Originally published on Lonely Planet.

Watching your child set off on a long-term trip can be daunting… or even terrifying. Even if your budding backpacker is beyond their teens and reasonably responsible, for many guardians the worry never really goes away. 

But the advantages of a gap year away from home outweigh – no, pulverise the negatives. Whether your kids choose to work abroad, volunteer or simply travel the world, here’s how they’ll gain skills and knowledge that will set them up for life, not to mention boost their CV.

Read the full article here.