So, you've seen the adventures of the families in the series so far, you've taken our 'Can You Handle A Gap Year' quiz (scoring highly), and now you're thinking that maybe, just maybe, you and your family might want to embark upon something similar?
If so, there are some important things to be considered. Firstly, there's the small matter of taking the children out of school.
The official view from the DCSF (Department for Children, School and Families), is that ultimately, this decision is down to the parents, but they should talk it through with their child's school and education authority.
It's crucial to get the support of your child's head teacher. They have the authority to authorise time out, thereby avoiding any fine or possible court action for taking your child out of school during term time. Usually, permission will only be granted if the authorities can be reassured that the child's education will not be damaged as a result of the time off.
Parents in our series chose to home tutor their children during their gap years. If this is something you'd consider, then seek advice about this from your child's school and they should be able to point you in the right direction.
And what about you? How do you go about taking time off from a full-time job? The good news is that a growing number of companies and government organisations offer career break schemes. Often it's possible to take up to three months off work as unpaid leave, and your job will be kept open for your return. For help and advice about this and other aspects of taking a gap year, it's worth visiting www.careerbreaker.com. If you're unsure how to approach the subject with your employer, take a look to see how other people have dealt with it.
Another (often overlooked) factor to consider is how difficult it can be travelling with children for a long period. Undoubtedly it'll be harder and more complicated than it would be as a solo twenty-something. With this in mind it's important to start preparation early. Put together a checklist at least three months before departure. This will not only make things a lot easier but enable you to get the best out of the experience and avoid stress along the way.
A simple checklist:
- Decide where and when to go - Discuss family expectations of the trip - Check health and safety for the destination - Check visa requirements- ensure passports are valid - Book appointment at doctors for travel vaccinations - Advise bank of travel plans - Research logistics - Estimate your budget
Another point to remember is that children require a slower pace while travelling; this means that as a family you are really able to get under the skin of the places that you visit and having kids in tow makes a noticeable difference to how people interact with you.
For this reason, many families decide to spend a few weeks stopping in selected places along the way. Many countries allow stays of up to 30 days for British Nationals. For information on visa's check www.worldtravelguide.net where you will be able to check the requirements for each individual country.
Keeping in touch with families and friends back home has been made much easier in the last few years with the Internet. In most countries around the world it's possible to find an internet café, although a little patience maybe required as they can be slow at times. Many families chose to take a sim free mobile phone with them and buy a sim card in each county they visit. It usually only costs a few pounds and that way family can call you and you won't be paying hefty call fees. Alternatively, there's Skype, an internet phone service that is completely free of charge. /p>
Other useful links: www.f co.gov.uk which gives official British Govt advice about where is safe to travel to.
www.nhs.uk which is official NHS advice about health whilst travelling, immunisation and travel insurance.
