As a result, our 3-year-old son stayed with us, creating a month-long separation between the siblings.
During the time my older daughter is away from my younger son, I noticed significant changes for my son. In the first 2 weeks, he really enjoyed this rare moment of being an only child. He became a lot more talkative since his sister is usually more vocal in the family. His independence grew a lot because his older sister no longer was there to help him out and “spoil” him.
In the last two weeks, he has been feeling the absence of his sister more strongly. He talks about her every day now. It seems that he is starting to understand and value his sister more, having taken her for granted in many ways. My daughter missed her brother a lot too, and it's heart-warming to see them connect through Facetime and express how much they miss each other.
After reuniting, the siblings' bonds have become stronger. They now fight and argue less and have developed a better understanding of each other. Occasionally, my younger son surprises his older sister with sudden hugs, and they hug more frequently than before. It warms my heart to see this.
Benefits of Sibling Break
There are several benefits to a sibling break when one child is away from their sibling for a period of time. These benefits include:
- Increased independence: Both siblings can develop a sense of independence when they are apart and learn to rely on themselves more.
- Appreciation for each other: After being apart, siblings can appreciate each other more and value their relationship even more.
- New experiences: Being apart can allow each sibling to have unique experiences that they wouldn't have had if they were together, leading to personal growth and new perspectives
- Strengthened relationship: Absence can make the heart grow fonder and being apart can strengthen the bond between siblings and make them even closer when they reunite.
- Improved communication: When siblings are apart, they may communicate more frequently and in different ways, leading to improved communication skills and a deeper understanding of each other.
Last Thing about Gramping
In conclusion, gramping offers multiple benefits for both grandparents and grandchildren. It provides the opportunity to build lasting memories, encourages independence in children, and strengthens relationships between siblings during sibling breaks.
The experience of my daughter traveling with her grandparents to Hong Kong was a positive one all around – she learned more about our home country's culture, my in-laws were able to spend quality time with their granddaughter, and my son learned how to be independent without his sister around.
If you're considering gramping for your family, I say go for it! It's an unique experience that is sure to create lasting memories and strengthen familial ties.
Have your kids experienced gramping? If yes, please share your experience in the comment box below! I would love to hear them!
