I with my husband have been on the road with our three kids for seven months now, and I can tell you that keeping a routine for raising digital nomad kids has probably been the most difficult and important element of our trip so far. We change homes every month and it takes us about a week to settle into our new place each time. We are home-schooling our kids and continuing our own remote professional careers, while making time to explore our new surroundings. Read here to learn more about our top ten tips for digital nomad families educating their children remotely.
Our kids love exploring new countries, eating different foods, meeting new people and learning new languages. However, they tend to crave the familiar and seek community over everything else. We have found that keeping a core routine has helped them adapt quickly to new environments. It has also helped to feed their curiosity, while maintaining stability and structure at “home”. Here are a few thoughts about how to maintain a routine for your digital nomad kids when everything is changing so rapidly around them:
Set Up A Structured Process For Settling Into A New Place
After transitioning into a few different places, we realized that the kids needed help to adapt to new environments. In the beginning, we figured they would just follow us and that would be sufficient. As we traveled to drastically different countries, we realized that the kids needed a rough “blueprint” for exploring new places. Managing their expectations was important in the process.
Now when we arrive in a new place, we begin with getting to know our host and asking them questions about our new home. The kids want to meet our hosts and get to know their stories. It helps them contextualize where they are living. Next, we all go to the supermarket together and explore the new scents and flavors as a family. It’s important that the kids know that their parents don’t know everything either.
We taste and smell new foods together. Then we look for green spaces and parks where they can run and play with other kids. These tiny steps go a long way in helping our kids find their footing in their new community. They know to anticipate these steps every time we change homes.
Travel With Their Favorite Toys and Stuffed Animals
Each of our kids chose a favorite stuffed animal and some favorite toys with which they travel everywhere. We prioritize these toys over clothes and gadgets because they are important anchors for the kids in new environments. Their favorite items travel with them and provide a sense of comfort and familiarity in their new rooms.
Schedule Regular Calls With Friends and Family
The kids were sad to leave behind their friends when we first left. However, over time they have had more quality interactions with their friends than they would have imagined in the beginning. We have scheduled regular video calls with close friends and family members where the kids can recount their new experiences. This also allows them to hear from familiar people about familiar places. In general, it has been important to connect the familiar with the new on a consistent basis.
Try To Find Familiar Activities While Traveling
Our kids have always loved sports and swam, played tennis and football before we left on our journey. We realized that keeping up with these activities, to the extent possible, was helping them integrate into new social contexts. This allowed them to connect with complete strangers through their love of a particular sport. Language and cultural barriers quickly disappeared and everyone was excited to participate in a familiar activity together.
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