ExecutiveChronicles.com | Many parents worry about traveling long-term when they have kids. They don’t want to pull their kids out of school or enroll them in a new place for a short time. As a result, many parents turn down lucrative business contracts or push back their dream travel destinations until their kids are out of the house. However, with some planning, you can keep your children on their education path without sacrificing travel. Here are four ways to keep your child educated while on the road.
Look Into Foreign Schools
Image via Flickr by TeaMeister
If you are going to be abroad for a large part of the school year — yet staying in one place — consider enrolling your children in a local school. This will be a great learning experience. They can become fully immersed in the language and culture, make new friends, and develop a connection with where you live. This will make them feel less like outsiders.
If you are worried about language barriers, look into English-speaking schools that cater to expat students.
Tap Into Live Video
If you are traveling to a part of the world that doesn’t have a good school system, or you don’t want to pull your child out of school, consider video education options. Students can attend online schools where they sit in on lessons by watching video streamed by a teacher. If you are only going to be gone for a few weeks, your children’s school might let them attend class virtually with their teacher using online video. For many students, online video provides a similar experience as sitting in a classroom.
Hire a Tutor for Your Child
If your children are taking virtual classes or attending a local school, it might help to hire a tutor to make sure they are on track with their education. These tutors can help with one or two classes or work with your children on all their lessons. Tutors are particularly helpful if your children don’t easily speak the local language. They might be missing things in school, and a tutor can help them catch up.
If your children do start to fall behind because of travel, a tutor can get them back on track with extra lessons and educational context.
Use Your Travels to Educate
One of the best parts about traveling is the opportunity to expand your horizons. You can experience the history, nature, and languages that most students only read about in books. This often makes the lessons stick and helps foster a love of learning and curiosity about the world.
Wherever you go, look to enhance your children’s education with experiences. Find museums, cultural activities, and other ways to show that they can apply what they learn in school to real life.
Extended travel doesn’t have to set your children back academically. With the right tools and education strategy, they can stay at the same performance level as their peers — and maybe even advance beyond them.
