Kids Aboard vs Wait ... WHEN ?

[FecklessDolphin]

High school aged kids who are home schooled tend to take many classes at community colleges. They do not depend on their parents to be expert enough in all subjects. In regions of the country where home schooling is strong, families often band together at the junior high school age for subjects such as math so that one parent who does have a strength in that topic can teach it. In such regions, parents are evaluated for the home schooling ability and I have heard of situations in which parents have been told that they should not be trying to home school further. On a boat one would not have the opportunity to get this cooperation and objective evaluation.

[familycruisers]

Well, kind of my exact point. A child with a competent teacher focused solely on them will do wonders over a child over in current standard, or even honors curriculum, imo.
Then you get them off to those core classes at the community college ASAP.imo.

[svpattyd]

None of my children had a traditional education. My oldest hated school, but in her last two years of high school she took nursing classes and graduated with an LPN. that would not have happened with home schooling. My oldest son excelled in art and was able to focus on exploring his talent. My other son finished his first two years of culinary school. My youngest daughter receiver her cosmetology license. None of them could have gotten the education they needed being home schooled. Your children are unique, get them the education experience they need, not what fits into your plans.

[familycruisers]

LPN and cosmotology aren't even degrees, and can definitely be achieved by anyone home schooled, GED, or even a drop out in the case of cosmo school.

[svpattyd]

You seem very harsh. They graduated from high school and got professional licenses. The LPN is now a BSN and my other daughter has a degree in business. How can u home school and get the hours required for a professional license while on a boat?

[ovrmyhead]

Originally Posted by Philipclem

Thanks for your input. I agree most homeschooled kids seem a bit more mature. My wife, Angie, is currently teaching middle school so we think we have a leg up should we choose to homeschool our own kids. The big issue seems to be the 10-year spread from our oldest to youngest. Even now, on the hard, we face many challenges in providing for all the kids needs and fostering their interests. I think a live aboard experience will galvanize our family dynamic. But there is always risk of the opposite.
Are there any boat owners that do long-term rentals (like for 3-6 months?). Maybe a summer afloat would help us determine if and how we might make it work?????

Our youngest is 8 our oldest is 18 next month. We've been in Puerto Vallarta for a month now prepping the boat to sail south. We haven't been out here for long but the kids are all loving it and chomping at the bit to get away from the marina. Just one more week we hope! While our kids were always close I think that this is bringing them even closer and it feels so good to be the driving influence in their lives instead of reality tv and rap music!

[familycruisers]

Originally Posted by svpattyd

You seem very harsh. They graduated from high school and got professional licenses. The LPN is now a BSN and my other daughter has a degree in business. How can u home school and get the hours required for a professional license while on a boat?

Thats my point, they can be home schooled for all the grade school years and still go to a vo tech or community college. My girls are 3 and 1. When we get them through grade school, we'll see where we are in the cruising, but thats a ways down the road.
I wasnt trying to be harsh. I was just saying those two things can be accomplished in a relative short amount of time after grade school.
My 19 yr old wishes he had filled his schedule up more in hs, especially the core classes. He's in his sophmore yr @ state college in pa and realizes he could have saved a ton of time and money by pushing harder earlier on and getting the core stuff out of the way. Basically most of the first two years.
If you test out of a class,CLEP for example, you can advance quite quickly.

BTW- reread and it did sound like I was minimizing those professions and I appologise.

[deckofficer]

Good friends of mine starting cruising in the early 80's when their daughters were 6 and 8. They decided on Calvert at the same grade level for both. They stayed out for 8 years till hs for the girls and asked them where they wanted to go to hs. Both girls had many cruiser friends from both NZ and France. They chose NZ because of the long Christmas holiday being summer time there. They both got involved in team sports and enjoyed hs.

[Mellowsail]

My wife and I are facing sort of the same problem. I have a 6 year old girl from a previous relationship & a 6 month old from my present wife of 5 years. We both lived aboard & sailed growing up. I lived aboard my dad & stepmom's 50' Prout catamaran at age 14 for a couple years and loved it. When I turned 16, I heard of all the fun my friends back home were having getting their drivers licenses. It made me long to go back on land & live with my mom & her husband. I wish now, looking back, that I had continued on with my dad. I eventually got my own sailboat when I was 20 & cruised the Keys & Bahamas off & on for 6 years. My question is, is there any parents out there with shared custody of kids that are able to make cruising with kids a reality? We would love to take off cruising with our kids now but I have shared custody with my 6 year old daughter & don't think her mother would be keen on the idea. We are 36 & 40 years old now & don't want to wait til later. As for the teenager onboard, I wish I had started sailing earlier is my only regret. I learned a lot & deal with things better now because of sailing. Some of the happiest times of my life!

[David_Old_Jersey]

It seems to me that one of the mistakes that many Parents make with the current school / education system (wherever that is) is to think that they have outsourced the entire education of a child - and also delegated all the responsibility to do so.

Oh, if life was only that simple!

[familycruisers]

Originally Posted by Mellowsail

My wife and I are facing sort of the same problem. I have a 6 year old girl from a previous relationship & a 6 month old from my present wife of 5 years. We both lived aboard & sailed growing up. I lived aboard my dad & stepmom's 50' Prout catamaran at age 14 for a couple years and loved it. When I turned 16, I heard of all the fun my friends back home were having getting their drivers licenses. It made me long to go back on land & live with my mom & her husband. I wish now, looking back, that I had continued on with my dad. I eventually got my own sailboat when I was 20 & cruised the Keys & Bahamas off & on for 6 years. My question is, is there any parents out there with shared custody of kids that are able to make cruising with kids a reality? We would love to take off cruising with our kids now but I have shared custody with my 6 year old daughter & don't think her mother would be keen on the idea. We are 36 & 40 years old now & don't want to wait til later. As for the teenager onboard, I wish I had started sailing earlier is my only regret. I learned a lot & deal with things better now because of sailing. Some of the happiest times of my life!

Depending on how amiable you two are, perhaps a month on month off, or 6 and 6? Talk to her.(your ex) show her some articles on cruising life, or perhaps a book so she can get a perspective. Perhaps take everyone for a sail to familiarize and ease any worries about safety and competence?
Put the shoe on the other foot, be sensitive to her fears, and work it out. Good luck!

[Capt Phil]

I have never met more well adjusted, friendly, responsible or mature kids than those who have been brought up aboard boats. We took our kids out of public school because of the propensity of teachers to teach to the lowest IQ in the classroom, never challenged the students and were hopeless at discipline. Both now have college degrees, one is a school teacher and will home school their kids they are so disgusted with the public school system. Being a family with sound values is more important than schooling IMO. Capt Phil

[familycruisers]

"teaching to the lowest iq" Sounded much better than the way I put it.