Traveling Homeschoolers

Discussion in 'Homeschooling' started by Mariann, May 2, 2004.

  1. Mariann

    Mariann New Member

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    I was just curious if any one travels for long periods of time with their family and homeschools too. We have recently had the thought of buying an rv and heading for the open roads (sounds like a mid-life crisis :p :eek: :confused: :D :rolleyes: ) My biggest concern is how we would support our selves. Any idea? Does anyone have any websites that I could look at?

    Thanks for entertaining our crazy notions,
    Mariann
     
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  3. TinaTx

    TinaTx New Member

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    Mariann

    Its not crazy at all! I think its a wonderful idea:cool:

    When I was growing up, some homeschoolers lived in Belize for awhile. Then they bought a boat and sailed on the ocean for about a year. They sold their house and put the $$$ in some type of high yield interest bearing account. They didn't need much! They just took out a set amount each month. He was a PADI instructor. (is that you spell it:confused: )You know a certified scuba diver instructor. He supplemented by taking jobs where ever they were at, giving diving lessons.

    Matter of fact, dh wanted to buy a second home in New Mexico this past year and divide our time between the mountains there and here. However, I wasn't quite sure about the dividing time bit. I have a hard enough time keeping ONE house clean..Thank you:rolleyes: So we might do like 2 months or so, and then back home.

    We stayed for a while in Costa Rica before we had kiddos. Dh wants to live part time in either Mexico or Costa Rica. I wouldn't mind going for a little while so kids can get mastery over a second language or two.

    As far as camping or rv type places, I'm not sure. But I would think anything *service related* would do as far as jobs. I don't know what kind of jobs he would be willing to do. I do know that my friends had owned a *very well to do business*...but that didn't bother him any when it came to making a few bucks here or there. He is a regular *Indiana Jones*. Real intelligent, but likes menial work because there are no strings attached.

    I know part of the time, they stayed in apartments and he was the maintenance man. They got the apartment for free. She homeschooled and they just took in the sights for 6 months.

    I think a big consideration for them was how the kids felt. They had two. Both a little older...in their early teens. They enjoyed it,but did get homesick for friends and family.

    Sorry I don't know of any websites.....but geeze..I wonder if there is a yahoo group for *traveling homeschoolers*. Theres a group for everything else under the sun:rolleyes: . I would be curious to know myself;)

    Oh well, my .2 cents! Again, I think its a wonderful idea if you have *checkbook* in order:p
     
  4. heatherwasp

    heatherwasp New Member

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    I have always wanted to do that! :D:D:D:D I read about a family in Reader's Digest that did that with their kids and they had the best time and the kids learned so much traveling through all the states!

    I don't know of any websites like that but maybe doing a web search will turn something up?
     
  5. Sandy K

    Sandy K New Member

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  6. Lornaabc

    Lornaabc New Member

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    hey

    I know someone who did that too. They traveled 1 year. She got her money from being hurt in a bad car accident. I don't recommend that one but it worked for them. They then bought a campground in Cherokee,NC and settled there, sent kids to ps then. They loved the traveling time. Kids wrote reports on each state they traveled to.
     
  7. Jimmie Lu

    Jimmie Lu New Member

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    oh ooooo mee I know a little!!

    Yepo We travel 6-8 weeks during the summer doing mission work and again for 2 weeks in Nov. There are alot of tricks and tips!!!
    My first sugestion is to get a Next Exit book!! FABULOUS!!! This tells what is off every major interstate exit!!!
    2nd Get an atlas from Wal- Mart the one that lists all the Wal-Marts in the US. You can park your rig(us pros call an RV that) for free!!
    Well its not really free bacause you will do most or all your shopping there!!
    When buing an RV make sure it will suit you!!! We recently needed a bigger one because so many(of you hsers) donated to our trip to Mexico this year!! THANKS!!!!
    We do some school work on the road not much book work unless its raining!!! lol How old are your children mine are 9,7, and 5!! So a Motor home suits us!! Not alot of potty stops if you know what I mean!! I have yet to find a loop!! by loop I mean alot of hsers that RV!! RVers are very nice!! You will get your best info from them!! We have!!
    Hope I was helpful !!
    Oh yeah if you want to be RV missionaries and are with the AG church call the Springfield headquaters they have a program!!
    If not email me and I will hook you up with our fellowship in WalnutGrove MO>!!!!
     
