Kids on board

[CJR]

Hi all. Can anyone share advise and experience of living on boats with children? We are planning to buy a live aboard with our 8 year old girl and want to ensure we get the right boat to ensure everyone is happy and has space to cope, and also ensure the practicalities of school and friends are accounted for. Thanks for your help.

[Philskey]

Hi all. Can anyone share advise and experience of living on boats with children? We are planning to buy a live aboard with our 8 year old girl and want to ensure we get the right boat to ensure everyone is happy and has space to cope, and also ensure the practicalities of school and friends are accounted for. Thanks for your help.

 

Sorry I cannot comment on living aboard full time with children We have a 13 year old daughter and spend just 3-4 weeks aboard our shared ownership boat a year. Having tried everything to entice her to enjoy this time it has all been futile. She hates the boat with a passion. It's boring! Nothing to do! You name it I've heard it. I wish you well, perhaps with a younger child you may have a chance but as for me it's a no hoper.

[Roger Gunkel]

Hi CJR,

Noticed you joined yesterday, so welcome to the forum.

Not many replies yet so I assume not many have children living on their boats. We don't either, but we do have 3 boats on the marina here with children. Very good friends of ours on the boat next to us have a 4 year old and a new born baby. They have lived on their boat for 5 years and love it. The 4 year old girl often comes on to our boat to spend some time with us and is a very happy and well balanced child. She has a great interest in nature and wildlife and her friends love coming home with her after nursery school. Her parents think that is a wonderful environment to bring up a child and we totally agree. They go for frequent walks as a family exploring the river banks and footpaths, they have a large cratch cover over the the front well, with a sand tray and toys for a play area and she has her own bedroom with a large window looking straight onto the river.

Any child will be bored in any environment if it is not encouraged to learn and investigate the world around and I can think of no better way to do that than on a boat.

One of the other families has a 12 year old boy, who is always telling me how much he loves living on the boat and never wants to live in a house again. He can't wait until the spring when he can explore on an old dinghy that his dad has just got.

 

People often say to me about the dangers of water and children, but I would rather teach a child how to swim well and warn it about the dangers, than teaching it about the dangers of traffic and have it wandering onto the road on a housing estate.

 

Personally I would have no second thoughts about children and boats at all, only ensuring that you have the requirements for personal living comfort. No doubt others will tell you differently, but to each their own!

Roger

[greyowl]

Hi CJR, I`m in the same boat as you ( pardon the pun ).

I`ve just sold my house to buy a liveaboard, and my kids are over the moon at the prospect of cruising the system with me. Although they only spend the weekends with me ( as i`m divorced ) there are a lot of conciderations to take into account.

Safety is king in my book, bouyancy aids, swimming lessons, fire extinguishers !!!!

They`ll need plenty of electricity for computers, gameboys , tv, internet access.

My preference is for a 60" cruiser stern, plenty of room for me on my own, with a room for a family cruise in comfort on a sunny day ( they`re 11, 8, 6 by the way, daughter is 8, other 2 are boy`s ) and central heating is a must

Talk it over with your daughter, she`s old enough to have an opinion. I just hope you can find a happy medium

 

kris

[Khayamanzi]

For what it's worth!

 

I think, if the idea is imposed on them, they're more likely to rebel but if they are involved in the whole project from the start you are more likely to get them on board, (no pun intended!)

 

I don't have children on board myself but have known/met many live-aboard children who are the happyest and most well-adjusted you could ever get IMHO. I have heard of some horror stories from totally non-understanding local authorities, (Others may be able to comment more,) and I may be wrong but would suggest that further south it may not be seen as quite so 'socially acceptable' as, say, in the Midlands. I know when I moved from Surrey to the Midlands, I found much more reasonable and understanding people in the Midlands than down south.

 

Professionally, as a Deputy Head of a large junior school in Rugby, I would encourage it wholeheartedly as the skills the children will learn can't ever be easily emmulated in other situations eg. social skills of living closely with others as a family, enjoying the outdoors, watching the seasons, water safety, risk taking etc etc.

