So Much to Do

[FutureBoatWife]

Hello Everyone!
My name is Lacey and I am brand new here. This is my first post. My husband and I have decided to take the leap of living aboard. We currently don't own a boat or even live near water. We live in the middle of a huge metroplex in Texas.

We are planning on moving to the Texas coast this summer and working towards our dream of living aboard. My biggest concern is my kids. My daughter is 7 and my son is 4. We will be homeschooling them once we are on the boat and traveling around. I think this is a great way for them to learn and become educated. But deep inside, I am worried that I might be harming them in some way by choosing this lifestyle for them.

I would really like to hear from any of you that raised your kids or are raising your kids while cruising. Any advice would be much much appreciated!

Thanks
Lacey

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Lacey.

I'd be more worried about your kids, if YOU weren't (a little worried). Your concern suggests, to me, that you probably have the "right stuff" to make this work.

Let me assure you, that virtually all the live-aboard kids I've met were WONDERFUL young adults (they seem to 'grow up' faster, which may be a slight disadvantage).

Use the link under my signature to search the forum for topics related to your concerns (home schooling, live-aboard & cruising kids, et al), where you'll find lots of great discussion & advice (specific & general).

[James S]

Welcome to the forum Lacey...I'll ditto what Gord said....way back in my cruising days (late 70s, early eighties) the cruising kids I met were extraordinary.
It seems the younger they start the better....once they are well into their teens it can be a tough transition.
Good luck!

[cdennyb]

check into the www.noonsite.com website for more info on cruising liveaboard families, kids, schooling, everything you ever wanted to know but didn't know to ask stuff.

welcome aboard, I'm a bit more fortunate than you guys, all three ofmy kids are grown and have good jobs and places of their own, (perfect to keep in the style I'm acustomed to if I ever retire and sell the boat) LoL

[nomadic mama]

Hi Lacey-

We are living aboard & cruising with our children, currently aged 5, 7 and 10. It's been about a year and a half since we left our home waters. Although raised an educated as an utter traditionalist), this non-traditional lifestyle choice has been nothing but wonderful for my family. Our children are thriving, and I believe this grounding (ironic term!) is probably the best thing we could possibly do to raise them as informed, interesting, concerned, and caring adults. Not sure what else I could possibly want for them!

We have met many other "cruising kids" out here. By and large, they are a remarkable set of kids. You can tell those who are new to cruising from those who are veterans of a year or more- the 'vets' have lost the hangups. They easily talk to adults, and feel they have something to offer (they almost invariably do). They don't care about unimportant schisms of age and gender in their playmates- a friend is a friend. They are children of the world, with a broader view.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!

Behan

[biltong]

The truth of the matter is that sailing kids mostly become a generation of 'Super-Kids', and on the way there learn to be amazingly capable kids/teenagers/ adults. 4 Sure!!
Good luck, it's a great life.

[anjou]

Hi Lacey.
Here is the link to a site which tells the story of a family who moved aboard to circumnav.
As you read the story, you begin to realise how much the kids benefit from the adventure and new opportunities they encounter.


Voyage of Tintin 2002-2003

[MarkJ]

All teenagers think they are being harmed by their parents.

Welcome

[imagine2frolic]

In my years of cruising, and meeting families with kids. I have found the kids of all ages to be RESPONSIBLE. I believe someday you will have a small chuckle over this fear, and be very proud of your children. Not to mention you are opening their eyes to the world.........i2f

[FutureBoatWife]

WOW! Thank you all for the warm welcomes and the encouraging information. All the responses were just great and I shared them with my worried family members! I am sure I will have many more questions along our way.

Lacey

[bangkaboat]

Lacey,
I think that Lisa Copeland wrote a book on cruising with kids. She & her husband home-schooled their kids when they cruised the world. If I recall, her greatest fear was the lack of socializing. As it turned out, this proved not to be an issue. When I was 15, I spent the summer sailing with a family, locally. The 10 year old boy on board was a far more knowledgeable sailor than I, at the time, and was well beyond the maturity level of a typical 10 year old. With the internet, your children will be able to keep in touch with friends around the globe & they will meet other children who are cruising and local children in every port. To be honest, I can't think of a better opportunity for your children.
Mike

[JustHank]

Welcome Lacey!

There is a tremendous amount of information on this forum about all aspects of cruising. Although my wife and I don't have kids, we have followed some families' stories about cruising with kids:

There's an interesting movie named "Iceblink" about the Martin family cruising globally with kids. You can buy it and download it at:

Ice Blink [2447] - $19.95 : Seafaring Ship's Store, Latitudes & Attitudes

There are some blogs out there about families cruising as well...one of my favorites is:

Big Upgrade | Zen - family cruising catamaran

Enjoy!

[capcook]

Originally Posted by Hank&Karen

There's an interesting movie named "Iceblink" about the Martin family cruising globally with kids. You can buy it and download it at:
Enjoy!

Hank&Karen,

Thanks for posting that link for Ice Blink, I actually ordered the dvd and just watched it. Great story and educational too... Can't decide if I want the other half to see it or not.. there is some things in it that would probably scare her off.. but most of it would be helpful... Thanks again..

Cheers

[Reba]

Hi Lacey,

We too are getting ready to make the big transition with our kids, who are 4 and 6. We're really starting from scratch, with a little sailing experience and lots of enthusiasm. Hopefully, that combination will work out. I'd be happy to stay in touch with you so that we can compare notes as our families begin the journey!

[schoonerdog]

Hi Lacey,
There is no better gift you could give your kids than giving them your time and attention and the gift of seeing the world and connecting with nature.
People will worry, so let them worry. People will question, so let them question. Only YOU know what is best for your little ones (and your partner).
Definitely start blog surfing (start with Totem above!) and asking questions like you are and reading and getting a feel for what it's really like rather than absorbing the stereotypes that those who have never lived the life and don't get it anyhow might toss at you.

Liza Copeland's "Just Cruising" and "Still Cruising" are great peaks into cruising with kids.

Tom Neale's "All In The Same Boat" offers some more practical advise.

Here are some more family boat blogs too:
s/v Rubicon
s/v Savannah
s/v Ghost
s/v Ceilydh
s/v Scud

And there is a link to our blog below in our siggy... we have been aboard for 12 years. Our now 6 year old son was born and raised on the boat and we have a daughter on the way next month. Living aboard now and planning to cruise again when #2 is 2 years old.

Enjoy and best of luck to you!
(Cindy, Schoonerdog's wife)