Mother and child grow together through experience.

My friend often spends her holidays going on road trips with her children. After a year in the city, they always make sure to take each other to the countryside during the holidays. Like during Tet (Vietnamese New Year), they went to Dak Nong, and soon they'll be going to Quang Tri. She gives each of her sons a notebook so they can jot down interesting things. Their trips usually last a week, traveling by train and stopping in new villages that neither of them has ever been to. In those villages, there are family acquaintances and friends who are willing to give up their rooms and beds for the mother and children to stay in.

Occasionally, I share stories about my mischievous son with my friend. She asks why I don't pack my bags and take the train like her and her son.

"Take your child out; there are hundreds of interesting things out there to keep their attention and prevent them from being disruptive. Let them see that many people love them—there are far more people who love them than those who look at them with a 'disturbing' gaze. And more importantly, you and your child will have more opportunities to bond and develop. 'My child used to be quite introverted, didn't talk much, and had poor writing skills. But just a few trips with me have helped them develop these lacking skills,' she persuaded."

She recounted that once she decided to take her child on a backpacking trip to Quang Binh, to the home of Mr. Ho Khanh – the man who discovered Son Doong Cave. The price for a homestay at Mr. Ho Khanh's house was 1.4 million VND. This was a significant amount of money for a mother with an unstable income like her.

But she didn't hesitate for long, thinking there would be many experiences. Indeed, she and her mother talked with Ho Khanh's mother until 2 a.m. The mother recounted how Ho Khanh had loved exploring nature since he was very young. The children were also very enthusiastic, forgetting about sleepiness. These practical stories helped them become more excited about trips that were more about experiences than just tourism.

Once, she woke up early to watch the sunrise, but seeing her child sleeping soundly, she couldn't bear to wake her and went alone. A motorbike taxi driver offered to take her for a very reasonable price. She didn't suspect anything because most of the locals in the areas she visited were very kind. However, when she rolled up her pants to wade through the sand, the driver followed closely, his eyes staring intently, making her shudder. She quickly turned back, missing the sunrise. "These trips aren't just for children to learn; mothers also need to learn many things about life," she concluded.

My friend told me that during a holiday, she suggested going on a trip with her dad, but he said, "Things are tough right now, you have two young children to look after, and your salary and bonuses aren't much. Why don't you save up for the future? Wait until things are better off before you go..." My friend got annoyed and said, "What if you're not around to go with the kids then?" A colleague also wondered, "I don't see you writing many articles, so how do you have money to travel all the time?" My friend jokingly replied, "I have a 'sugar daddy' backing me up, that's why I can travel all the time!"

My friend is a single mother of two sons, one six and the other four. Of course, she's not wealthy, nor does she have any rich benefactors, but she doesn't believe in the idea that "you have to be well-off and financially secure to travel and enjoy yourself!"

Everyone has their own loves, priorities, and ways of organizing their lives. With what you truly love, consider important, and prioritize, you will naturally find the time and money for it. For you, arranging time for trips and experiences with your children is just as important and necessary as eating, drinking, sleeping, and saving for the future.

You told me about your cousin, who, in her youth, lived in rented accommodation far from home. She saved up and carefully bought a small house in a foreign land. Shortly after buying the house, she passed away, leaving behind a 7-year-old child. Now, her husband is preparing to remarry right after the mourning period for her. Her brother-in-law even plans to send the child back to his maternal grandmother's house because the house is too cramped, and it would be inconvenient for him and his wife. Throughout the child's childhood, there were probably few opportunities for mother and child to travel together and create beautiful memories with photos, because the mother was busy earning a living and saving for the future...

You often tell yourself, life isn't short, but you also can't know how long or vast it is, or how many more years you'll leave your mark on this world. If you save joy and happiness for the future, will you ever regret it? If you say you're waiting to be rich and have plenty, that time will be endless, because no one is ever satisfied with their abundance.

It's perfectly right that children need security for their future. But in the present, they also need to be nurtured with joy and experiences shared with their parents. They also need beautiful, colorful memories, not just images of their mother toiling in the kitchen cooking and forcing them to eat, their father working tirelessly, occasionally buying them a toy before returning to work, games, and other personal interests.

Take your children out to play, so they know that this world isn't limited to four walls and colorful YouTube videos. Their space isn't just confined to home, the streets, and school, with its smog and traffic jams, but extends as far as the roads across Vietnam, Asia, and Europe; as wide as the ocean, as high as the mountains, and as vast as the winds of the mountains... Take them out to play, so they can taste the salty sea, the simple, fresh BBQ, a flavor so different from fast food and kindergarten meals. Take them to resorts with good service, where they're treated politely by the staff, and let them experience the markets and the daily lives of the locals; so they understand that life has many different facets. Whatever you do, as long as you love your work, you will reap the rewards. Wherever you go, if you are polite and pay fairly, you will be treated well and receive good services in return. Mom can skip buying a few lipsticks, some clothes, and a handbag so she can take her child out to play.

With so many insightful and effective lessons for both children and mothers, why not pack your bags and go with them?

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I'm getting ready to pack my bags and go on a trip with my child, with the April 30th and May 1st holidays and a whole summer eagerly awaiting us. We're going so that both mother and child can grow together.