You’ve worked hard to build your portfolio and score awesome clients but now you are ready for a little bit of adventure.
Instagram feeds and Youtube families have inspired you and so you’ve made the decision to take your online career from stagnant to Nomadic… and you’re taking the kids!
Traveling with your whole family can be extremely culturally rewarding but it can also come with challenges.
You know this, you have tiny humans!
Traveling abroad with your children can feel daunting and downright scary.
You’ve been questioned about their schooling, wondered what you’ll pack, and how to find accommodations. You may have even asked yourself if you were crazy for even thinking about it!
You’re not crazy for wanting this life. Matter of fact, there are entire communities of families living abroad and working online.
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So let’s dive into the 3 secrets you’ll want to know before becoming a digital nomad family.
1. Schooling
Don’t worry, there are sooooo many options!
One of the first questions you’ll be asked when you share your plans to travel with your kids is, “What will you do for school?” (insert panicking family members)!
Calm them down by reminding them that HELLO… it’s the Digital Age and there are a ton of OPTIONS!
If you’re going to be staying in a country for two months or longer, you can find a local international school or small co-ops. Online schooling or hiring an Au Pair to help with homeschooling can be a great option, too.
Here’s a breakdown of each of them to help you decide the best route for your little people.
International Schools:
World Schools defines them as, “An international school is a school that provides international education in an international environment, either by adopting a curriculum such as that of International Baccalaureate, or by following a national curriculum, such as the American or British, which are different from that of the school’s country of residence.”
They are diverse in culture and ethnicity and great for expat families. Your kids will be able to relate to other children that are traveling and keep up with the curriculum of their home countries. International schools can be costly, but a great choice if it meets your budget.
Co-Ops/Small Schools
Typically run by a group of parents that either hire out teachers or take turns teaching within the group. Joining a Co-Op while traveling abroad can be a wonderful way to meet up with other families, like yours, and be apart of a different take on schooling. Do your research to find these groups. Facebook is your friend!
Au Pair
This is a wonderful alternative if your online job and homeschool scheduling are clashing. Au Pairs usually aren’t costly in their hourly wages and ask that you pay their travel fees and accommodations if they travel with you. They can keep your children on task with school and give you some downtime for yourself.
Online School
This is completely digital schooling. It only requires a few hours a day versus a typical 8 hour school day. A great choice for families who are traveling more frequently and can be done anywhere online. The whole family becomes digital nomads!
Pro-Tip: Schooling looks a little different when you’re a digital nomad. Keep an open mind and find what best fits your family’s needs.
If you’re looking for more education options, check out this in-depth blog post we wrote about it HERE.
2. What to Pack
It may take a minute to get the hang of not having a house full of stuff that you “think you need”, but part of traveling with kids is learning that less is more! Here are a few “Pack-Hacks” that you can help the transition along the way.
Toys:
Having a ton of toys just isn’t practical when you are traveling with your children. Choose things that are travel-friendly like legos, cards, puzzles, games, activity books, and small figures (eg. a doll or army men). When your child is bored with them, they are easy to give away or dispose of.
Embracing technology during your travels is not only practical but will become sensible as a nomadic family. iPadscan be educational and fun during downtime. Downloading movies and audible books will aid in minimizing the amount of stuff that you will want to avoid packing around.
Clothing:
It’s also important to keep clothing minimal. 3-5 outfits (cover the seasons), one pair of quality boots and sneakers, and one packable coat should be more than enough to meet your needs during your travels.
Back-Packs
Keep snacks on hand at all times. I’m sure this is a given being that you already know how much your tiny humans can eat. Avoid your kids getting hangry by keeping smart snacks in your back-packs such as packable fruit (eg. bananas, apples, oranges), protein bars, nuts, and peanut butter.
Parents, get yourself some quality instant coffee and powdered creamer…for REALS! Don’t waste time or money searching out for coffee pots, filters, and all that jazz that comes with maintaining your coffee addiction!
Medication
Having kiddos means that at any given point, someone can come down with something. Having a medication pack stocked up and ready to go will save you time on having to find a drug store and the difficulties of finding what you need with a language barrier. Your medication pack could include anti-nausea, cough meds, anti-diarrhea, pain relievers, etc.
Pro-Tip: Use Ziplocs to help organize snacks and medications that you will need to grab out of your pack.
3. Finding Accommodations
The thought of consistently searching out for places to stay with your family may seem a little overwhelming at first. You have a budget, no doubt, so let’s discuss how to go about finding accommodations for your family.
Keep in mind during your search to look for places that can offer more than just a place to sleep (eg. wifi, parking, utilities). Getting more bang for your buck means fewer things that you have to worry about.
Airbnb and VRBO can be great sites to help find sustainable places for a family but prices can often exceed your budget and may not work for long term stay. Messaging the owners outside of the site may score you a better deal when needing a longer stay.
House sitting gigs are amazing for stays anywhere between 2 weeks to 6 months. The owners are usually traveling and just ask that you care for their property in exchange for living at the property. Check out Trusted House Sitters (you can get 20% off a membership if you use the code RAF149327) if this piques your interest!
Don’t forget to ask around! Posting a shout out may score you some sweet digs for your family at little to no cost.
Pro Tip: Keeping a blow-up mattress, battery-powered air pump, and sleeping bags will help you maximize small affordable spaces that may not have enough bedding for your little nomads.
Lastly, Go Slow with your kiddos. Your kids cannot do what adults can do. Overdoing it can result in cranky kids and stressed parents. Go out and explore, just know their limits. Keeping to a routine will help make transitions easier from place to place with your family.
Parents often wonder about how those great world adventures are funded. 90 Day VA is one way for families to generate a regular income while traveling the world and making wonderful memories while other parents are stuck in the office. In 90 days or less, your dream of traveling full-time with your family can turn into your real life.
In fact, we have a blog post all about how one of our 90 Day VA students, Andie, travels the world while homeschooling her five kids! You can read it HERE.
If you’re interested in other aspects of working online, check out our FREE 90 Day VA intro class! It’s jam packed with great information about what a virtual assistant is, how to find legit work online (even if you have no experience), and the basics of getting started! Enroll now. It’s totally worth it.
About the Author:
Courtney Breaux is a virtual assistant here to help you take your business to the next level. When she’s not helping write content or assist clients in running their business, she loves to spend hours in her garden hanging out with her two kiddos and husband. She’s a member of the 90 Day VA and assist with everything from social media management, light graphic design, content ghost writing, and remote office work. To see all the services she offers and she can help you, check out her Facebook Page HERE.
