Selling the house and touring full time?
08-26-19, 08:07 AM
#51
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 465
Bikes: Trek 620, Jamis Satellite Sport, Raleigh Sport
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times
in
66 Posts
Originally Posted by Happy Feet
I don't agree with this. While it "feels" right it creates two very negative scenarios.
1. You teach your children that becoming parents will end their dreams. From a young age we tell our kids they can dream, work towards goals etc... but if they have kids those dreams take a back seat. Sort of teaches them to see having kids as bad and something to be avoided.
2. Tells kids they are more important than their parents which can lead to a sense of entitlement. I cannot ever remember thinking my goals were "more important" than my parents and for the most part just went along with whatever they said we were doing.
Kids are resilient (if we teach them to be able to adapt) and will probably do ok if the parents pay attention to their needs, even in a more unconventional lifestyle. Frankly I wish my father had pursued some of his stated dreams a bit more rather than working a lot and then sitting on the couch. He had a long list of things he was going to do once he retired and died before that happened. Sometimes watching parents work towards a challenge teaches the child by example.
1. You teach your children that becoming parents will end their dreams. From a young age we tell our kids they can dream, work towards goals etc... but if they have kids those dreams take a back seat. Sort of teaches them to see having kids as bad and something to be avoided.
2. Tells kids they are more important than their parents which can lead to a sense of entitlement. I cannot ever remember thinking my goals were "more important" than my parents and for the most part just went along with whatever they said we were doing.
Kids are resilient (if we teach them to be able to adapt) and will probably do ok if the parents pay attention to their needs, even in a more unconventional lifestyle. Frankly I wish my father had pursued some of his stated dreams a bit more rather than working a lot and then sitting on the couch. He had a long list of things he was going to do once he retired and died before that happened. Sometimes watching parents work towards a challenge teaches the child by example.
If the parents aren't happy, it's pretty hard for the kids to be happy. For some families it works out to work long hours and provide a big house and shiny car, for other families and other kids, it works better to maybe forego some of those things, and spend more time together. A healthy balance between the two is best for sure.
Likes For riverdrifter:
08-26-19, 08:27 AM
#52
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 465
Bikes: Trek 620, Jamis Satellite Sport, Raleigh Sport
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times
in
66 Posts
Originally Posted by alan s
To the OP: I reread your first post. You say you want your children to experience all life has to offer. Surely you realize that is impossible. They will have one set of experiences, but not others. For example, they may never go to a friend’s birthday party. Never play on a soccer team. Never be able to play in the backyard and build a fort. Maybe they will experience some of these things, but not in the same way a kid with a home in a neighborhood will. They will have a different life than most other kids, but not one that is somehow better or more fulfilling. As long as you realize a nomadic life is what you are choosing for your children, and not a “better” upbringing, you will be able to make the right decisions.
Like I said before, I have an older child that just started at the University this year. We spent her first 8 years moving around a lot and rock climbing. After we bought a house and settled down she did all the sports teams, band, organizations, etc. I'm not convinced that helped her in life any more than traveling would have.
We are currently active in our community, volunteering, etc. I do feel like those things are important, and the path to a happy life should be filled with many, many people, not a narrow lonely road. Whatever path we choose for ourselves and our 2 younger children, I'm sure it will be full.
08-26-19, 09:04 AM
#53
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 465
Bikes: Trek 620, Jamis Satellite Sport, Raleigh Sport
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times
in
66 Posts
Originally Posted by 3speed
Hopefully when you decided to have kids, you decided to make them the priority in your lives... Hopefully your desires won't skew your actions, or justify them falsely. Is it really important for a child to spend their life on the big travel adventure that their parents have always wanted to do? I'm not saying you're right or wrong. Just saying it's something to think about. Maybe they'll turn out to be the most amazing, cultured geniuses of our time. Or maybe they'll turn out weird, socially awkward, and unhappy because they never had a friend or even a chance to relate to anyone their own age.
