Traveller at viewpoint on Koh Tao, Thailand

Advice for Parents

Taking a gap year is a wonderful opportunity for young people to broaden their horizons, see the world and gain valuable life experience. Yet for parents, the prospect of waving their son or daughter goodbye as they set off on a gap trip around the world can be a daunting prospect. Whether you're concerned about how your son or daughter will finance their gap year, manage their money or stay safe and healthy while travelling, it's natural for parents to worry about the idea of their child going on a gap year.

Get involved in their gap travel preparation

The best advice for parents is to get involved with your child’s travel preparation. It is completely natural to be worried, but getting stuck in with preparation and planning is a good way of alleviating your own fears. You are well-equipped to give them advice on managing their money, setting up a bank account or helping them with opportunities to find paid work abroad. Before they go, tick off all the items on our checklist and it will help put your mind at rest.

The whole set up of Gap 360 seems marvellous. It certainly makes me feel reassured and confident. They've got a very good safety net and back up system for any form of assistance... and so friendly.

Health and safety concerns

One of parents' biggest concerns about their children travelling abroad is the question of health and safety. We offer health and safety advice for travellers and their parents about every destination we travel to, as well as undertaking risk assessments, so parents and travellers can put their minds at rest. Gap 360 also offers a 24/7 emergency support line for all our travellers, so you can rest assured that your son or daughter can get through to speak directly to one of our team at any time should they need to. See out Health and Safety pages for more tips and advice.

Stay in touch while they are abroad

Once they are abroad, one of the key concerns is how to stay in touch. Thanks to the internet, the world has become smaller and staying in touch is easier than ever. It's important you agree on regular contact, but it is equally important to strike the right balance between parental concern and letting them get on with it and learning to find their way in the world independently. For more advice for parents on staying in contact, click here.

 

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