How to plan a sabbatical away with kids

how to start planning your sabbatical with kids

A family sabbatical can be a life-changing experience, but it’s also a complex endeavor. Here are some things to consider as you begin to plan.

Tip #1: Start with clear goals

Before you start planning the logistics and details, set an intention or purpose for your time away. What do you hope your family will accomplish during the sabbatical? For me, it was living in a more urban environment, traveling, and having an adventure. You may want to focus on learning a new language, experiencing a lifestyle or culture that’s very different from your own, or pursuing a project. Depending on the age of your children, involve them in the discussion so you can learn what they’d like to experience so it’s more meaningful to them.

Tip #2: Choose a destination that aligns with your family’s goals and preference

Think about your family’s routines and lifestyle. What does your family like to do together in your free time? What activities do your children enjoy? In which types of environments and situations does your family thrive? There’s a lot of value to having a sabbatical that is a break from your normal routines, but you’ll want to balance new experiences with opportunities to engage in familiar and enjoyable activities, which can help support everyone’s adjustment to a new place.

Tip #3: Decide what kind of schooling experience you want for your children (and do your research)

In my experience, this was the critical piece of the sabbatical away puzzle. Ask yourself whether you want to put your kids in the local public school, a private school, or an international school. We chose a small bilingual school for our sabbatical because our kids didn’t speak French and we didn’t think a semester was long enough for them to adapt to French public school. You’ll want to do some research about application processes and costs for the options that interest you most. We found some schools would not accept our kids for only one semester or had prohibitively high enrollment fees. Facebook groups for parents or expats in the community where you plan to live can be an excellent source of information.

Tip #4: Find a place to live that aligns with your goals and preferences

Do you want to be in city center, which may be more expensive than the suburbs but have good access to public transit? Or, do you want to have a bit more space in the suburbs? Will you need to buy or rent a car in order to get around? How close or far do you want to live from your children’s school or the activities your family prefers? These are all important questions to consider as you look for a house or apartment. You can try to find short-term rentals through www.sabbaticalhomes.com or local agencies that have furnished rentals. Another option is to reserve an Airbnb for a month and then find an longer-term place to stay once you arrive.

Tip #5: Do your research about visas and other logistics

If you don’t plan to have a university affiliation while on sabbatical, you’ll probably have to figure out how to get a visa (if you need one) on your own. You’ll want to research the process and cost for getting a visa and how far in advance you need to apply for a visa. It took us a few months to get our long-stay visas for France, but the process was relatively straightforward, and we didn’t have to translate any of our documents, but the process in other countries would have been much more time- and cost-intensive. You should also think about purchasing travel health insurance for your time away, even if you’re going to a place with socialized health care. We needed proof of insurance to get our visas and although we didn’t have to use it, it’s a good idea to have travel insurance in case of an emergency.

A Sabbatical with kids takes a lot of planning, but it’s totally worth it!

I hope those tips give you some direction as you get started. Planning a sabbatical away with kids is a lot of work and it’s not always easy to adjust to living in a new place, but it’s completely worth it in my opinion. As my husband reminded me countless times as we were navigating the kids’ emotional ups and downs during sabbatical, “this experience will age well.” And it has! We all remember our time away fondly and the kids can’t wait to go back to Bordeaux.

More support for planning your sabbatical away with kids

If you want to hear more about our time in Bordeaux, check out this episode of Sabbatical 101! If you want to hear about our family sabbatical away from my 10 year-old son’s perspective, check out this one! And finally, you can listen to this episode to hear about our sabbatical from my daughter’s (age 5 at the time) perspective. 

Finally, for guided support planning your own sabbatical with kids, check out my self-paced online Family Sabbatical Program.