 

Let us know how you get on.

[greyowl]

I think you are bang on there Khayamanzi, they need to be made part of making the decision.

True also, that they will learn an awful lot of life skills whilst living in an unconventional way

 

Kris

[DHutch]

Paul Clevett also lives aboard his boat with his family, might be worth PMing him, and possably reading some of his past posts.

- Im sure like everything else, theres always going to be moments when it doesnt all go sweetly.

- But at the same time, many people do live on there boats with children, in school, etc. So go for it.

 

I also agree that from both sides it was almost certrainly be best to get the child involved in it from the start, rather than trying to force anything.

- Ive loved canals and boats since i was a little kid.

- One of my very first memorys was trips "to see grandads new boat that he was making" followed my its launch.

 

 

Daniel

[Alastair]

We liveaboard with kids: 8, 11, 11, 14, 21.

 

An 8-yr-old will be easy, with older kids, and shortage of space, you can run into privacy issues, particularly as they get older.

 

I would say two main things are important. One, make sure there is a play space - kids need somewhere to do drawing, messing with papier mache, lego, etc. Two, try to get a boat where it will be possible to put up a temp bed for sleepover visitors. This is particularly important.

[StoneHenge]

I also live aboard with an 8 year old, 18 month old and a 12 year old at weekends (step son).

 

They love it, and their friends think they are cool. They have learnt loads about wildlife, water safety and boats!

 

I must admit, you have to use space to the max, but it's been wonderful and we have loved every minute of it.

 

The only thing I will say is, that we are a quiet family (having suffered terrible noise abuse from our old house neighbours), and you'd hardly know we were there most of the time. However, our 'neighbours' who range in ages, but mostly near retirement age apparently are not fond of kids and have made no bones about almost 'outing' us in terms of not being very friendly.

 

Not sure why as we have very well behaved kids, don't let them run around causing trouble, we are quiet, e don't party etc, and like a quiet life, but for some reason being a younger couple with children seems not to appeal to them.

 

There are others who are brilliant, you just to warn you you may well get a mixed reaction, but don't let it bother you. Your kids will probably benefit no end from it (mine have), and you have to rise over the closed minded attitutudes of some.

[CJT]

We don't live aboard but our two girls ( 12 & 16) have a sort of love hate relationship with our nb.

The younger one is OK so long as she doesn't have to do anything but the older one is "bored" unless we take the boyfriend as well! (Actually he's quite useful!). Having just but only just survived a 16th birthday party and sleepover at home this weekend I'd have happily moved aboard myself!

 

It will be a wonderful experience for an 8 year old - just think a sleepover for more than one or two just wont be an option. This is almost justification in itself!!

 

Good luck!

Chris

[nb.hind]

We have lived aboard for about a year and a half and currently have two children. The 7 year old boy was brought with us and has adapted nicely, the 12 year old girl (stepdaughter) voluntarily chose to leave her father's house and come and live with us on the boat

 

A few things to consider that make life easier/happier:

 

A separate cabin that can be closed off when the child wants privacy. A curtain will do but a door is better.

 

Plenty of storage space for clothes/toys/books etc. A raised bed with cupboards underneath would be good.

 

A secret hidey hole that only the child concerned knows about (and me 'cos I built it!)

 

Try and get a mooring convenient for school. If you're close to the school then you are going to be close to their friends as well. If you can find a mooring where there are other children about then even better - just be prepared for very muddy/damp children from time to time

 

A make up bed for sleepovers is a good thing.

 

 

Naturally, the life onboard has good bits and bad bits but, for me, the good bits win - Good luck.

[Purple Fairie]

We've been living aboard for 18 months now, our daughter who is now 10 lives with us and Smudge's son (13) comes over at the weekends, and any other time he gets the chance!

