Traveling with school-age kids

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Specializes in Quality, Cardiac Stepdown, MICU.

Hey guys/gals, want some opinions on how this has worked for you. Hubby and I want to do a year of traveling with our daughters -- four 3-month assignments, all over the US. We want to do this in about a year or two, when I will hopefully have some good CVOR experience and be able to throw a dart at where we want to go. At that time my oldest will be in 7th grade and my little will be in 1st grade.

I'm not so worried about the little one as much as the big one. We do NOT want to homeschool; hubby is adamant that going to 3 different schools in one year would be good for her (he had a similar childhood for a few years).

Is this even doable? Can you jump from public school to public school every three months in different states? I know in Florida where we are now they make accommodations for migrant farm workers' children, but I know not all areas are the same in this.

Again, we don't want to homeschool, we want her to get the socialization and spend time with other kids and not us. I'd like to know if any of you have had experience traveling with kids on 12-week assignments and keeping them in public school. Thanks!

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Yes, you can do that. Public schools must accommodate all comers.

Is it good for your children's education and social development needs? Almost certainly not no matter your husband's anecdotal assessment of how it worked for him.

And if you want schools to carry the full educational burden of fragmented school years without intensive support by parents (which rates to be almost as much work as managing your own home school syllabus), then for sure not unless your children are truly remarkable self starters.

Your 7th grader is entering an age where a forced move every three months will likely give even greater cause to resent you over and above the developmental "natural" causes.

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I know that you don't want to homeschool, but what about an online curriculum for your local school district? Your children won't have to suffer being the 'new kid' all year, you won't have the burden of creating a curriculum and purchasing supplies.

I am just beginning my nursing career (start my LPN course in 2 weeks), but my husband and I have discussed the possibility of travel nursing. We are going to wait until both of our children are in college (10 more years), and I will work my way up to RN. By this time he will be retired and we can enjoy travelling the country without worrying about the kids.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

I agree completely with NedRN. My own anecdotal experience of being the new kid *once* in 7th grade was BRUTAL. It was a small town and the other kids had already formed their little cliques, and that's such an awkward time anyway.

And of course her education will be fragmented. Consider if you and a new pt assignment/pts had a new RN every four hours. Continuity of care would be severely lacking. Likewise your daughter would be getting a new set of teachers, and a new cirriculum every three months. Each school isn't going to be at exactly the same point in their lesson plans across schools. And what if one district starts foreign languages in 7th grade, the next in 8th grade? So at one school she doesn't take a foreign language, but the next one she's 3 months behind the other kids. What if one school teaches Earth science to 7th graders, another teaches life science to 7th graders? What if one school district simply has higher standards than the next one, and moves through the lessons faster? Changing schools--depending on the academic direction--could leave her either bored or behind.

Sorry, I just don't think it's a good idea. What about summer travel assignments for the next few years? Online K-12 school through your state of permanent residence?

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Ask any military child about being the new kid at school every 2 years, then triple that by being the new kid 3 times in one year. Do you remember how awkward 7th grade was? My oldest is going into 7th grade this fall and I can't imagine him getting used to 3 schools in one year. Heck, I even planned my wedding for the summer so he wouldn't have to move during the middle of the school year. Can you get a summer travel assignment?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I think you should subjugate your travel desire until your kids are out of the house. You are being massively unfair to them.

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Specializes in Quality, Cardiac Stepdown, MICU.

Personally, I want to just travel during the summer, I was just trying to get some feedback and see if ANYONE had made it work before I put my foot down to hubby and say absolutely not. :-)

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While I have met lots of travelers with kids, there were none with your husband! And all of them had a non-working partner to take care of domestic stuff. So no support for your husband here.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

IMO, I agree with the majority of responders. Don't subject your children to moving q3-6 months just because you want to be able to travel and your husband has "fond" memories of his own childhood experiences. Children need stability, and they're not going to get it if you're relocating frequently. It's going to be hard for them to make and establish friendships, as well as getting settled in school...because as soon as they start feeling settled is likely the same moment you announce, "pack your bags, I got my next assignment!"

Plus, travel agencies don't automatically do everything for the move for you. So which one of you adults is going to deal with the hassle of organizing and arranging moves? Hint: I bet your husband isn't going to volunteer to take that on.

Either leave the kids home with hubby and travel on your own, travel only during the summer when the kids are off of school, or wait until the kids are out of the house.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Yup. Former military kid here. :yes:

Ask any military child about being the new kid at school every 2 years, then triple that by being the new kid 3 times in one year. Do you remember how awkward 7th grade was? My oldest is going into 7th grade this fall and I can't imagine him getting used to 3 schools in one year. Heck, I even planned my wedding for the summer so he wouldn't have to move during the middle of the school year. Can you get a summer travel assignment?
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Travel positions are not easy. You will be setting up a new household and going through intense training at a new facility. Attending to children and establishing a routine for them could be to much for YOU.

Please don't forget about YOU in this decision.

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