  8. Mariann

    Mariann New Member

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    Jimmie Lu,

    I found a yahoo group called Families on the Road. It is a very active group. You could probably find it by doing a search of the yahoo groups. It is also known as FOTR.

    Thanks for the tips. My kids are almost 9, 5 1/2, almost 4, and due July 10. I doubt it is something we will do anytime soon, but it doesn't hurt to dream and research.

    Mariann
     
  9. JMarlor

    JMarlor New Member

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    I know it's been awhile since anyone has read or posted on this post. I have been doing research about traveling homeschool parents. We travel because of my husbands job. I started homeschooling because we moved around so much in our RV. We have been traveling since January 08 and have yet to meet other parents in the same situation as us. I know your out there. We travel around Texas, mainly in the East area. I was looking for friends, advice and anything else that would be helpful and encouraging. While it is fun to travel, it can get lonely for me and the kids. We take lots of trips exploring the cities around us I guess it would be nice to be able to share time with someone else with kids that understands. My kids are 3 and 6. Thanks for your time.
     
  10. Lee

    Lee New Member

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    Hi - Their are a few of us on here that travel in a rv. We have a home and travel in a rv about 6 months a year. The past 6 years we have left around October and returned home in May (it's cold here). My ds is a lineman so we go where the work is and lately it has been California. We homeschool in the rv. Wherever we go we get involved in a church. The church always has many activities going on for the kids. I am usually running them 4 nights a week. We are also staying at campgrounds and they almost always have other children. I fully take advantage of the great outdoors, we hike the mountains, peddle bike, walked to the park, etc. Usually we get in about three miles a day. I know that when my kids were younger I would find the ymca and put them in tumbling-gymnastics classes. I would also bring them to the park during mommy hours. We live in the country so being on the road gave us the opportunity to take advantage of things that we normally wouldn't do.

    We started when my kids were 4 and 6 years old and they are now 12 and 14. Oh the memories.
     
  11. Autumnleavz

    Autumnleavz New Member

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    I think that is so cool. That has always been a dream of mine! I would love to take AT LEAST a year and travel in an r.v. We actually got a step closer with dh's job being mostly at home now...just gotta get him home for those last 2 days then I can talk him into it! lol.
     
  12. eyeofthestorm

    eyeofthestorm Active Member

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    We do it, but with no RV

    We travel with my husband for his work, but no RV here, so our situation looks quite a bit different that the others described here. (My DH does have a dream of someday getting an RV...but that's in the distant future.)

    When we travel with him, we have gone by train (oh, my favorite, but not really practical and actually kind of pricey), air, and auto (big increase in travel by car this past year, thank goodness). So, I have learned how to pack as light as I can and still cover content and keep my kids busy. This can be a challenge because my kids are pretty little (only my oldest is homeschooling) so sometimes "school" looks a lot like play. Also, since I am toting so much for them (including diapers - still have one in dipes), unless we go by auto, I don't carry my laptop. When the kids are older, I will bring the laptop or some other mobile device and that will make life A LOT easier.

    As it is, we use a lot of public domain books. I download chapters to my iPod so we don't carry books (books are heavy). Math I photocopy or write out for myself. I bring paper, scissors, crayons or colored pencils, tape, glue. Our hotel rooms are usually decorated with work by the second day. And, unless it's something really vital, I throw it away/recycle it and do not carry it home. Board games have been a godsend. We can work on skills while staving off boredom. They keep my older two busy while the youngest naps. And, a board game can be carried to a nice lobby or atrium for a change of scenery.

