Last week, I put my daughter on a ship to sail around the world for her semester abroad. First off, let’s acknowledge how truly privileged she is to take a trip like this. Her father and I work hard, but so do most families. We are grateful that we can do this for our child. We know that it’s not possible for many and we don’t take that privilege for granted.
I’ve admittedly been somewhat of a nervous mess to let my daughter take this trip. We’ll have limited connection to her, plus we will miss her like crazy. It doesn’t feel much different than it did the first time I put her (and her brothers) on a bus to drive away from me and head off to their school days. That school bus came home every afternoon. This ship doesn’t return until the end of April.
It would be so much easier to say, “This feels uncomfortable. Let’s have you stay closer to home.” And trust me, I’ve been biting my tongue not to say that very thing. Yet the adventurer in me envies my daughter and this incredible opportunity. I never even knew nor considered a semester abroad, much less one on a ship.
My husband and I are life long Chicagoans. We recently realized that we didn’t even think we could live anywhere else. No one told us that we couldn’t, yet both of us felt tethered to where we grew up, to what we’ve always known. It was a stretch for me to drive to Macomb, Illinois for college.
Our younger son goes to college in California. We put him on a plane whenever he’s returning to school. Our oldest currently lives in Indiana but spent a semester in Japan and worked for a year in Spain. Many parents have judged my husband and me by asking us how we can let our children venture so far from home. I understand their concern. I feel it myself. If push came to shove, I’d live in one house with my kids for the rest of our lives which, according to my kids, might be short lived because we’d drive them crazy.
Allowing Our Kids to Become World Citizens
Yet the periodic adventures away from Chicago have changed my outlook on life and the world. I want my children to be citizens of the world. I want them to understand that there are different cultures, different ways to look at the world, and a responsibility to all citizens, not just those in America. Some of that can be learned in a book, but being with other cultures is truly the greatest opportunity to learn and to open our minds to others.
Let your children be citizens of the world. Help them understand that there are different cultures, different ways to look at the world, and a responsibility to all citizens, not just those in America. #parenting #travel Click To TweetIt’s scary to let my children venture off, yet they were never mine to keep and especially not keep close for my own benefit. So I put them on planes, ships, cars, and I wave good-bye. My heart is in my throat every time, yet I know that letting them fly is the right thing to do. Not everyone can put their kids on ships, planes, etc., but we can all let go just a bit and let our children venture out and explore the world in their own way. In a world full of fear of “the other” and ignorance around other cultures, wouldn’t we all benefit from venturing out a bit? Let your children fly a little and see how much they’ve grown when they fly back. Trust me, they always fly back.
Love,
Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC