We received a question this week from a podcast listener, and we dig deep into how we find community on the road, socialization for our children, and looking beyond the box of opportunities even for things such as organized sports!
In this episode, we discuss socialization, finding community, and establishing consistency even when you travel full-time.
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A few Notes before we dive in...
We've had some lengthy travel days on our way back to our hometown - and we've enjoyed taking in some great podcasts as a family:
- Becoming Mother Nature Podcast
- Wow in the World
- Brains On: Science for Kids
- But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids
- Fur Reals Pet Parenting Podcast (great for those animal lovers in your family)
- The Mayan Crystal
Now we're back to get our "Sticks & Bricks" (S&B) house ready for new renters, visiting with family and friends, and getting crazy with some renovations to our tiny home.
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Where are we this week?
Currently hanging out in Franklin, TN with friends and family in our hometown.
Tip - when you are brainstorming ideas for renovating, be open to "shopping" in your own home.
Clutter is simply a postponed decision - don't just look at bringing more things in, but look at what you may be able to utilize with what you already have. Sometimes it looks cluttered, and then we find a new purpose for something and the clutter is eliminated!
To the right are some minor updates we did, utilizing milk crates and the mattress/duvet cover we already had.
Next up is building a new picnic table/bench and painting!
Follow us on our journey on Insta as the FieldTripGypsies!
But What About Socialization?
Ah yes, the insecurities of socialization. Will our children (and us) be able to really find any community on the road? Thankfully, the answer is YES.
As a full-time traveler, you...
- Have the opportunity to meet new people all the time as you travel and in the campgrounds
- If you're embarrassed or have a bad experience, it's only a short time that you're there. You have the ability to move on, and so do they.
- We've found that people generally tend to be pretty open and friendly. If you think about neighbors in an S&B house, sometimes there is hesitancy, as you might have them living next to you for the next twenty years. At a campground, your neighbor may only be for the night, so even if you don't click at all, it's simply for a short time. Oftentimes people tend to be more willing to try and connect.
- Because we move around a lot - there isn't a lot of time to "warm up" - we jump in and meet people quickly. Sometimes we hit it off immediately, sometimes we don't connect and we move on. And that's okay - there are so many people in the world - you can "be love" without being besties with everyone.
Keep the conversation going!
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What About Organized Sports?
Question for this week is from Andrew:
How do you allow for any organized sports while on the road?
There are many "outside the box" opportunities here:
- Staying in one location for a sports season
- Joining a traveling team, and your family can go camp alongside the team as they travel.
- Exploring camps and homeschool programs - for a shorter period of time than a whole semester/season
- Meeting friends on a playground and adding in sports in this way
- Sometimes you need to "deschool" in order to look at it in a new way.
Look at Sports in a different way
We "binge friend" at Full Time Families Rallies - it's essentially family camp. We spend a lot of time with friends for a week or two, and can dive in to sports and focused themes while we're all together.
We research places like My Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, and are looking at camping near there to volunteer, and going to Oregon to check out some of the cool kids camps they have up there.
Instead of looking at this as a limitation, what does this make possible?
You have the flexibility to choose the BEST vs. simply what is closest to you.
Just like in my coaching, it's about finding the coach that best resonates with you, not just someone who works in your hometown.
You have the ability to seek out the best organized sports programs, the best kids camps, and more because location is not your limitation.
Your Weekly Challenge:
What has been an interest in your home? How are you choosing to pursue it? This is beyond just registering them in a school requirement. This is looking at what you and your kids can get involved in. What are you adding?
Share this with us in the Mama Says Namaste FaceBook Group.
The more we recognize those personality styles and those strengths and what triggers us, the more we can come back to how the uniqueness in each of us strengthens all of us.
Namaste
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Questions or comments?
Personality styles, marriage/intimacy, parenting, education, minimalism or travel - what is pressing on your mind?
Or, hop on over to the Mama Says Namaste or Unschooling Families FB groups and ask your question there!