You don’t have to have children to know that parenting isn’t a walk in the park. On top of the typical challenges which come with raising a small, dependent human, parents in the U.S. have other concerns. Will their child be safe at school? Not to mention malls, movie theaters, sites of worship and supermarkets? In this era of frequent mass shootings, there are no space spaces.
Knowing this, it shouldn’t be a surprise that some parents are rounding up their kids and leaving the country. For some, it’s a temporary palate cleanser and a chance to recharge. For others, it’s a permanent, no-looking-back decision.
Travel Noire has featured many Black people who left the U.S. to live abroad. There’s this family that moved to Senegal. Or this couple who moved to Mexico to run their vintage goods shop. Or this man who made Norway his permanent residence. The list goes on.
If you’re the parent of a dependent child, you have more to consider beyond finances. How will your child adapt to the new environment? How will they manage leaving their friends? If there’s a language barrier, will they be willing to put in the time to overcome it? These questions can be posed to adults as well.
CNN highlighted backpacking families who home school their children. They referenced a report published by American Express Travel stating that “76% of parents surveyed planned to travel more with their family in 2022.”
Travel provides an invaluable education which is beneficial to everyone, especially children. Two British parents, Emma and Peter Tryon, know this first hand. They took their oldest son out of school, sold their house and have been traveling across Asia for the past year. British law “has no specific requirements” for the home school curriculum, which made the transition fairly straightforward.
Peter cited “adventure, spontaneity and family bonding,” as the benefits of home schooling on- the- go. But how can the children (he now has two sons) focus when their environment is constantly changing?
According to CNN, the couple has a structure in place. They have “teaching periods of 30 minutes in the morning with each son, which sets them up well for the day.” The rest of the school day is more hands on.
Instead of desks and chalkboards, the Tryons take their children out in nature for an immersive learning experience. During one science lesson, “Peter taught his eldest son about buoyancy while they were in the water.” For some children, this less formal approach is a great way to absorb knowledge. The couple plans to stick to this plan “indefinitely,” but will make adjustments as needed.
This method of child-raising may be unorthodox, but some families are adept at making it work. If you are a parent to a dependent child, would you consider home schooling on- the- go? If so, would you do it as long as your child is of school age, or for a set period of time?