    Originally, I toyed with the idea of learning about wherever we go, but I discovered I am not quite that flexible:(. so, what I do instead is cut to the minimum and announce we aren't leaving the hotel room until school work is finished, and finished correctly. Then we head out to local sites of interest. I have noticed we get done much quicker when we're out of town.:wink: (At home we don't have a car, so we can't go anywhere interesting like we can in cities with subways and bus systems!)

    The hardest part for us is the mental adjustment. Because we're not on the road constantly (usually gone for one week of every month), sometimes it is difficult to get back to the "home" routine. When you've been gone, sometimes coming home feels like a vacation. So, when we need to, we spend a morning gardening/biking/doing house-stuff. We always (so far) have caught up with school work.

    Right now, we have been home for 4 (Four!) weeks in a row, and it feels like luxury. But, I am already looking forward to our next trips...I am saving a coupon to the zoo in Houston, planning what I want to eat in NYC (I grew up in the NE), and making a mental list of the Smithsonian museums we didn't see last year in DC so we can catch them this year.
     
  13. KrisRV

    KrisRV New Member

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    What a wonderful thing to do, we did it for 8 years and just bought a house in April and miss the traveling so much, it's so much fun and the kids learn so much and see so much. We bought a 40 foot rv and went all over the USA with my dh work and meet alot of neat people. We would just go to all the neat things every town or city offers. Museum, libraries, churches there is tons and tons of place per city. Check out the homeschool groups we use to so we could do a few things with them even if it was only for a month the girls got to meet others and see alot of neat things.
    Stay in RV parks, there are usually alot of other kids mostly on week ends. But, try to find parks that are kid friendly. Once you get to area, google the area for museum and things in the area and check out the place for fun things they will be having to do while you are there. It's a lot of fun, alot of neat people out there we miss it. Enjoy. The kids will have alot of memories too, we still talk alot about it.

    If you have any other question let me know.
     
  14. scottiegazelle

    scottiegazelle New Member

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    Okay, I'll be the only negative voice on here...

    We lived in our motorhome for a year. It was not exactly what I hoped for. There are many benefits, but there are also a lot of non-benefits. Now, mind you, I had a 6, 4, and 2 yo, and then was pregnant/had a newborn, which is obviously not the ideal time to be on the road. Also, we thought we would be traveling more with dh than we did. Due to rising gas costs, he determined it would be cheaper to NOT drive the RV but to take his own car and pay for a one star, cheap hotel. So quite often, I was living in a motorhome with 3/4 kids, and seriously stressing out.

    So, some potential pitfalls:
    #1 and worst of all, absolutely, positively, NO private space. If you want "alone" time, you basically have to go for a drive or a walk; no curling up in your bedroom with a book. Even if you do close the doors (we had two, one on each side of the bathroom), they don't do much to muffle the sound.

    #2 no private BATHROOM time!! With a new baby and a toddler, the bathroom door (which you couldn't latch open in ours) was frequently getting opened. ARGH!!!!

    #3 if you have any little ones, naptime is VERY VERY difficult. This is the point when I finally threw in the towel and started napping with my kids, in part due to the stress, and in part due to the situation. I wound up letting my oldest read by herself up front, while trying to get THREE kids, newborn to age 4, to sleep.

    #4 if you travel in the winter in the Northeast, make sure you get two space heaters and several heavy blankets. And something to keep the pipes from freezing. That is all I am going to say. (Imagine with me, if you will, you're pregnant, have three little ones, the pipes are frozen, and going to the bathroom means trekking through the snow.) Okay, now, that is it.

    #5 Ugh on the personal time with DH, and I mean PERSONAL. I'm probably oversensitive anyway, but in a small area where you can hear everything happening in the next room, and you can't lock the door, and you have little kids who wake up easily...well, let's just say that getting pregnant again was NOT a major fear here. DH did the same stint with his uncle while he was single; apparently his aunt and uncle didn't have the same problem I did, but dh heard more than he wanted to.

