Every parent wants to make their child’s birthday special. For some, that means a grand celebration with themed decorations, entertainers, return gifts, and a long guest list. But now, parenting styles are changing. Some parents are choosing different ways to create lasting memories. One such heartfelt practice was recently shared by a mother through a social media post. Parenting influencer Ritu Dangi shared why her family skips extravagant birthday parties for their kids and chooses to travel instead.
6 Jul 2026 | 14:01
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“We don’t do big birthday parties”
“We don’t show them a place on a map and call it geography. We take them there,” says Dangi.
“We don’t do big birthday parties. No bouncy castles. No goody bags. No decorations that cost more than the memories they would make. We put that money toward taking them somewhere instead,” wrote the mother of two. According to her, the reason they do so is that they believe in the philosophy of “experiences over things.” For this family, travel is an extension of their children’s education. Instead of teaching geography through maps or textbooks alone, they believe in letting their daughters experience places firsthand. “We don’t show them a place on a map and call it geography. We take them there. We let them feel the soil, hear the language, taste the food, and meet the people,” the mother wrote. They believe that while classrooms provide knowledge, travelling allows children to connect with that knowledge in a way that becomes a lasting part of who they are.
How they handle the “They won’t remember it” questions
The mom also reflected on the most common question her family gets to hear for taking their 5- and 3-year-old daughters on such trips. “‘But they won’t remember it.’ We hear this a lot,” she admits. But according to her the question was never whether they will remember it. The question is how it will shape who they become.Exploring new places, meeting different people, hearing unfamiliar languages, and stepping outside their daily routine can influence how children think, feel, and respond to the world. “A child does not have to consciously remember a place for it to become part of them. It shapes how they think, how they feel, how open they are to the world,” notes the mother.
Beyond sightseeing: What travel actually teaches children
“A child does not have to consciously remember a place for it to become part of them,” says Dangi
For this family, travelling isn’t simply about ticking destinations off a bucket list. It’s about helping their daughters develop life skills that can’t always be taught in a classroom. They believe every travel journey is like a learning opportunity that teaches:
- Empathy: Meeting people different to themselves
- Adaptability: Learning to handle the unexpected
- Confidence: Navigating new places builds self-trust
- Cultural awareness: Before the world makes it complicated
- Resilience: When things do not go to plan
- Family bonds: Undivided time together that school and work cannot give
Making most of the years they have
Perhaps the most emotional and heartwarming part of the message is the mother’s reminder that childhood is fleeting. Her daughters are just five and three years old, and for now, they still believe travelling with their parents is the greatest adventure. But she knows that won’t always be the case. “One day they will have their own plans. So we are going now, every chance we get, while they still want us there.”The mother also emphasises that meaningful family travel doesn’t have to involve expensive international vacations. “You do not need to go far. A new city. A different town. Somewhere they have never been. The distance matters less than the decision to go. Because one day they will be grown – and the world you showed them will still be living inside them,” she says. While every family has its own way of celebrating milestones, this family’s message shifts the focus from creating picture-perfect scenarios to creating meaningful experiences!