Maybe just ask your kids and let them decide. And if they say yes, but one day decide they don't want to do that anymore, then stop. Once you have kids, they should come first in every life decision you make. Once you're a parent, you should no longer come first. If you decide to do this, it should be for them, not you. If it's not for them, you shouldn't do it.
If you're not looking for life, financial, or parenting advice, what are you asking about? That's all I've seen mentioned in your post. Bike or gear advice? You mentioned starting a discussion with others who have done this, but there are very few people who have. The very few who have aren't sitting around posting on bikeforums. In any case, if you didn't want advice on those things, no need to mention them... That's like starting a thread about your bike drive-train, mentioning that it has awful brakes, and then saying that you don't want advice on the brake problem. That's silly.
Maybe just ask your kids and let them decide. And if they say yes, but one day decide they don't want to do that anymore, then stop. Once you have kids, they should come first in every life decision you make. Once you're a parent, you should no longer come first. If you decide to do this, it should be for them, not you. If it's not for them, you shouldn't do it.
If you're not looking for life, financial, or parenting advice, what are you asking about? That's all I've seen mentioned in your post. Bike or gear advice? You mentioned starting a discussion with others who have done this, but there are very few people who have. The very few who have aren't sitting around posting on bikeforums. In any case, if you didn't want advice on those things, no need to mention them... That's like starting a thread about your bike drive-train, mentioning that it has awful brakes, and then saying that you don't want advice on the brake problem. That's silly.
I don't think it's possible to ask a 3 year old, or even an 8 year old how they would prefer to be raised. That's the job of the parent.
Discussions about how to raise children are bound to get personal quickly. That is why I asked specifically to not have that be the point of this discussion. That's not silly at all.
How many children have you raised and put in college?
08-26-19, 10:01 AM
#54
Used to be Conspiratemus
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Hamilton ON Canada
Posts: 1,504
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 292 Post(s)
Liked 245 Times
in
163 Posts
[QUOTE=riverdrifter;21092891...
Discussions about how to raise children are bound to get personal quickly. That is why I asked specifically to not have that be the point of this discussion. That's not silly at all.
...[/QUOTE]
In your opening post you finished by saying,
"I know this may well open a can of worms, so I thought I should add that I am not looking for life, financial, or parenting advice. I just want to start a discussion with people who have done something like this, or considered it."
[...and then....]
"Thanks for any input!"
Those two statements are self-contradictory. It's therefore not surprising that you and your responders are starting to get testy. It sounds like the only "input" you want is what validates what you want to do anyway, or stays away from what is really the elephant in the room here: How can being voluntarily homeless to indulge an adult whim possibly be good for your children? No, you don't have to sacrifice everything for your children...but pretty damn close. That's why I'm getting involved here. I couldn't care less what nomads do with their own lives. But part of what you are proposing (the part about selling everything and traveling by bike(s) for a few years with your children, with no fixed address and no roof over their heads), when you have a choice not to, smells like child abuse. And here we all have a responsibility to at least say something -- raising children is not just the parents' call. I would think that if the child protection services of whatever jurisdiction you happened to be wandering through became aware that there were children involved, they would investigate your fitness as parents. Certainly any physician you saw would be obligated, ethically and usually legally, to notify the authorities of even a "spidey-sense" suspicion that the necessities of life weren't being provided to those kids. Please don't let it come to that.
Thus ends my input.
Discussions about how to raise children are bound to get personal quickly. That is why I asked specifically to not have that be the point of this discussion. That's not silly at all.
...[/QUOTE]
In your opening post you finished by saying,
"I know this may well open a can of worms, so I thought I should add that I am not looking for life, financial, or parenting advice. I just want to start a discussion with people who have done something like this, or considered it."
[...and then....]
"Thanks for any input!"
