Taking the kids cruising for a year

[tilmonday]

Update:
I have started a web/blog site which we hope to update on a regular basis once we cast the lines. I think this will be the best way to keep family and friends up to date on where and what we are doing. Also, I hope it will act as a catalyst for those who haven't yet decided to jump in. If you get a chance check out:
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/dreamcatcher/

Dave Daniels
saildreamcatcher@juno.com

Looks like a great opportunity for your kids to get a course in web design

[captqrunch]

We spent two years cruising with our sons, then 10 & 12. Ten years later, and we still believe it was the best thing we could have done as a family.

Getting them away from public schools and TV made a world of difference. My younger son, then a fourth grader who could barely read, went on to graduate cum laude from an Ivy League college. For what it's worth, we used the Calvert School's correspondence lessons; they were fine. I bought a laptop halfway thru the cruise and the boys learned a bit about C++ programming in addition to their schoolwork.

My only regret about the whole experience is my not delegating enough responsibility for the sailing part.

[Charlie]

I'm trying to get the family all to agree on going. My daughter (age 9) will go in a heartbeat. My wife is cautiously interested. My son (age 8 and six days) is not so interested but is willing to try. I'm thinking that the best way to get them to go is to teach them to surf. From there we could do a sail and surf trip down the Mexican coast. I can't really teach them to surf since I don't know how but it is on my to do list. My children are also very active. How were the passages with the children? Did they bounce off the bulkheads?

Charlie

[captqrunch]

My older son was borderline ADD and a little hyper. He settled into it OK. He had always loved to draw --- many trees were consumed during the cruise. I think the fresh air, sun and dynamics of a moving boat slow 'em down. Boredom can be constructive, too: it forced them to learn to enjoy reading. Most of the sailing was coastal, only a few multi-day offshore passages. It helped, too, that we had a center-cockpit boat: more privacy for all concerned. ...Obviously, your mileage may vary. ... Good luck. The risk is relatively low compared to the potential reward, IMHO.

[BC Mike]

These days it is easy to prescribe Rytalin for ADD, but I must tell everyone that if you or the kid applies for life insurance on the kid, the policy may be rated or declined. They may not tell you that when they prescibe it, and the doctor may have a different opinion than the underwriter, but the underwriter makes the final decision.
Michael

[coyote]

<Want your kids to develop as independent, mature, responsible adults?? Raise em on a boat!!>

I can't say I've been around boating families per se, but I suggest that it's not only the boating aspect, but the very fact that the parents are committed to raising decent human beings that results in good kids.
I'm a long time Scout leader, and it takes me about 11 seconds to figure out why a new boy shows up; either they've been raised to make a "joining" decision on their own, or parents care enough that they bring the boy, or parents don't care much about spending their time with them and figure we're a pretty cheap baby sitting service.

Invariably the families who value children produce pretty darn good ones, and their committment to the effort required is obvious. And Scouting isn't the only venue where it works. I've seen sports families (Little League dads living vicariously thru their 10-yr-olds excepted..), music families, camping and hiking families, etc. who are wonderful to be around because the young ones have the basics down; responsibility, respect for other folks around them, a willingness to work toward a goal, and the ability to take a lump once in a while without momma going berzerk.

I can see where an extended period of time on a boat would provide challenges and situations that could not be duplicated elsewhere.

[Charlie]

both kids are dyslexic so we are having to teach them to read on our own anyway. Marina is home schooling now and Keegan is getting to the point where we won't be able to keep him in school full time until he catchs up with reading. We figure that we aren't getting that much from school right now so home schooling while cruisng sounds like a good plan. I've made an offer on a boat that hopefully will be accepted. We've also decided not to sell the house to go on this cruise. I've got everyone talked into a stair step procedure. Get a costal cruiser try Mexico for awhile. If they like it we'll keep going south and if they really like it we'll sell the costal cruiser and buy a bigger one and go cruising for a longer period of time.

I like the idea of reading and drawing those are things that the kids really enjoy. We also do alot of books on tape. I'll have to figure how to keep fresh books available to the kids. Shouldn't be that hard.

Charlei

[tilmonday]

Thanks all for your kind words. My kids are also very active. With that in mind we decided on a catamaran so they could each have there own space when needed.
My son is currently in 6th grade and is having a difficult time with school this year. We are very much looking forward to getting total control over his schooling and truly believe he will excel for that reason. He is very excited about the trip. My daughter on the other hand is OK with the whole idea, not thrilled with leaving her friends but she is oly 10 and she will adapt.

