Welcome to our new blog post where we share insights into our children’s life and education aboard our sailing home. We have compiled a short video to give you a better sense of this extraordinary way of life that is filled with adventures, new experiences, and challenges.
Our days typically start with a breakfast and cleaning, followed by home schooling time from 8 am. In the afternoons, the children often meet and play with other kids from sailing families. We make a special effort to anchor near boats that have children, ensuring they have companionship.
When it comes to education, we are flexible while sailing. If we are on a crossing and the weather or the state of the ocean prevents us from conducting lessons, we skip school on those days. However, we do not adhere to traditional school holidays; in fact, we even have ‘school’ on Saturdays. We are usually the ones teaching them, but occasionally we have guests who assist with their education.
Additionally, when we stay longer in a place, such as in the Marquesas and Bora Bora in French Polynesia, or currently in Australia, we enroll the children in local schools. Despite the initial language challenges in French territories, they quickly integrate and make new friends. The local students are always welcoming and curious about their stories from Hungary and our life at sea.
One of the challenges of teaching is being both parents and educators at the same time. It’s hard to know exactly where the schools back home are with their syllabus, but we try to keep up using textbooks as a guide. The children’s exposure to new areas, animals, and cultures during our travels is incorporated into their learning. It’s particularly important to us that the children experience different cultures and lifestyles.
We’ve also experienced a lot about poverty, which has deeply impressed our children. They have seen that happiness doesn’t rely on material things and have learned from simplicity and the small joys of life.
Environmental protection is an essential part of our life at sea. Our children have learned the importance of living in harmony with nature. The use of solar energy, water conservation, waste management, and the principles of sustainability are all parts of our daily life. The proximity to the ocean and the constant presence of nature highlight our responsibility to protect the environment. We regularly collect any plastic waste washed ashore or floating in the sea. We avoid single-use plastics and buy in bulk whenever possible to reduce the use of packaging materials.
In terms of keeping in touch, smartphones have been a great help. Our boat now has a constant internet connection, allowing the children to video call and message their friends and relatives.
Many friendships have been formed, and although we sometimes have to part ways when the wind blows our boats in different directions, we always do so knowing that we might meet again – and it often happens. We have encountered the same sailing families from Europe through the Caribbean and across the Pacific and hope to see them again soon.
Thank you for joining us in this post. Stay tuned for our next blog entry, which will cover another exciting topic. If you have any further questions, please write to us, and stay with us!