Those two statements are self-contradictory. It's therefore not surprising that you and your responders are starting to get testy. It sounds like the only "input" you want is what validates what you want to do anyway, or stays away from what is really the elephant in the room here: How can being voluntarily homeless to indulge an adult whim possibly be good for your children? No, you don't have to sacrifice everything for your children...but pretty damn close. That's why I'm getting involved here. I couldn't care less what nomads do with their own lives. But part of what you are proposing (the part about selling everything and traveling by bike(s) for a few years with your children, with no fixed address and no roof over their heads), when you have a choice not to, smells like child abuse. And here we all have a responsibility to at least say something -- raising children is not just the parents' call. I would think that if the child protection services of whatever jurisdiction you happened to be wandering through became aware that there were children involved, they would investigate your fitness as parents. Certainly any physician you saw would be obligated, ethically and usually legally, to notify the authorities of even a "spidey-sense" suspicion that the necessities of life weren't being provided to those kids. Please don't let it come to that.
Thus ends my input.
Likes For conspiratemus1:
08-26-19, 10:29 AM
#55
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 465
Bikes: Trek 620, Jamis Satellite Sport, Raleigh Sport
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times
in
66 Posts
Originally Posted by conspiratemus1
In your opening post you finished by saying,
"I know this may well open a can of worms, so I thought I should add that I am not looking for life, financial, or parenting advice. I just want to start a discussion with people who have done something like this, or considered it."
[...and then....]
"Thanks for any input!"
Those two statements are self-contradictory. It's therefore not surprising that you and your responders are starting to get testy. It sounds like the only "input" you want is what validates what you want to do anyway, or stays away from what is really the elephant in the room here: How can being voluntarily homeless to indulge an adult whim possibly be good for your children? No, you don't have to sacrifice everything for your children...but pretty damn close. That's why I'm getting involved here. I couldn't care less what nomads do with their own lives. But part of what you are proposing (the part about selling everything and traveling by bike(s) for a few years with your children, with no fixed address and no roof over their heads), when you have a choice not to, smells like child abuse. And here we all have a responsibility to at least say something -- raising children is not just the parents' call. I would think that if the child protection services of whatever jurisdiction you happened to be wandering through became aware that there were children involved, they would investigate your fitness as parents. Certainly any physician you saw would be obligated, ethically and usually legally, to notify the authorities of even a "spidey-sense" suspicion that the necessities of life weren't being provided to those kids. Please don't let it come to that.
Thus ends my input.
"I know this may well open a can of worms, so I thought I should add that I am not looking for life, financial, or parenting advice. I just want to start a discussion with people who have done something like this, or considered it."
[...and then....]
"Thanks for any input!"
Those two statements are self-contradictory. It's therefore not surprising that you and your responders are starting to get testy. It sounds like the only "input" you want is what validates what you want to do anyway, or stays away from what is really the elephant in the room here: How can being voluntarily homeless to indulge an adult whim possibly be good for your children? No, you don't have to sacrifice everything for your children...but pretty damn close. That's why I'm getting involved here. I couldn't care less what nomads do with their own lives. But part of what you are proposing (the part about selling everything and traveling by bike(s) for a few years with your children, with no fixed address and no roof over their heads), when you have a choice not to, smells like child abuse. And here we all have a responsibility to at least say something -- raising children is not just the parents' call. I would think that if the child protection services of whatever jurisdiction you happened to be wandering through became aware that there were children involved, they would investigate your fitness as parents. Certainly any physician you saw would be obligated, ethically and usually legally, to notify the authorities of even a "spidey-sense" suspicion that the necessities of life weren't being provided to those kids. Please don't let it come to that.
Thus ends my input.
Child abuse because of traveling with your children? With the means and the option to stop and rent (or buy) a home at any time? So if I kept a rental apartment in my name, would you still consider it child abuse to travel with my children? What about families that travel full time in RVs?
That is a scary world you are living in.
Last edited by riverdrifter; 08-26-19 at 10:39 AM.
08-26-19, 10:34 AM
#56
Member
Originally Posted by riverdrifter
Wow, just wow! Are you kidding?
Child abuse because of traveling with your children? With the means and the option to stop and rent (or buy) a home at any time? So if I kept a rental apartment in my name, would you still consider it child abuse to travel with my children?
That is a scary world you are living in.
Child abuse because of traveling with your children? With the means and the option to stop and rent (or buy) a home at any time? So if I kept a rental apartment in my name, would you still consider it child abuse to travel with my children?
