Traveling Families: Is a Traveling Lifestyle For You?

There has long been a debate in the travel community over whether you should be nomads when you have children or not. These debates can get heated, and naturally, everyone thinks they are right. In truth, there is no right or wrong answer. Every family and every child is different. As long as parents are keeping their children safe, and listening to their children, a nomadic lifestyle can be richly rewarding, but so can the life of a family with a home base they travel out of, whether they are expats living abroad or still living in their home country. We asked a few parents why they chose to be a nomadic family or not after they had kids and the answers were fascinating!

MEET THE NOMADS

Lainie Liberti, Raising Miro: My son Miro and I continue to choose a nomadic lifestyle for so many reasons. We are on our eighth year of continuous travel and have explored 20 countries much deeper and more authentically than the casual traveler. Both Miro and I agree, our true exploration has been the inward journey as we continue to slow travel, live an inspired possession-free-lifestyle, volunteer and learn about our own humanity. Our initial reasons for becoming nomadic included the experience of being present in our lives, experiencing the world as global citizens and have the opportunity to live in the world without fear. As we became more comfortable with our nomadic lifestyle, we realized that the world around us had transformed naturally into our classroom and we were passionately learning from everything the world offered us. 

Bryanna Royal, Crazy Family Adventure: We chose a nomadic life so we could deepen our family bond through travel. By simplifying our life and downsizing our possessions we have more time and focus to give to each other and the world around us. We take adventures and push our comfort zones as a family and the bond we are building with each other is amazing! 

Bethaney Davies, Flashpacker Family: We prefer to travel full time with our kids. It makes travelling feel "less rushed" and allows us to take all the time we need, which is important with little kids who move at a slower pace. I actually find travelling long term easier than being a stay-at-home mom. I feel like I'm under less (or more enjoyable) pressure on the road than I do at home when I'm drowning in chores, school runs and too many toys. On the cost side, because we're from New Zealand, virtually every place we travel is more cost effective than staying at home. That plays a big part of it too. Mostly though, it's because we have the freedom to work from anywhere and enjoy spending time together as a family.

Stacey-Jean Inion, Travel Deep and Wide: We chose to become a nomadic family ten years ago because it's the best way we know to educate our children. We love the stability and strong family bond that full-time family travel brings our family.

HOME-BASED TRAVEL

Tara Cannon, Pint Size Pilot: From the time I was about 16 years old, I have been fixated on my next adventure. Many years, a husband and two kids later, and nothing has changed. I feel almost euphoric as I watch my home city of Vancouver, Canada slowly disappear through an airplane window. Some days or weeks later, however, that same euphoric feeling returns, as I watch my city reappear. I have come to realize that although I am always looking for an escape, I also enjoy a return to my routine at home (even if that involve several days of jet lag, piles of dirty laundry and general chaos).

Corinne McDermott, Have Baby Will Travel: It is important to me to give my kids the stability and "normalcy" I didn't have as a child but wanted so badly. My husband feels the same way. We love getting away and exploring the world, but we also love our home and are very close with our extended families. At one point, the expat life in a Caribbean country was our goal, but since our kids have become firmly established in their school and are excelling in their activities, I'd rather save and plan for when we CAN get away. We cherish that uninterrupted time together even more now that it's so well earned.

Amy Hagstrom Whitley, Pit Stops for Kids: We're often tempted to go nomadic or move abroad, and I probably will one day, but right now, my kids' sports and school interests are important to them. To show them their voice matters in our family, we're currently tied to the traditional school calendar.

Nichola West, Global Mouse Travel: We use all of our school holidays to travel with our three children, and often get away for weekends too. We have lots of school breaks in the UK, one every 6 weeks so it's easy to have a base with schooling, home, friends, etc., but still get that travel buzz all the time. I like the down time when we're not traveling to plan the next trip, which is one of my favorite things to do, after actual traveling!

Allison Dover Laypath, Tips for Family Trips: We love to travel, but we also enjoy the stability and opportunities of a home base. When my husband and I were engaged, we deliberately chose to start our family near our parents and other relatives. Our children benefit from seeing their grandparents and cousins often. We are active participants in our community, schools and church. Volunteerism is a priority for us and we try to make the world a better place by improving our own corner of it. My kids have many interests and they thrive in local theatre, music and sports programs where consistency helps their progress. Travel benefits my family in more ways than I can count. However, I never appreciate my home more than when we return from a long trip.

So what do you think? Would you be a nomadic family or one with a home base?

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Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.