If you're someone who has a spirited sense of adventure, encouraging your family to share your dreams and passions is, on occasion, harder than you realize. If you're someone who's had to settle down for the sake of the family, but you still have that itch to go traveling, it can be a very long and drawn-out process to convince everyone. Whether you want to take them to another country to experience different aspects of life, or you want to move somewhere else to start all over again, what are the best ways to encourage your family to be more nomadic?
How Young Are Your Children?
It's a great thing to have young children because, before life makes them a little bit on the jaded side, or even before the start of forge proper friendships in school, you still have the chance to take them somewhere new. If you have young children, it's only your partner that you have to convince, but if everyone is on the same page, you can very quickly hire movers to get your stuff from A to B, and start a new life. If you have your own children, remember, the big thing is about having patterns and routine. To encourage a nomadic sensibility, you have to be prepared for a shakeup in their routine.
Sell It As Quality Family Time
We all need to go on vacation to experience other cultures, but if you are a close family, and you need a travel itch scratched, you need to ensure that it is good quality family time. If you and your partner on the same page, then he won't be so much of a hardship, when you are looking for the next adventure, especially if you've been in one place for too long, think about the long-term. It can certainly help the family to solidify the relationships, but we have to remember that there is a time when our children won't listen to anything that we suggest. This can be a challenging thing, especially on holiday. But if you want to sell good quality family time, perhaps you could all go separate ways and do things each individually.
Encourage A Routine Of Unpredictability
Ultimately, our children learn by our examples. Because family time requires routine and a sense of predictability, if we can create an environment where unpredictability, albeit structured, works, then this is what we will all benefit from. Holidays are all about that adventure, and if there's a chance for you and your family to go to another country to experience different ways of life, the trick is about doing it regularly. Unpredictability isn't really suitable for anybody, but if we like that sense of not knowing where we're going to be, how practical is this for our children? Instead, we can create a structure of unpredictability with appropriate boundaries.
Live The Nomadic Life
These days, we can all work for anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. There are an abundance of social media groups dedicated to the art of remote working, and if you want to join thousands of people that work nomadically, it's never been easier. Because if you get bored every few years, living that nomadic lifestyle scratches that itch. But you have to ensure you have the appropriate skills. In one sense, that idea of unpredictability can work well, but if your family require structure, then perhaps you should only think about moving a handful of times. It's certainly possible, especially the children are young enough, but there will be a time when they crave routine, and they need social groups, friends, and everything that results with a sense of normality. On the other hand, there are plenty of careers in the army that actively encourage that nomadic spirit of existence. And those children are always well supported. But if you are someone that just enjoys traveling, finding the right balance is the key.
Our children need some structure, but we need to remember that if we want our family to be nomadic, then we need to be aware of the repercussions on moving around so much. Travel broadens the mind, but also, staying in one place helps to encourage roots. And supporting your family to be nomadic is all about the fine balance. You can ensure that you go on a few adventures a year, but still, come back home. And that's the other thing to bear in mind, the concept of home is different for every one of us. If your children have a sense of roots and attachment to one place, do you feel comfortable in uprooting them regularly?

I can't wait until we retire June 1st of next year. My plan is to buy a motor home that I can handle and do some traveling (with hubby if he wants to go)...lol
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend. xo Diana
I love to travel and find new adventures and my husband hates to leave home.
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