That is a scary world you are living in.
08-26-19, 10:49 AM
#57
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 465
Bikes: Trek 620, Jamis Satellite Sport, Raleigh Sport
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times
in
66 Posts
A quick google search shows that, as far as children are concerned, federal law defines homeless as "...due to economic hardship or lack of housing... due to lack of alternative accommodations." So as long as you have the means to not be homeless, you are not homeless. Of course none of that matters, unless someone is complaining to the authorities about you.
08-26-19, 10:54 AM
#58
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 465
Bikes: Trek 620, Jamis Satellite Sport, Raleigh Sport
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times
in
66 Posts
This has gotten pretty far off course, I'm going to try to get it back on point.
Another option that we have discussed is sort of half-way between full-time touring and RVing. We considered getting a van or similar vehicle and outfitting it with bike racks. Not a fancy conversion van, just something simple that is less likely to be a target for theft. Then just traveling to different parts of the country, parking somewhere as a basecamp and doing mini tours. When we have explored that part of the country, than load up and drive someplace else.
Another option that we have discussed is sort of half-way between full-time touring and RVing. We considered getting a van or similar vehicle and outfitting it with bike racks. Not a fancy conversion van, just something simple that is less likely to be a target for theft. Then just traveling to different parts of the country, parking somewhere as a basecamp and doing mini tours. When we have explored that part of the country, than load up and drive someplace else.
08-26-19, 10:56 AM
#59
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SF Bay Area, East bay
Posts: 7,947
Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1338 Post(s)
Liked 1,628 Times
in
838 Posts
You really aren't homeless if you choose to to make it your way of living. Little outside of the norm, but it's not unusual.
Likes For curbtender:
08-26-19, 12:29 PM
#60
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 774
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 224 Post(s)
Liked 43 Times
in
30 Posts
I am very bad at home ownership and often think of cashing out and hitting the road.
Have you ever done a bike tour? For more than a month?
I often start dreaming about laying on my recliner and watching a movie after a month on my bike.
Maybe I would actually miss home ownership after a couple months?
(My house has been paid off for a long time now and I suck at home maintenance so I dream about selling it often)
Have you ever done a bike tour? For more than a month?
I often start dreaming about laying on my recliner and watching a movie after a month on my bike.
Maybe I would actually miss home ownership after a couple months?
(My house has been paid off for a long time now and I suck at home maintenance so I dream about selling it often)
Likes For boomhauer:
08-26-19, 12:45 PM
#61
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 1,075
Bikes: 1980's Spectrum 10 sp Campagnolo Centaur, 1990 Eddy Merckx 10 sp Campagnolo Centaur, Bushnell Tandem, Co-Motion Speedster Tandem
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 182 Post(s)
Liked 98 Times
in
61 Posts
This family has the most extended travel with kids I remember ever seeing. They are not USA based but had significant experiences traveling with their children. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/..._id=4438&v=DnF
Likes For Paul J:
08-26-19, 05:42 PM
#62
Quidam Bike Super Hero
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Stone Mountain, GA (Metro Atlanta, East)
Posts: 1,150
Bikes: 1995 Trek 800 Sport, aka, "CamelTrek"
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 331 Post(s)
Liked 413 Times
in
280 Posts
Distanciador is a device refrerenced in one of the family's posts, developed and used in Spain to distance cars from cyclists... but the link is broken and my search fu has failed. Can someone tell me what it is and how I might procure one/two?
08-26-19, 06:10 PM
#63
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 465
Bikes: Trek 620, Jamis Satellite Sport, Raleigh Sport
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times
in
66 Posts
Originally Posted by Paul J
This family has the most extended travel with kids I remember ever seeing. They are not USA based but had significant experiences traveling with their children. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/..._id=4438&v=DnF
08-26-19, 09:17 PM
#64
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SF Bay Area, East bay
Posts: 7,947
Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1338 Post(s)
Liked 1,628 Times
in
838 Posts
Originally Posted by Digger Goreman
Distanciador is a device refrerenced in one of the family's posts, developed and used in Spain to distance cars from cyclists... but the link is broken and my search fu has failed. Can someone tell me what it is and how I might procure one/two?
