Even if my kids forget them all, I won't.

The first time we traveled internationally with our kids (a 5-year-old and nearly-2-year-old twins), my wife and I assumed the kids wouldn't really care, but we'd go anyway because we didn't want to give up international travel for a few decades just because we have kids.

They absolutely loved it. Now the 5-year-old is 15, they've been joined by a couple more siblings, and (Covid-execepted) we've gone on at least one international trip every year.

One of my favorite lines from one of my favorite books is in "A River Runs Through It" when the narrator says, "When I was young, a teacher had forbidden me to say "more perfect" because she said if a thing is perfect it can't be more so. But by now I had seen enough of life to have regained my confidence in it."

I recently went through a decade of photos to see if I could unearth memories of the "more perfect" moments in my life. Nearly all of them were on those trips with my kids.

There's something uniquely "us against the world" about international travel as a family. Not that we approach the world antagonistically, but just in that traveling across borders, and making our way through airports, and figuring out unfamiliar mass transit systems, and navigating unfamiliar cities in languages we don't speak requires a level of coöperation we're not usually called upon to exhibit as a family.

I'm sure there are times it's brought out the worst in us, but they're far, far outweighed by the times it brings out the very best parts of being a family.

"uss against the world" is great way to put it, and it's especially great to see the kids adopt that as they explore something new. Three brothers could be fighting, annoying, etc. right up to the point when they realize that there is safety in numbers. I still remember them exploring a square in Cartagena when the oldest one was 10 and the youngest 5. They would see something interesting little bit further away from us (parents) and would look at each other and decide whether to engage. They ended-up making new (temporary) friends, getting seeds to feed birds and more as they built their confidence while looking after each other.

For the coming summer I've promised to get the two oldest (now 18 and 15) plane tickets to Madrid, Interail (Eurorail) passes, and flight back to US from Helsinki 3 or 4 week later. They'll figure it out, have fun and hopefully don't do too much dumb stuff. Way to bond before the oldest one leaves to college. The middle one gets to do similar trip again in 3 years when he graduates with his younger brother; who in turn will have his trip one year later (hopefully his oldest brother will be available to join him so that everyone will end up with 2 trips with each of their brothers).

That's a great way of looking at it, and touches on why I have the most fond memories of the most difficult of trips with the family. The challenges unite to find a shared purpose and a shared identity that persists long after the trip is over.

I don't think it's strictly the experience in a memory facsimile, "let me quiz the kids" format that matters. There are a mind boggling number of new and unique data points and methods of delivery kids are exposed to during travel which is really healthy for a developing human mind to have as part of its growth regimen. Travel is one of the last things I will cut if times get tough for our family, before essentials such as food and shelter.

My kids have been to a lot of places, and have been questioned about the logic of taking a 4-year old to Machu Picchu or wherever as they won't remember it.

I've said that it doesn't matter if they remember it. It's much more important that they experience it.

You can only experience Rome as a four-year old when you are four years old, there is no chance of getting that experience ever again their lives. They can experience Rome again, and again as an adult if they want, but being 4, 8, 12 or teenager at new place is not something that anyone has a chance of ever repeating.

They remember somethings, forget others, but come away with an interest in people, places, environments, etc.

It's a mixed bag really, whatever you do with them has to be memorable for them. My wife is super into travel, our kids (teenagers) have been travelling internationally every year of their life from birth, sometimes multiple times a year.

What do they remember? Almost nothing before they were 10 years old. A core memory here or there, but they can't even recall entire trips from then. But I've always just considered it as part of their development. Maybe they don't have actual memories, but who can say how else it developed their brains?

I don’t think it really matters where they go, as long as they enjoy themselves there.

My 5yo regularly flies across the world back to my home country, but it’s just another place to him. The important thing is that his uncle is there, not that it’s on the other side of the world.

There’s no concept of going to the other side of the world, beyond it taking ”a very long time” to get there. And why would it? The plane might as well be a teleporter.

Very off topic, but I +1 this. I am half and half and as a baby and young kid we went to one spot every summary. To this day I remember these travels. They matter a lot indeed.

I mean, I’m not half, and I never went further than +/- 200 km from my hometown until I was 23 years old, but we did go on vacation somewhere every year.

I _still_ remember all that travel too. It was different enough to make a lasting impression.

99% of our life is spent in the same 2 sqkm area, so it’s not super surprising that everything else is different.

That's great to hear. I think my kids recall the experiences, but you do, and you were a kid doing that. In twenty years I hope to hear the same things from my kids.

Our 8 year old doesn't remember life before her siblings. She was 3 when they were born. To her it's like they were always here. She doesn't even remember her 4th or 5th birthday parties. But starting around 5.5 years old she remembers a lot more.

Our niece supposedly remembers life before our oldest. She was 3 when she was born. I think a big difference though is she had the continual disappointment from then on of not being the only grandchild.

Along with taking pictures, they'll probably remember it better if you make a scrapbook for each trip and look at it every so often after getting back.

Depends on the age. I took my 4 and 3 year old to Disney World and they don't remember anything. On the other hand, since Age 6 and onwards, they remember most of the stuff. So you cannot make a blanket statement and need to take Age into account.

I like to remember that we are formed by many things that we don't consciously remember.

So much this, and you never really know what kids will remember.