They have separate bedrooms, with doors for privacy, and plenty of storage space for all their 'stuff'

Before, when we was living in the house which tbh was quite large and had a huge garden, they would spend most of their time in their rooms doing the usual kids thing.... telly, computer, etc. Now they spend most of the time on the river bank running around like loonies with the dog. They've both joined the RSPB as well and as the girl is artistic (like me!) she'll sit out with her binoculars and draw! And she's joined the local kickboxing club so she's met the local kids. It's very rare that they complain about being bored and will quite often just sit and watch the wildlife from the cratch.

We did think long and hard about living on board with kids, but we talked through everything with them and at the end of the day we have no regrets. 'Little 'un' has even started quizzing us about what she will need to know when she gets her own nb!

 

People often say to me about the dangers of water and children, but I would rather teach a child how to swim well and warn it about the dangers, than teaching it about the dangers of traffic and have it wandering onto the road on a housing estate.

 

And I totally agree! In fact they are out more now as our house was on a very busy road and I never did like them going out of the garden. At least now they are in the countryside and they have friends in the village that they go out with on their bikes. As for school, we are 13 miles away from where they go to school but we both work in the town as well so it all falls in quite nicely.

[Alastair]

. . . so it all falls in quite nicely.

 

I hope not.

 

[CJR]

Thanks for all your supportive messages. We are new to this forum thing, so it's really good to read all the positive thoughts and ideas that have been put forward. What a great web site!

It sounds like you (Purple Fairie) have it worked out pretty well - with a dog too! We have a black lab, but are worried we may all get a bit cramped...what sort of dog do you have? Are you on a NB or wide-beam? We are still very much at the early stage of planning this, as we are due to move back to England in the next month or so, leaving our cottage here in Ireland up for sale. We will probably have to rent a house somewhere until we can figure out the best option on the boat situation. Any advise for complete novices most welcome...

Walked down the Royal Canal today with the dog - is black plastic sheeting the norm for lining a canal bank? The restoration team have lined the banks with black plastic sheeting after dredging and put clay on top of the sheeting and seeded it with grass seed. Looked good for a month until a heavy downpour, and then it all slid back into the canal! We noticed today that they have put it the clay back onto the sheeting and re-seeded...surely this is going to end up back in the canal again?!

[pagan witch]

You will doubtless be pleased to hear we have been liveaboard for over 2 years now - just having gone through our 3rd winter, which unbdoubtedly is the worst time of year to be boating, we are still going strong.

 

We have a 16year old girl, a 14 year old and an 11 year old lad on board, one goes to school, the other two are home educated. Our local authority education officer comes to visit every year and loves it. He always makes comments about what a wonderful learning opportunity it is and finds that mixing with such a wide and varied selection of adults and children nearby totaly destroys the 'peer group' thing most land lubbers and non - home educators seem fond to throw at us from time to time.

 

Sure there are always going to be space issues but we had these in our previous home and that had 7 acres of gardens and 4 bedrooms !

 

Without filling the forum anyone interested in what, where and how can visit us at

 

www then canalpages then .co.uk

 

Follow the link to 'going liveaboard'

 

Anyone wanting to know more can also e-mail us via that site or PM us from the forum

[CJR]

We have been looking at several boat builder sites on the web and a few show diagrams of 2 bedroom options that we think may sound like the type of thing we need. However, we can't find any photos of these 2nd bedrooms actually in practical use for children - would anyone share any photos they have of a kid's room that is actually lived in? A sensitive issue I know (any child related picture on the net could be potentially dodgy), but our daughter Josie insists that she needs a desk that has room for her computer and for drawing and space to keep a milk snake (in a tank) - don't ask!

[StoneHenge]

We have 3 cabins. One has a single bed either side (at the stern of the boat), the second cabin for the wee nipper has a single bed, and a gate leg table in it which can be folded down to provide play room, but folded up for use for things like home work and computer use (as I sometimes work from home).

 

If you can find a decent fold up table, you will be space saving, but also providing the ability to use a table (we have fold up chairs too from Ikea, £9).

 

The cabin with two beds in it has a TV, playstation and DVD on a wall mounted stand, which suits the kids perfectly. One room for telly, one for work/play etc.

 

I'd send you pictures, but I haven't got them loaded onto photobucket or anything useful like that!!!

 

You could always mount the tank on the wall on brackets which would save room as well. Never heard of a milk snake!!!

[nb.hind]

would anyone share any photos they have of a kid's room that is actually lived in?

 

Dug out the link to the pictures of Hind (which has two bedrooms for children). I must take some better ones. The pictures show Charlie's bedroom (12 year old girl with pet rat).

 

Pictures

 

Most drawing/homework/computer activities take place on the dining table rather than her bedroom though (more space).

[CJR]

Dug out the link to the pictures of Hind (which has two bedrooms for children). I must take some better ones. The pictures show Charlie's bedroom (12 year old girl with pet rat).

 

Pictures

 

Most drawing/homework/computer activities take place on the dining table rather than her bedroom though (more space).

 

Hi there - the picture link does not seem to work...is it an old link or should I be accessing it some other way? Thanks

[Knotty]

Hi all watching this thread with interest as we have an 11 year old, due to go up to high school in summer.

 

Once question I would like to add is that is it easy applying for school places when on a canal boat? We are on a waiting list for moorings in the place we want, until then we are finding temp moorings as close as possible to the area until desired place comes up.

 

Now we have finalised our plans I am going to have to look into all this pretty quick smart. We of course will be coming out of the area as at the moment we live in cumbria!!

 

We will be heading to Oxfordshire where I used to live few years ago so know the area well.

 

Any good tips for applying for schools, if they are not so freeminded to canal dwellers. I must admit from friends who lived on canal boats when I lived in bricksnmortar in the midlands/oxfordshire there was a handful of children that lived on the nearby canals. So hopefully its an area with eyes open to the wider world

 

Thanks

 

Knotty xx

[StoneHenge]

My daughter moved schools not long after we moved onto our boat and they had no problem with it. I do however have a post office who collects our mail for us and we are allowed to use their address as our land address so whether this helps or not I don't know.

 

The school knows we live on a boat, and they think it's really cool, so you shouldn't have any problems with your 11 year old being accepted into a school.

[carlt]

My daughter moved schools not long after we moved onto our boat and they had no problem with it. I do however have a post office who collects our mail for us and we are allowed to use their address as our land address so whether this helps or not I don't know.

 

The school knows we live on a boat, and they think it's really cool, so you shouldn't have any problems with your 11 year old being accepted into a school.

 

Any post office in the world will keep your post for you using the 'Poste Restante' system (except hillmorton p.o. in Rugby who've never heard of it, and told me they doubt it's existence ).

 

Once they're used to you, you can usually get away with omitting the 'Poste Restante' from the address.

[nb.hind]

Hi there - the picture link does not seem to work...is it an old link or should I be accessing it some other way? Thanks

 

Curses, typed it wrong - try Pictures

 

or enter http://photos.yahoo.com/gandm.cook@btinternet.com

[kate]

Can anyone help or give advice. We moved onto our narrowboat New Year 2004/2005 with our then 2 1/2 year old son. Our aim then was to travel round the system before he started school working as we travelled. We are lucky enough to be in the line of work that can done from anywhere!! The last 2 years have been spent travelling the system for some of the time and living on land for the rest of the time, where Oliver went to playschool. However we now love life on board so much that we are entertaining the idea of home education for Oliver but ideally would love to meet a group of "travelling liveaboards" in the same situation so that he gets the chance for some socialisation with other kids. Is there anyone out there looking for the same?

Edited March 25, 2007 by kate

[blackrose]

I don't have kids but on a couple of occasions I've taken friends out on the boat with their kids. I'm pretty sure when I was 10 a few hours out on a boat would have been an amazing treat, but they get restless & bored very easily. The parents even bring their own toys and games for the kids (aren't we already sitting on the biggest toy?), and when we get back they say "Thanks he/she really enjoyed it", when it was obvious to me that they didn't. I guess I'm in a different world but everyone seems to have ADHD these days - even the parents!