Family Sabbaticals: Fantasy or Nightmare?

If travel is your life and your destination bucket list is as long as your arm, you may well have considered taking a sabbatical to take in as much of the world as possible. But, now you’re grown up and sensible (on paper, at least) is this dream still possible? Would your family really cope with a year of travel?

As tempting as those top 10 travel destinations for 2020 are, let’s think practically for a moment. You will either have to give up working or take your business with you. Your kids will need some sort of structured home education while you are on the move, which you would have to provide. You also need the savings to make all this possible! 

So, let’s break it down. 

Business on the Move

If you want to take your business on the move, you’ll need to make sure your clients can contact you. That means setting up a physical address for your business that will remain the same throughout your trip. You should already have an email account but you might also look into various conference calling apps too.

With kids in tow, you need to be realistic about how much work you will actually be able to do. If your children are slightly older, they may be more inclined to do their school work while you do your work. Younger kids probably won’t be quite as understanding though! 

Homeschooling Your Kids

You might think that teachers have an easy life but try homeschooling for a few weeks and you might change your mind! When you are teaching your kids, you need to plan ahead and make sure you have the right resources to hand. While going to museums, art galleries and all kinds of other cultural sites during your trip certainly count for something, you also need to consider how your kids will transition back into regular school next year. 

With all that said, this is an incredible opportunity to teach your kids all kinds of skills and ideas they might not encounter at school. Take every opportunity to show them new things and talk about your experiences together. Encouraging them to keep a diary is also a lovely way to cement some of their learning. It’ll also create a treasure for them to keep for the rest of their lives. 

Saving Up

Even if you plan to work while you travel, you will still need to save up. Letting your house out while you travel is a good way to keep your asset and make a little extra on the side. This is even better if you have a friend who would like to be your tenant. Where you save can also make a difference so look into interest rates and different savings plans.

Getting the most from your sabbatical will take careful budgeting and planning. You need to make sure that your whole family will be comfortable and happy while you travel but you will also need some cash left when you want to return to normal life.