Social development for kids on boats

[bumpman]

I'm a retired, 30-yr high school education veteran (Ph.D. scientist, science education, school and curriculum reform, emotional development, learning disabilities, athletic coach). As a lifelong sailor and cruiser, I concur with the respondents. I've met many home schooled and cruising kids, along with the many students I've taught over the years and their parents, and usually find the former to be better educated, more socially mature, more passionate, and importantly more capable for delayed gratification than the average H.S. student. These are all indicators of future success. To me, it's educational and social development quality over quantity that I've seen in cruising and home schooled children with intelligent and caring parents. I've also been saddened by the decline of too many schools in the US (underfunded, underpaid staff, constricted curricula, misplaced priorities, etc.). As long as the child has no emotional difficulties or severe learning disabilities, a cruising life with family as previously described can be a significant life-enhancing experience. Best to your family adventure.

[dwedeking2]

Having lived outside the US and then come back and run into the "thoughts" by people that have never left the country. Just exposing your kids to the outside world is worth the price of admission. I just shake my head at all the people I run into that think the world consists of a strip mall and chain restaurant.

[zstine]

Sailing Zatara on YouTube also has older kids, in addition to Totem. They are more than happy to answer direct questions.


We only cruised 18 months, our 2 kids were 9 and 11 but there were plenty of boats with older kids. We found that there were certain places kid boats congregate. Prickly Bay, Grenada in hurricane season for example.. So, If you are willing to cater to the kid's wants to socialize, you can choose to cruise the locations where the kid boats are... There's a 'kids-for-sail' facebook page to help find these locations. And you can buddy boat and meet up with the same people again and again... Now if you want to go out on your own and sail around the world in a 3 year period, then no, they won't make long term friends they can see... though with modern electronics, they certainly can stay in touch and whatsapp anyone in the world. One big difference between the 'military brat' child and cruising kids is a stable home life.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by vasiliy

So I read several times that kids that don't have a stable home/place when they are growing up will be at a big disadvantage of having appropriate emotional (?) or social development. The stories I read about specifically are from adults who had to move a lot when they were kids due to parents' jobs, etc. They could not get establish long-term friendships with peers and some even had to turn to therapy when they grew up. Living on a boat seems to face similar challenges.
Most of people who commented on this topic in another forum (not here) indicated they would not subject their kids to such travel/frequent movement when kids get to the high school age (before high school they said it might be okay, but still not ideal).



What have you experienced or read or maybe have research links about this topic? We are planning on moving to a boat at some point and sailing blue water and have three kids (they will be 8, 12 and 15) at that time so they are three of them which might help, but we are still somewhat worried about their well-being.


Of course we fully understand that any potential negatives from what I described above may be offset by the array of experiences/skills/life-long memories they can gain from sailing full-time.

Look at military brats they seem to be well adjusted.

[PeroniPete]

Have a look at the family Sailing Zatara. Yes they are brash Texans, but try to look past that, and see what a great family environment they have, and what wonderful parents those two are. I don't think those kids are at any disadvantage at all.

[boatpoker]

Full time cruiser/liveaboard since 1994. I have watched many kids raised on boats over the years and have yet to meet one who was not miles ahead of the average land based kids. I have found them to to be universally more engaging, respectful, mature, responsible and a pleasure to be around. I am still in contact with some of these kids from 30yrs. ago.

PS. I was raised in 4 different countries, 13 different elementary schools, 15 homes. Didn't bother me at all. In fact I believe it fostered an independence that has served me well.

[vasiliy]

Originally Posted by zstine

Sailing Zatara on YouTube also has older kids, in addition to Totem. They are more than happy to answer direct questions.


We only cruised 18 months, our 2 kids were 9 and 11 but there were plenty of boats with older kids. We found that there were certain places kid boats congregate. Prickly Bay, Grenada in hurricane season for example.. So, If you are willing to cater to the kid's wants to socialize, you can choose to cruise the locations where the kid boats are... There's a 'kids-for-sail' facebook page to help find these locations. And you can buddy boat and meet up with the same people again and again... Now if you want to go out on your own and sail around the world in a 3 year period, then no, they won't make long term friends they can see... though with modern electronics, they certainly can stay in touch and whatsapp anyone in the world. One big difference between the 'military brat' child and cruising kids is a stable home life.

Totem indicated the same thing as I started looking at their videos. May be important to have buddy boats with kids.

[vasiliy]

Originally Posted by tarian

To ask the question seems that maybe you do not know your children , to also ask strangers Thier opinions seemed odd to , talk to your kids find out the issues that they will encounter and how will this be practically applied to help them.
For those with opnions on kids behaviour and attitude of crusing kids compared to land kids is rubbish ! Pure speculation based on little or no qualifications or data to back their claims .
Kids are living in a different world to those that grew up 30 years Ago their world is different and stop telling them not to be as all other kids are.
Honestly the amount of better in my day rubbish about kids growing up is the usual tripe we face every day .from our older generation
If one needs to research how their kids attitudes and how they will develop from a completely different family needs to ask themselves doing really what my kids want and is this right for them.
No one is right or wrong only you know this everyone elses opinion is based on nothing to do with you or your circumstances
Perhaps Mumsnet is more appropriate
Yes I have a child yes I go crusing yes she has ups and downs but I would never ask anyone about her as they know nothing a out me or my family so how can they form an opinion based on others small experiences

This is an interesting angle, but I bet to disagree. I know my kids but only a fool would ignore experiences/advice other people can share. It is my role to make use of that or discard it, but I don't see why asking for input is a bad thing. Plus, lots of people here already indicated that maybe my fear may not be based on good facts.

[vasiliy]

If anybody is interested, here is a thread that raised my initial question: https://www.reddit.com/r/fatFIRE/com...r_you_fatfire/ (not, I am not FatFIREd).