I'll third the idea of travelling with your kids, not leaving them behind.
I'm British, and I grew up in the city of Plymouth for the first 18 years of my life. It's a big city but pretty much a backwater. My parents took me to South Africa when I was 10 years old and it left an indelible impression on me, one that made me want to keep travelling ever afterwards. I live in Bangkok, Thailand now, so I guess it worked ;-)
As other posters have mentioned, you can easily choose kid-friendly, low-stress destinations like New Zealand, Australia and the UK that have similar standards of living to the US where you don't have to worry about the water supply or strange food for your kids... they will love and soak up their new surroundings and who knows what it will spark in them later on in life.
Moreover, when you get more confident about travelling with your kids, you can come to somewhere like Thailand. It's more of a culture shock and not so orderly as the above mentioned countries, but Thai people - indeed, Asians in general - dote on children and will give them and you a warm reception.
Best,
Chris  |