Road Schooling

Some families take to the road full time, selling homes and possessions and living in an RV or car camping for months or years at a stretch. Some families embrace it temporarily, making the rounds by couch surfing at the homes of far-flung friends and family members for a season or so. And some plan overnights and day trips on a regular basis or every so often, getting to know the places just outside their usual perimeter.

Whatever road schooling or car schooling looks like for you, there are some big benefits to getting outside of one's routine and customary locale. Children can be energized and challenged by taking on new roles, such as that of the navigator, the camp manager, the budget minder, the itinerary planner, the food pack carrier, etc. They may also be inspired to muster some extra courage and try something new: horseback riding, a subway ride, ordering their own food at a restaurant, picking their own food on a farm, zip lining, attempting communication in a different language, etc. The whole family might have the opportunity to confront stereotypes and build up their skill with acceptance when encountering new attitudes and behaviors among the people they meet. And of course, in the close quarters of a vehicle, and the stress of travel and newness, interpersonal relationships between family members may also be strained. In our more open-hearted moments, we can see these as opportunity to talk about coming back into covenant when we've fallen out of it!

I have a friend whose whole homeschooling philosophy, which has now become her life philosophy since her kids are grow, is: Go places. Do stuff. And be good to each other.

That's a rich life.