I say this because though I’m not a parent, I still remember the last time that I was in charge of looking after my nephew while we were in the mall and that brief moment when he was out of my sight made me experience a feeling that I would never, ever, want to experience again. It’s surely a nerve-wracking ordeal to be responsible for someone else’s life and safety… so how much more when you have your own child, right? That’s why as early as now, you must understand the ‘natural instinct’ of our parents to protect and worry about us.
Of course, if you’re going on a longer or indefinite trip, let them know that you can always come back home to see them!
Other professions that you can try to explore as dependent on your skill set are: travel blogging, teaching English abroad, etc. For more ideas:
How to Convince Parents to Let You Go
In fact, the whole of my country (the Philippines) has a very traditional culture so it was a huge shock when my parents found out that they had a non-conventional child who did not only want to quit a secure corporate job but also wanted to travel the world like a nomad. (They thought I was crazy. Naturally.)
So if you were in the same boat as I was before, I can imagine how anxious you might be right now as you try to gauge a way on how to convince your parents to let you travel the world. (A lot of you have actually been messaging me about this topic).
Accordingly, if you’re planning on traveling short-term, lay out a plan on what you would do when you return. Show them how traveling won’t hurt your chances of attaining a career, for example —because the fact of the matter is, it won’t. *You can always give them the added guarantee that you do have the common sense of never meeting a new person by yourself in a secluded place since you will make sure to join group events or meet them in a crowded area.
» What to Do
READ:
– How to Get Free Accommodation Worldwide
– How to Plan for Your Life of Travel
It can’t be helped that there was a rough patch at first, but it was only brief since my parents became more accepting. They have even eventually transitioned into my #1 cheerleaders for all of my traveling plans as they have come to terms with wholly believing in me and my dreams. (It became easier when I constantly showed them that I could really take care of myself and make all of my plans a reality.)
With this, you will immediately set the situation into a matter of seriousness — but indeed, take this approach with a grain of salt as dependent on your parents’ characteristics; though I still recommend that you take this approach.
Fortunately, it’s an easy topic to defend on how to convince parents because there are TONS of ways to meet and be with people while traveling. To list this out, talk about how you can meet various individuals from:
Tips for the Discussion
The very moment that these words escaped my lips back in 2013, I assure you that my mom had various ghastly visions in her mind that are not limited to scenarios of me ending up as a broke lass, or as a cold lifeless body in a ditch of some foreign place.
It might seem weird to do such a formal prep with your parents but without a doubt, in this way, they will be surprised at how earnest you are, which will send them into thinking that you really mean what you’re about to discuss with them. At the same time, this preparation is beneficial for you too, so that you can meticulously cover the A to Zs of your plans together with the two people that care for you the most.
READ:
– How to Save Money for Travel
– How to Travel on a Budget
If you plan to save up a big fund in advance for your trip without the need to work while on the road, it’s better to earn or have that money first so that by the time that you do this discussion with your mom and dad, they can see that you already have your personal finances sorted out.
Big decisions are never easy but with perseverance, everything will always be worth it in the end.
Now, I don’t want you to upset your parents, that’s why I made this post to gain their approval first and foremost. But if they’re really set on a ‘no’… would that really stop you…?
Still and all, let them know that you will ensure to get in touch with them as soon as you can if those situations ever happen. Therefore if your parents are not tech-savvy at all, tell them how you can connect through applications like Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc., and proceed to teach them how to set it up and how to use it.
Therefore, you should plan beforehand to achieve a remote profession that could sustain your lifestyle for years to come. For my case, I spelled out to my mom how I snagged an online job after I quit my corporate job and how I plan to find a way to launch my own business in order to secure my future even more — which did happen along the way as I was traveling!
Fortunately, parental concerns are somewhat universal after all, and with the right preparation AND with the help of this post, you should be able to quell their worries and eventually make them more accepting of your decision. Besides… if I had managed to make my ‘strict’ parents let me go, then for sure, YOU could too!
As such, it’s an important task for you to make them see that travel isn’t as dangerous as what the media has painted it to be, and that you are well aware of everything that needs to be taken accounted for. To do this, some of the things that you can do are as listed below…
» What to Discuss
How Long & Why
As such, it’s an important task for you to make them see that travel isn’t as dangerous as what the media has painted it to be, and that you are well aware of everything that needs to be taken accounted for. To do this, some of the things that you can do are as listed below…
» After the Discussion
If they answered this way, don’t pressure them. Give them the time they need to think it over but at the same time, ask for their feedback — like what other things are making them worry, etc.
The idea that you will be off by yourself also sets off alarm bells in your parents’ minds — this might be a personal worry of yours as well. Of course, if you’re going to travel with someone or with friends, this definitely becomes an easier topic to explore; but my guess is that a majority of you are planning to do this solo.
If you ever need ideas on the various jobs that you can earn from as you travel the world, come read my article below:
As I mentioned before, apps like Zenly or Life360 can give your parents peace of mind given how they can track your whereabouts.
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On how to convince parents, it’s essential to display to them that you have thought of your future extensively as you came up with this life-changing decision of traveling the world.
» UNDERSTAND YOUR PARENT’S POINT OF VIEW & UPBRINGING. Naturally, there is a generation gap between us and our parents; what seems normal or acceptable for us is most likely something that is crazy in their perception. So it’s important that you put yourself in their shoes to better navigate yourself through the discussion you’re going to have with them. That being said, expect them to freak the f*ck out about you’re doing because in doing so, you can find those holes or gaps in their judgment that you can rebuke in order to assure them.