Likes For curbtender:
08-28-19, 01:45 AM
#66
Senior Member
Originally Posted by Happy Feet
I don't agree with this. While it "feels" right it creates two very negative scenarios.
1. You teach your children that becoming parents will end their dreams. From a young age we tell our kids they can dream, work towards goals etc... but if they have kids those dreams take a back seat. Sort of teaches them to see having kids as bad and something to be avoided.
2. Tells kids they are more important than their parents which can lead to a sense of entitlement. I cannot ever remember thinking my goals were "more important" than my parents and for the most part just went along with whatever they said we were doing.
Kids are resilient (if we teach them to be able to adapt) and will probably do ok if the parents pay attention to their needs, even in a more unconventional lifestyle. Frankly I wish my father had pursued some of his stated dreams a bit more rather than working a lot and then sitting on the couch. He had a long list of things he was going to do once he retired and died before that happened. Sometimes watching parents work towards a challenge teaches the child by example.
1. You teach your children that becoming parents will end their dreams. From a young age we tell our kids they can dream, work towards goals etc... but if they have kids those dreams take a back seat. Sort of teaches them to see having kids as bad and something to be avoided.
2. Tells kids they are more important than their parents which can lead to a sense of entitlement. I cannot ever remember thinking my goals were "more important" than my parents and for the most part just went along with whatever they said we were doing.
Kids are resilient (if we teach them to be able to adapt) and will probably do ok if the parents pay attention to their needs, even in a more unconventional lifestyle. Frankly I wish my father had pursued some of his stated dreams a bit more rather than working a lot and then sitting on the couch. He had a long list of things he was going to do once he retired and died before that happened. Sometimes watching parents work towards a challenge teaches the child by example.
Originally Posted by riverdrifter
This is pretty much where I'm at also.
If the parents aren't happy, it's pretty hard for the kids to be happy. For some families it works out to work long hours and provide a big house and shiny car, for other families and other kids, it works better to maybe forego some of those things, and spend more time together. A healthy balance between the two is best for sure.
If the parents aren't happy, it's pretty hard for the kids to be happy. For some families it works out to work long hours and provide a big house and shiny car, for other families and other kids, it works better to maybe forego some of those things, and spend more time together. A healthy balance between the two is best for sure.
Originally Posted by riverdrifter
I know plenty of socially awkward kids that were raised in stable, home-owner families.
How many children have you raised and put in college?[/QUOTE]
Zero. I still want to travel and live a more carefree life. My personal views are that traveling and a carefree life are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from raising a child. I'm not ready to give up my personal adventure and growth yet.
But I never said your views have to be the same as mine. I urged you to think hard about it from the perspective I spoke of, in case you hadn't already. I never said you were wrong, or a ****ty parent. I just said some things that I think you should think hard about.
08-28-19, 11:17 AM
#67
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Left Coast, Canada
Posts: 5,126
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2235 Post(s)
Liked 1,312 Times
in
706 Posts
Not trying to pick on you but your reasons for not having kids sort of speaks to my point number one quoted.
Likes For Happy Feet:
08-28-19, 10:19 PM
#68
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,150
Bikes: 2013 Surly Disc Trucker, 2004 Novara Randonee , old fixie , etc
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 671 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times
in
43 Posts
Originally Posted by riverdrifter
Thanks everyone, for all the input so far!
Seeing all the comments, I feel I should add some info.
We would definitely have a bail-out plan for whenever we decide we are done, or in case someone gets sick, etc. We have a solid community of family and friends that are understanding of our desires and have offered temporary, back-up housing for us all. Also it wouldn't be an issue to stop anytime and rent someplace. We also have a place to park an RV indefinitely, if we decide to go that route. Any way we do it, it would be well planned.
We have 3 kids, home-schooled with individual curriculum created by my wife and I. Our oldest just started University. We spent all day yesterday moving her onto campus and taking her shopping to set up her new dorm room. It was a bittersweet day.
