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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Would you take your kids out of school to go travelling?

85 replies

Travellingtime123 · 05/04/2025 06:59

We’re in a very fortunate position to have the opportunity to take our kids travelling for a year if we want to. We just need to decide if it’s a good idea.

  • We’ve lived abroad for a decade and we’re planning to come back to the UK. We’ll be changing jobs/schools anyway so could take a gap year before we come back.
  • The kids will be 9 and 7 (we’d come back to the UK in time for them to start year 6 and 4).
  • We own a home in the UK so we know where we’re moving back to. Although I have no idea how this would affect school applications etc.
  • Both kids like travelling (we’ve done a lot since they were babies), we’ve done full summers but at a pretty slow pace and obviously only for 7 weeks during summer holidays.
  • Both kids are doing well academically at school, we’d do some home schooling whilst we travel but it obviously isn’t the same as being in school.
  • Both kids are very sociable and make friends easily. They also get on well with each other (usually!)
  • Financially we could do it pretty comfortably without having to make too many other compromises (I realize how fortunate this is).
  • Family would fly out and meet us at various points for a couple of weeks at a time.

In our position would you do it?
If so, where would you go? I’d love to hear tips from anyone who has done it or anyone who homeschools kids this age.

OP posts:
DustyLee123 · 05/04/2025 07:47

I’d do it, but I would want the oldest in school for the full year 6, to make sure they’re at the same level and for high school applications.

sageGreen81 · 05/04/2025 07:45

Oh they’ll be fine!! Get tutors when you’re back! Do it!!

Travellingtime123 · 05/04/2025 07:43

Purpleturtle43 · 05/04/2025 07:27

Are those the year groups they would be going into for their age, or the year.below given they will have missed a year of education?

It’s the year they’d being going into (we’d homeschool whilst travelling for year 5 and 3). It’s the main thing that gives me pause, I care about their education and don’t want them to have gaps

OP posts:
Purpleturtle43 · 05/04/2025 07:27

Are those the year groups they would be going into for their age, or the year.below given they will have missed a year of education?

Ohdearieme2025 · 05/04/2025 07:27

Absolutely. Yes.

TheSandgroper · 05/04/2025 07:26

Lots and lots of families travelling around Australia in a caravan for months or years. Get yourself onto a facebook community for all the information.

The comment above about language has some pertinence, I think, so f you are planning around Europe

Travellingtime123 · 05/04/2025 07:24

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 05/04/2025 07:06

I’d find out what languages the secondary school that you are likely to end up with and spend time in Spain/France or Germany for example.

They have quite a lot of language classes at their current school so they’re pretty familiar with Spanish, French and Arabic already.
Our plan was to focus on places in Asia, Africa and South America because it’s harder to do from the UK (we’ll do a lot of short breaks and holidays to Europe once we’re back living in the UK). We also have friends/family living in France, Spain and Italy so we often visit them in the summer for several weeks.

OP posts:
Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 05/04/2025 07:06

I’d find out what languages the secondary school that you are likely to end up with and spend time in Spain/France or Germany for example.

wastingtimeonhere · 05/04/2025 07:04

Go for it!

noworklifebalance · 05/04/2025 07:00

Yes