    #6 Those stupid things plummit in value like a rock, worse than any car you have ever owned, especially when gas is up to almost $4/gallon. WE CANNOT GET RID OF IT. And I want to (so, in fact, let me know if you want a motorhome, because I'm about ready to burn it, and I've been out of it for nearly a year). We are about $20k upside down, and we really didn't add significantly to the mileage.

    DH and I had talked about hitting the road in a motorhome once we retired. He will have to drag my corpse in it to make me go, no joke. He asked me if I wanted to take with us on our Disneyworld vacation next month, and I almost spit in his eye.

    Now, I'll throw out again, we had some rotten timing. It is not going to be ideal if you have young young kids, or if you like to have some time alone. Or quiet time. Or enough room to turn around in the shower without hitting your elbows.

    <sigh>
     
  15. rmcx5

    rmcx5 New Member

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    Yikes. Those are all the reasons that life on the road doesn't appeal to me and my kids are older.

    Don't get me wrong, a long trip (thinking a month or so) would be awesome to experience but I don't think I'm personally cut out for years in an RV.....even my dad's and he has an American Eagle motor coach (although I'd love to borrow it for that long vacation but I don't think he'd go for it :lol:).

    Lots of folks do it though....probably just depends on your expectations and temperment.

    Rhonda
     
  16. MonkeyMamma

    MonkeyMamma New Member

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    I would do it in a heart beat! By and RV and travel for at least a year. Sounds like a ton of fun!
     
  17. JMarlor

    JMarlor New Member

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    Well at first we were miserable in the RV we purchased. It wasn't long before we decided to upgrade. After 4 months in our first bumper pull RV and after tons of research we decided on our new Rv. It's a Cardinal LE 5th wheel. 40 foot with 5 slides. It has 3 bedrooms and bath 1/2. I think the type of RV you buy is very important. Our RV is perfect for our family because I can still have quite time. Our room is at one end and our kids rooms are at the other. Also a plus we have a standing shower and the bathroom is a private room. Granted the door does not lock and yes my kids have from time to time opened the door, it's so much better than our last RV.

    It is tons of fun to explore the cities around us. We move quite often, sometimes even once a week. My favorite place to of lived so far is College Station, Texas. There is so much to do there with your children and it's all real close. We have even joined a mailing service while on the road (Escapees Mail Service) so that we can still recieve our mail. There are lots of pros and cons to being on the road all the time. I wouldn't trade any of the experience for anything and I would suggest to anyone to do research into it before you jumped in and take off lol. Good luck to all!
     
  18. goodnsimple

    goodnsimple New Member

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    I wouldn't mind trying this. Although economically now does not seem like the best time.
    My plan was to get traveling assignments (8wks), I am a nurse...and dh would do school.
    I already know I would be very jealous of the boy time...but it might work.
    but we also have a moter home that we cannot get rid of, (it would be too small for full time) and dh just got a toyhauler...again fun, but not for full time. I just don't think he is on board with the idea.
    We are kicking around the idea of a foriegn mission.
     
  19. Lee

    Lee New Member

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    We have a 40' toyhauler with slides and it is perfect for us.

    Yes, we have privacy. Our bedroom is in the front and theirs is in the back. They have a door that separates their room from the rest. Our door does lock to our bedroom. We only have the four of us, no little ones but space is never an issue. Each of us can separate if we need to.

    We all love it. I think that having the right rv is key. If we were all on top of each other all the time we would all get crabby. I feel very blessed at being able to do this and wouldn't change it for anything.
     
  20. Emma's#1fan

    Emma's#1fan Active Member

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    I would love to travel in an RV while homeschooling. There is so much to see that can't be experienced in a book.
     
  21. amccleary5

    amccleary5 New Member

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    Ok, I'm with "negative".

    I can't find enough time away from my children and I live in a 3 bedroom house and have a job outside the home besides!:)

    Seriously, we are only new to hs and so we're still adjusting to being together constantly but I have to admit I lock myself in my very large bathroom with garden tub whenver possible these days.

    The thought of being trapped with both kids in an RV is downright frightening.:eek:
     

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