So many families that want to cruise and have kids think that it is not possible. We hope that it is and at some point we would like to be able to do so. After doing some research, we have found a bunch of great suggestions about cruising with kids. Most of these tips have come from parents of children doing it.
BUT – This is a great article by a 12 year old living and cruising aboard at 47′ boat and shares what has worked well for their family, and it is from the Kids perspective. This is likely the best information out there because having everyone enjoy the lifestyle is key to keeping it enjoyable and not burdening one part of the family for someone else’s dream or joy. All of these items can be found in more detail on Attainable Adventure Cruising at (https://www.morganscloud.com)
- Schooling – Set school schedule to allow for adventure and seeing the cool places you go
- Entertainment – Have games and cards and participate in active family games and play
- Snacks – Setup a place for snacks that can be had without checking with mom and dad
- Books – Have an e-reader to have lots of books in a small place
- Downtime – Privacy and separation are important, have a place everyone calls their own
- Keep it Fun – Setup fun jobs like cooking dinner once in a while or standing watch
- Share Responsibility – Allow us to take a watch as we learn more and prove we can do it
- Celebration/Surprise – Setup time for celebration (half way point of trip, miles traveled and make it fun and surprising for everyone
- Crew Meetings – Have a daily safe time to meet and talk about things going on and improvement to life on the boat, let kids have a voice
- Go to Cool Places – Be sure to visit things that you may never see again, they are lifelong memories
See details on each item above at the following LINK to the article on Morganscloud.com
Meet the author – Jack Barnes
Jack Barnes is a twelve year old boy. For the past three years, Jack has been voyaging with his parents and older brother aboard Boréal 47, Sila. Prior to the Barnes’ sailing adventure, they lived in the mountains of Colorado. Jack first sailed when he was about three months old. Every summer until he was eight his family spent a portion of their vacation cruising in Maine. Jack and his family will be moving to California but Jack hopes he will continue to sail on Sila every once in a while.
Jack Barnes – Author