Your Traveling Teen: How To Let Your Teen Go Abroad
In today's global society, it is important for people, particularly young adults and teenagers, to make connections and experience the world. Many teenagers travel across the world, and even across the globe, by themselves. This can be a wonderful experience for the teenager, but a very nerve-wracking experience for a parents. There are, however, many tips for helping your teen stay safe, which can ease your anxiety as a parent. By following these simple and effective tips, you can ensure you teen makes it to their destination and back again without incident.
Ensure, first of all, that your teenager is comfortable traveling alone. Some younger teenagers still feel anxious about being in a strange place without any idea of where to go and what to do, and are thus unable to adapt well to their new environment. This can make layovers in airports, train stations, or bus stations very stressful for them. Before letting your teenager travel alone, be sure they actually want to and would be able to handle it.
Ask yourself if you teen is comfortable enough to ask others for help when they need it. Otherwise, they can end up in a situation that is dangerous or inconvenient and be unable or unwilling to get help. This can also increase the likelihood that they get lost, or miss a connecting flight or train.
Ensure that your teen can make purchases at a store without incident. Though this seems basic enough, if your teen cannot handle making purchases on his or her own in the country he or she lives in, they probably cannot do it in another country with a foreign currency.
Be sure that your teen can read airport reader boards. These are critical for travel, as they announce delays and other important information that your teen simply cannot miss.
Be sure your teen knows who to contact in an emergency. They should know when to contact the authorities, and when to contact someone from home. Be sure they know, while abroad, that they need to learn a new emergency dial code. When they know that, they need to know to call the authorities BEFORE calling home, if the situation requires police, fire and rescue, or an ambulance.
Know whether or not your teen has every traveled far from home. If they haven't, it is going to be more difficult for them to care for themselves in a foreign environment. Traveling as a family can be a great way to help them acclimate themselves to travel, but they should be able to find meals and lodging for themselves also, because you probably provided it for them on family vacations.
Traveling alone can be a wonderful experience for a teenager. Teenagers who can travel alone successfully are more likely to become strong and independent adults. By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your teen can be safe, happy, and healthy on their trip. If you know they are safe, you can give yourself peace of mind while they are away.
