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Becoming a digital nomad family is not a small decision. Although it has its rewards, it is definitely not for everyone. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a digital nomad family? What challenges do you face as a digital nomad family, and how do you prepare for them?
We have been a digital nomad family for 3 years, traveling full-time and worldschooling our kids as we travel. Becoming a digital nomad family definitely counts among our best decisions; however, it has also taken us through some of the most challenging times of our lives.
If you are considering becoming a digital nomad family, we have written this article for you. It is not a decision to take lightly, and we really hope the insights and experiences will help you make an informed and balanced decision. We will structure this article in two parts: firstly, sharing the advantages of becoming a digital nomad family, and then sharing some of the disadvantages and challenges.
LIVE THE DREAM & LEARN TO EARN AS YOU GO
We have travelled for almost all of our adult lives. For the last 3 years we have been on the road – Full Time – backpacking with our kids. We have decided to share our top tips, secrets and MUCH more in this super in-depth course. So if you’re considering taking that BIG step, or your have already started your journey – this is the perfect course for you. We road map the way to becoming stable, long-term travellers with a secure income… So hop over to The Backpacking Family Course Page to get your place
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Advantages of Becoming a Digital Nomad Family
If you value freedom, flexibility, and adventure, then you will love the digital nomad lifestyle. “What is a digital nomad?” I hear you ask… Find out more in our guide – What is a Digital Nomad? Everything you need to know.
Becoming a digital nomad family can allow you more opportunities to share experiences with your kids, connect more deeply, and challenge yourself to move outside of your comfort zones. In many cases, you can have a higher quality of life compared to your home country. Here are a few things that we have enjoyed:
- More quality time with each other and our kids
- Learning from new cultures & meeting new people
- New experiences & adventures
- Better climate (we are from the cold rainy UK!)
- Accommodation with outdoor swimming pools (our kids love to swim!)
- Eating out on a regular basis (we get takeaway almost every night!)
- Less laundry, cooking, and washing up
- Affordable transportation (being able to take a cheap taxi is great with kids)
- Having our apartment or room cleaned (yep this is a big win!)
- Work days in coffee shops (because you can actually afford it!)
As a digital nomad family, you may also choose to worldschool your kids. This enables you to be more involved in their education as a parent. In our experience, the world really is the best classroom (we were both teachers before we started worldschooling our own kids!). You can take up new hobbies and learn from different cultures. Maybe you want to learn Thai boxing as a family or take up free diving (these are hobbies that we have loved as a family). You can take local cooking classes and art classes and learn from a variety of cultures.
The shared adventures and experiences of being a full-time traveling family create very deep and meaningful bonds within your family. Becoming a digital nomad family can also be enriching on a professional level. This lifestyle may challenge you to pursue new career directions, develop new innovations, and connect with professionals around the world. You may find yourself developing multiple sources of income and diversifying your revenue, which will challenge you to develop new understanding and skills and take your work to new levels.
Thinking of taking that big step? – Things to consider before you become a digital nomad
Challenges of Becoming a Digital Nomad Family
If you have read the advantages of becoming a digital nomad family, you may be sold. But it is important to recognize that this lifestyle presents unique, unexpected, and big challenges. We want to share these challenges honestly to help you know what to expect so that you can weigh up the decision carefully.
Don’t miss our Pro efficiency tips for digital nomads – perfect for busy digital nomad families
Here are a few of the more challenging aspects of being a digital nomad family:
- Education & Finding Community: We all need community and relationships, but this can be more challenging when you are traveling full-time with your kids. We recommend using Facebook groups to connect with families as you travel. Education can also be a challenge (do you homeschool, world school, unschool or find online learning solutions?)
- Working Out Visas: Every digital nomad will tell you that visas can be a big challenge. You need to find countries where you can stay for a reasonable amount of time, and this can be quite difficult.
- Passport Renewals: From time to time, someone in your family may need to renew a passport. This can be quite stressful and challenging overseas. It is important to keep an eye on expiry dates and have a passport plan.
- Finding Cheap Flights: From time to time, you will need to travel to new countries (personally, we prefer to travel overland where possible). If you do need to fly, it can be very difficult to find affordable flights (especially with a big family). You also need to travel relatively light; otherwise, baggage can be very expensive.
- Constantly Looking for Accommodation: As a digital nomad, you will move from place to place on a fairly regular basis. Although it can be exciting moving to a new place, it also takes a lot of time to find somewhere that meets your needs in your budget range.
- Finding Healthcare: In some countries, it can be challenging to find affordable, high-quality healthcare. This can be particularly challenging if your kids are unwell. Always make sure that you are traveling with a good health insurance policy and contact your insurance provider as soon as possible if you need medical care.
- Living and Working Around Your Kids: Personally, we love being around our kids. However, it can be challenging living and working around each other full-time. You need to develop and communicate boundaries very strongly and develop healthy working habits.
- Developing Consistent Routines: If you are constantly on the move, it can be challenging to develop consistent routines (which are very important for kids). Remember that routines are about how you do things rather than where you do them.
- Staying Connected with Family and Friends: Staying connected with family and friends in a meaningful way can be very challenging. This can be particularly difficult for families traveling with older kids. It is important to keep open and honest communication with your kids and listen to them. Gently help them recognize the advantages and rewards of travel and adventure. Help your kids adjust to new places and new relationships.
- Keeping Your Kids Safe and Healthy: Keeping your kids healthy and safe on the road can also be quite challenging. Some countries have limited availability of fresh, healthy food. Some countries also present a lot of risks if you’re traveling with younger kids. It is important to educate yourself on the risks and assess each place and experience carefully. As we have traveled over the years, we have noticed our kids becoming a lot more aware of risks and a lot more competent in dealing with them.
Important Things to Consider Before You Become a Digital Nomad Family
If you are thinking of becoming a digital nomad family, there are some important things that you ought to consider. Firstly, it’s important to have a stable financial plan. As a family, you will need a reasonable amount of savings behind you (even if you have a reliable source of income). It is important to be realistic about your expectations and how much you are able to compromise. For example, are you willing to squeeze into one room with your family? Are you happy eating local food and taking local transport? Do you have the confidence to pursue adventure independently rather than booking a tour?
Long-term family travel can be surprisingly affordable (much cheaper than living in your home country if you are from the UK or the USA). However, long-term family travel can also be very expensive, and there can be sudden and unexpected costs. It’s important to make sure that your income is sustainable and consider multiple sources of revenue.
Secondly, becoming a digital nomad family can put a lot of strain and stress on relationships. At times, it can be remarkably tiring, and the unpredictability of your lifestyle can exacerbate stress (the highs are really high, and the lows can be really low). It is important that you have a strong relationship with your partner and that you can communicate clearly. It’s also essential that you have an equally strong vision for your lifestyle. And it is very important to keep blame out of the picture and stay on the same team. Sadly, many couples do break up when they travel full-time with their kids. We’re not trying to be unnecessarily negative; it is just important to understand the full picture.
On the other hand, full-time family travel can be a deeply enriching and formative process where you take your relationship to greater depth (and new heights!). On a personal level, we have grown closer as a family, fallen in love more deeply, and learned to understand ourselves and each other to greater levels. If you can accept and receive challenges in the right way, they can strengthen and refine you. Perhaps this is one of the biggest advantages of becoming a digital nomad family.
