Traveling as a nomad family can be one of the most rewarding experiences in the world. Doing so makes you much less lonely and you will give your children the experience of true freedom when traveling the world. But how do you make sure everything works as it should? Routines can really help you out here. So here are some of the best family routines for digital nomads.
Make time for one another
One of the best ways of making sure that you can all truly enjoy your nomadic experience is by spending time together. Your kids will likely have to either attend an online school, be homeschooled, or have online tutors so their schedule might be pretty busy and you and your partner will need to work your remote jobs to make all of it possible. So it is easy to have overlapping schedules.
But having the experience of location independence together is what it’s all about. So make sure you have time for family trips, you go out and explore the various cultures, taste different cuisines together, and see the world as a family. This is one of the great motivators for many digital families so it would be a shame to miss out on it.
Include your kids in planning
One way to make sure your kids feel like constant moving isn’t just a chore is by giving them active agency in deciding where you’ll all go next. This may seem daunting, but respecting your child’s wishes will show them the true freedom of being able to work and study from anywhere. Plus, they will see the benefits of location independence much sooner.
The way to start this early with young kids is by letting them choose what to do together as a family. Do they want to go to the beach, see a museum, or just watch a movie or eat pizza? Let them choose sometimes and they will learn their wishes are respected. Later on, you can give them the responsibility for trips and later still for choosing destinations. Doing it in steps helps everyone adjust to a new decision-making element in the family in a fun way.
Support one another
Traveling can be tough and it can create some friction between yourself and other family members. For example, what if your teen child finds a boyfriend but you already have plans for leaving the country in a few months? What if your partner gets ill and traveling is not possible for a while? What if your partner wants to explore a different part of the world than you? The list of difficulties is endless.
But don’t despair. As long as you are able to communicate clearly and try to be solution-oriented, there is a lot you can overcome as a family. Many people recommend learning non-violent communication to get some basic communication skills. When it comes to solutions, try looking for new opportunities and new ways of doing things that works for you and your family. After all, being a digital nomad family is a wholly new experience in the world—there are no easy answers so you have to learn as you go.