The 2 younger kids spent their home-school day with the substitute teacher, my mom
. There is for sure, no shortage of educational opportunities, nourishing, enriching, affection, and love.
The first few years of our oldest child's life was spent traveling and adventuring. We decided to try the "buy a house, put down roots" thing, and we see pros and cons both ways. I'm not sure which is better. We are still looking at options.
Seeing all the comments, I feel I should add some info.
We would definitely have a bail-out plan for whenever we decide we are done, or in case someone gets sick, etc. We have a solid community of family and friends that are understanding of our desires and have offered temporary, back-up housing for us all. Also it wouldn't be an issue to stop anytime and rent someplace. We also have a place to park an RV indefinitely, if we decide to go that route. Any way we do it, it would be well planned.
We have 3 kids, home-schooled with individual curriculum created by my wife and I. Our oldest just started University. We spent all day yesterday moving her onto campus and taking her shopping to set up her new dorm room. It was a bittersweet day.
The 2 younger kids spent their home-school day with the substitute teacher, my mom
. There is for sure, no shortage of educational opportunities, nourishing, enriching, affection, and love.The first few years of our oldest child's life was spent traveling and adventuring. We decided to try the "buy a house, put down roots" thing, and we see pros and cons both ways. I'm not sure which is better. We are still looking at options.
Likes For DropBarFan:
08-29-19, 01:14 AM
#69
Senior Member
Originally Posted by Happy Feet
Not trying to pick on you but your reasons for not having kids sort of speaks to my point number one quoted.
Likes For 3speed:
09-01-19, 01:40 PM
#70
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bristol, R. I.
Posts: 4,340
Bikes: Specialized Secteur, old Peugeot
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 663 Post(s)
Liked 495 Times
in
299 Posts
I'm a retired yacht builder and in younger years sailed a fair amount and still retain a strong interest in sailing and life at sea. I enjoy some of the many sailing videos posted by all sorts of people. The video linked to is by a couple who sold their house, cars and much else, bought a sailboat and set off to sail 'round the world. I find this couples' videos well done and interesting.
There are many other videos, some of families with children who are home schooled and get to see many different societies the world over.
Likes For berner:
09-01-19, 03:42 PM
#71
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 465
Bikes: Trek 620, Jamis Satellite Sport, Raleigh Sport
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times
in
66 Posts
Originally Posted by riverdrifter
I know this may well open a can of worms, so I thought I should add that I am not looking for life, financial, or parenting advice. I just want to start a discussion with people who have done something like this, or considered it.
Likes For riverdrifter:
09-02-19, 07:07 PM
#72
Senior Member
That's cute. It's So original and unexpected. Good job. What about all of the people who do have kids who feel the same way? It seems like anytime I've ever seen someone post something like that, it's usually preceded by bad parenting... "Yeah my kid is a 150lb 6yr old who drinks a case of Mountain Dew a day, but if I don't give it to him, he screams until I do. You're not a parent, so you don't know anything!" You don't always have to be a parent to tell something isn't best for a child. I'm no artist, but I know when I'm looking at some blue paint and a wacky artist is telling me it's green, he's wrong... It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look up something on children and stability and find the Ocean of information available. Not one thing about it says stability isn't important. It All says it is important. That concept is so obvious that even a childless, inexperienced person like me can clearly see it.
And I'm responding generically here, not about you in particular since I don't know you - Maybe people who Choose not to have kids at a young age, and are responsible enough to successfully use birth control, because they realize how big of a commitment and life change it is to have kids, might actually be better, more responsible parents than some people who "accidentally" have kids in an impromptu drunken/hormone driven grope fest at a young age...
Sorry for the run-on sentence. Anywho, I'm out. Have fun. I wish you and your children the best. If parenthood makes you that unhappy, maybe it will be less detrimental to them to live life on the road.
And I'm responding generically here, not about you in particular since I don't know you - Maybe people who Choose not to have kids at a young age, and are responsible enough to successfully use birth control, because they realize how big of a commitment and life change it is to have kids, might actually be better, more responsible parents than some people who "accidentally" have kids in an impromptu drunken/hormone driven grope fest at a young age...
