Kids and Living aboard

[psymon]

Hi all,

I am planning to move to a boat in the next 18months, one concern that the wife has is how our 6yr old daughter will adapt to living on the water?

has anyone got an experience with younger children and schooling/socializing with their peers?

I was brought up on a 50' moody grenadier until i was old enough to packed off to boarding school and i dont remember any particular issues, but my memories have been dodgy for a while now!

Her main concern is that there are unlikely to be many other children in or around the marinas. But i'm assuring her that where ever our home birth (somewhere in the med, maybe) will be there will be a decent international school that we can enroll the kid into.

thanks for any insights

psy

 

[mike_bryon]

Because you plan to educate ashore your children will have lots of friends. School friends will want to visit her home and so will their parents. From time-to-time there will be other boat kids and their cruising parents (especially if they home educate) will be keen that their children make friendships with your daughter.
All four of my children spent years afloat and have all done fine.
best wishes

 

[Sy-Revolution]

We did it for two and a half years with our then 7 year old. At one point he went for 7 months without a playmate. We had to return home last summer to take care of my very sick mother and Wes went back into school. Mum passed away just before Christmas but we have descided to stay and just sail in the summer. Wes was missing out RE friends and the rare and fleeting friendships he did have whilst away were not adequate. We hardly met any other cruising families, maybe the credit crunch made matters worse.

We were in the Med, perhaps the Caribean is better.....


If you asked him however he'd fly back to the boat and go sailing tomorrow.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

We did it for two and a half years with our then 7 year old. At one point he went for 7 months without a playmate. We had to return home last summer to take care of my very sick mother and Wes went back into school. Mum passed away just before Christmas but we have decided to stay and just sail in the summer. Wes was missing out RE friends and the rare and fleeting friendships he did have whilst away were not adequate. We hardly met any other cruising families, maybe the credit crunch made matters worse.

We were in the Med, perhaps the Caribbean is better.....


If you asked him however he'd fly back to the boat and go sailing tomorrow.[/QUOTE


I raised two children(daughters) whilst living aboard for five years .the eldest is now a barrister and the younger is studding ancient history and language at Nottingham university.
I posted a thread "Education" about 9-10 years ago on here.



Don't hesitate GO

 

[Frankie-H]

Yes go for it. We have met many liveaboard kids over the years. They have been articulate, self assured and a pleasure to be with, even for us oldies.

 

[Babylon]

As a weekend and holiday sailor, I'm totally unqualified to answer this question.

However, I believe that younger children are almost infinitely adaptable: whatever environment they're in will be natural to them. As they get older, however, they might miss what they'd known before.

I am someone who immigrated into the UK from the southern hemisphere aged 10, leaving friendly people and a reliable climate behind. God, I hated this place! Once I'd come to terms with the permanency of the move and that the English I spoke divided me from the English the English spoke, I made new friends and began to take the lousy weather and all the other **** in my stride.

There's no right or wrong. Take your kids. Educate them whatever way you can. They'll be absolutely fine!

 

[psymon]

thanks for all of your feed back, I'm not particularly worried but your comments have put my better half's mind at rest a little. I did neglect to mention that she is a primary school teacher on purpose, so home schooling is an option.

we are now actively searching for a suitable boat and finance willing we have a time line of about 18mths. due to work obligations and whatnot.

thanks again for everyones input and i look forward to picking your brains a little more in the future

psy

 

[Ariadne]

You could do worse than check our blog, my two have been full time on board for 5 years and we educate on board as well.

No so many kids in the Med, but we managed to find them when we looked hard enough. The kids always found people to play with - boat kids make friends quickly or they miss 'em.

Mine are 14 & 12 and don't want to go back to live ashore let alone a 'proper' school!!