Working remotely was a long dream time for me, and five years ago I managed to make it happen. While traveling for business, I decided to pack my family along with me so that we could explore the culture and the local sights of the places we visited. We discovered that staying in a city longer helped us taste the real flavor of the place away from the tourist signs. Even so, we always felt there was so much more to explore, and we wanted to find a way to travel more extensively, but the schools were already calling me out for the kids missing the maximum number of days allowed.
We saw the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity. During the world's lockdown, we realized that homeschooling might be a great opportunity for us. To be honest, we are afraid the kids will miss out on social opportunities in the day-to-day classroom if they homeschool. This was no longer an issue after the lockdown. We were ready to go for it.
We started by researching homeschooling and the different options available. We also looked into the legal requirements for homeschooling in Quebec. Those first two years were just amazing. Our children's learning was impressive, and we resolved the biggest problem in their school life: bullies.
Since traveling restrictions are no longer an issue, we decided to begin our world schooling journey this winter. As our first destination, we traveled to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. We rented a nice place two blocks from the beach and packed all our books and homework sheets. We were nervous and excited at the same time.
Life went on as “usual”, we worked and did homework every day. However, we were able to go to the beach, walk barefoot in the sand, take a nice dip in the sea, and even eat a mango and drink a cold coconut water on the way back out of the daily break. Almost every weekend, we explored the nearby towns, visited Mayan ruins, and tried new foods. Our children were able to experience carnival activities first-hand, giving them a glimpse of the local culture. As we returned to the apartment, we studied Mayan civilization and completed school assignments related to Mexico history and culture. There was a good balance between learning, working, and playing.
Throughout our trips, we continue with our homeschooling program, modifying it as needed. We find that our children are more engaged in their studies when they can see how it relates to the world around them. They learn about history by visiting ancient ruins, geography by exploring different landscapes, and science by observing animals in their natural habitat.
However, finding information on where to go, if the places were suitable for the kids, was a challenge. We spent several hours on Facebook groups and blogs planning the activities. In the end, we had fun, but it took us several hours to find the best source of information. Based on our experience with databases and software development, we decided to start this website to connect all the amazing information out there on traveling with kids and world schooling, and facilitate the work for other families. Travel is expensive and the time there is precious. DParents is our way to give back to this fantastic community and help other families enjoy and learn while traveling the world.
We are temporarily back at home taking care of some details, resting , coding this website and fine tuning the planning for the next adventure.
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