[Charlie]

Tilmonday:

Having their own space is something that I may need to put higher up on the priority list. We (meaning my wife) are currently home schooling our 10 year old daughter. It can be a real fight but ont he other hand there sure is alot of flexability and the stories we hear about what is ging on the class she used to be in are sure telling us we did the right thing. Funny that the state of California (in its lack of wisdom) is pusing kids in to pre-school so that they can be reading when they come out of kindergarten. they say that kids who go to pre-school are more likely to go to college etc. etc. My belief is that it has more to do with parents that take an interest in their kids. Sounds like that is part of the reason why you are going cruising.

Even before I had kids I thought it would be a good idea to take the non existent kids cruising. I'm hoping that it will help to avoid the "I hate my parents stage." (I know it is unrealistic but please let me believe that De nial is a river in Egypt.) I Can't think of anything better than sailing and traveling for a child's education. I imagine that they will knock the schoolwork out quick when they realize that getting it done allows them the freedom to go surfing, or exploring, or on some adventure.

I'll look at your blog when I have a free moment.

BTW do a google on Project Marquesas. There is an interrsting website on a family w/ two kids on a Holland 43 that just arroved in the Marquesas.

Charlie

"I can't say I've been around boating families per se, but I suggest that it's not only the boating aspect, but the very fact that the parents are committed to raising decent human beings that results in good kids. "

One of the biggest dissapointments of raising a family for me was to see so much of what I tried to accomplish with the kids on the weekends and holidays etc, undone by negative peer pressure, bloody TV, rude neigbours etc. Two things I present as fact:
People tend to adjust to their environment.
People tend to develop a personality when young that is hard to change later. I have a brother that was a spoiled whiner as a child... hasn't changed in 50 years!

A boating environment is an advantage to a good outcome.

Cheers

First, and most important step is to assign opporational responsibility. If you like, assign rank. Bosen, engineer etc. Play to their strengths. Make these areas stricktly their responsibility. i.e., if your son is the engineer, no one starts the engine until he say it is ready. If your daughter is good with math, make her the navigator. If one of of your kids is artistic, put that child in charge of the log, and have him/her enter a drawing of the locations. Maybe even a drawing of the location when you set out, then one after you arrive. Your kids will gain much from looking at their expectations of places and comparing them to what they actually experience. Do not just give them jobs to do, but give them authority. As captain, you can still overide a decision without taking from them the authority of being in charge. A boat is a very unique oppertunity to empower your kids as well as teaching them.

[Charlie]

Kai & Bob:

These are the best ideas I've heard. I need to think of how to incorporate them but I will. Wonderful Ideas. Wonderful. Great. Fabulous. Wow. I can't imagine a better plan (well maybe a nanny but alas I'm not Mormon).

I know what you mean about the early training. It is hard to break. I've got a brother who has been into drugs since he was 11 and never worked a steady job but still expects to be the boss. 30 years later things haven't changed.

Charlie

[tilmonday]

Kai,

Thanks for the great ideas, we will look at how we could implement them.

[sailor12]

Hi everyone. I've really enjoyed reading all the posts here. I love the ideas you have given, Kai Nui! I haven't posted a whole lot on the board here, so I'll give some info on us. We are a family of 4, me, my husband, and our 2 daughters (7&4). We also have a 4 legged member of the family-a 100lb lab. Anyway, we are presently fixing up our house to sell it and then move aboard (hopefully sometime within the next 2 or so months). We will be living in the Pacific Northwest and doing some local cruising until 2012, when we will be taking off to the South Pacific for a couple of years. We started homeschooling our 7 yo this past February. We have both good days and bad days, but as a whole, it's been really good for the whole family. I could go on for hours about why we left "school", but you all pretty much covered many of the reasons that we chose to homeschool.

We are very excited and nervous about our big move to the boat. It's amazing how many people out there don't get it (the living aboard and cruising thing). We have done quite a bit of cruising around the San Juan Islands (WA state) with our friends and just love what we see in our girls when we are out there. The simplicity of life is so beneficial for the whole family. I grew up in a very "money" centered family, and refuse to raise my kids in that atmosphere. Granted, money is important, but when it rules your life, and sucks up all your dreams, it's not worth it.

Good luck to everyone in reaching your dreams!
Shari