A recent blogspot post by Henry Lane (http://bluewatermystique.blogspot.com/) raised the question of sailing with children. Consistent with the theme of this blog, I will look at it from the point of comparison with raising children ashore.
The central difference between the sea and the shore is that for kids under sail: every day is a field trip. Kids like field trips.
So do teachers, especially when the teacher is the home-schooling parent.
Truth is, the work done in a day in a classroom is able to be accomplished way more quickly by a kid on board than that same kid in a classroom. As a schooled aboard kid during the sixth and seventh grade years, I had no trouble with eighth grade at a competitive prep school after the family came ashore.
My two biggest problems were: studying for tests and time management. Thanks to my room mate, Phil, I learned how to prep for a test and get to class on time. That's what I missed by sailing for two years.
An added benefit, more so in this era than mine, is quiet time. On board, children have time and opportunity to observe and reflect quietly.