Sorry for the run-on sentence. Anywho, I'm out. Have fun. I wish you and your children the best. If parenthood makes you that unhappy, maybe it will be less detrimental to them to live life on the road.
09-03-19, 11:35 AM
#73
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 465
Bikes: Trek 620, Jamis Satellite Sport, Raleigh Sport
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 139 Times
in
66 Posts
^^^^^ I'm not sure where you are getting any of this from? Did you even read my posts, or just read the thread title and started making self-righteous snap judgements?
I never mentioned being unhappy. I'm incredibly happy as a parent! Being a parent is the greatest thing ever!
What is with all your "give up your dreams" schtick? In my opening post I wrote that I'd like to tour full time with my kids, FOR THEM. Not me, I want them to be able to experience full time travel. And so far, as much as kids can, they do want that. I also wrote that if anything changed, we would stop right away. Like I said, this would be carefully thought out and organized, with an exit plan.
I didn't have kids young. I waited till I was 30, then I worked hard to provide for my family and now I'm 50. My house and vehicles are paid off, I'm debt free, and I'm semi-retired with a moderate alternative income stream that I've developed over the years. Now I think my kids would enjoy traveling and I'm in the position to try that.
Someone mentioned me wanting validation for my decision, well of course I do. Firstly though, the decision is not yet made. Secondly, I'd love to hear any negatives also.
And again, I specifically requested that this not be about parenting advice. All I want is a discussion with people who've given up a permanent home base in order to travel full time, with family or not.
I guess we just need to agree to disagree... but I can assure you that if and when you do have children... your entire world will change. Nothing that you thought you knew before will ever be the same again. That is based on my experience of 30 years without children, and 20 years with children. You can read all you want about it in books, but readin' ain't doin'.
I never mentioned being unhappy. I'm incredibly happy as a parent! Being a parent is the greatest thing ever!
What is with all your "give up your dreams" schtick? In my opening post I wrote that I'd like to tour full time with my kids, FOR THEM. Not me, I want them to be able to experience full time travel. And so far, as much as kids can, they do want that. I also wrote that if anything changed, we would stop right away. Like I said, this would be carefully thought out and organized, with an exit plan.
I didn't have kids young. I waited till I was 30, then I worked hard to provide for my family and now I'm 50. My house and vehicles are paid off, I'm debt free, and I'm semi-retired with a moderate alternative income stream that I've developed over the years. Now I think my kids would enjoy traveling and I'm in the position to try that.
Someone mentioned me wanting validation for my decision, well of course I do. Firstly though, the decision is not yet made. Secondly, I'd love to hear any negatives also.
And again, I specifically requested that this not be about parenting advice. All I want is a discussion with people who've given up a permanent home base in order to travel full time, with family or not.
I guess we just need to agree to disagree... but I can assure you that if and when you do have children... your entire world will change. Nothing that you thought you knew before will ever be the same again. That is based on my experience of 30 years without children, and 20 years with children. You can read all you want about it in books, but readin' ain't doin'.
09-03-19, 02:36 PM
#74
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 36,106
Mentioned: 205 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16630 Post(s)
Liked 11,710 Times
in
5,610 Posts
I'm never having kids. Never wanted to. 
And on the subject of raising kids, if you want to watch something really funny go to YouTube and search "Bill Burr Motherhood." Watch the 3:22 min. version. Warning: Totally NSFW.
And on the subject of raising kids, if you want to watch something really funny go to YouTube and search "Bill Burr Motherhood." Watch the 3:22 min. version. Warning: Totally NSFW.
Likes For indyfabz:
09-03-19, 06:55 PM
#75
Senior Member
OP, try a 1-2 month summer tour when the kids aren't in school for starters. Might give a good feel for what you seek. Without going full on life change. Think about say a one or 2 month tour every summer for say 5 years? Thats would get you lots of travel. Just a thought.
Likes For Leebo:
