Catherine, such exciting (and certainly nerve-wracking) news!
Flying:
We've travelled (flown) every year with our children since they were born, and the most important thing I've learned while flying is to ignore how you think other people around you are feeling. Focus on your kids, and trust that all will go well. Take along a small rotation of reading, snacks, and doodle paper.
Homeschooling while on the go:
As we've been playing the long game and two of our three kids are in university starting next month, I can confirm that there is absolutely no need to fret. Even if you were to do absolutely nothing "educational", your kids would not "fall behind". However, it can be helpful to keep a simple routine going. We usually took along a set of Right Start Math cards and would spend 20 min with speed math (addition/ multiplication etc). We did a little spelling/writing (letters /postcards) and then some reading during afternoon quiet time. This helped keep a simple rhythm going with lots of exploring/museum/cafe time in between.
For your kids the most important thing will likely be that *you* feel ok during this time of upheaval. We usually took time in the evening to process the day, talk about the challenging bits, make a plan for the next day. When my kids knew that I was fine and not too stressed out, they picked up the cue and were fine with all the continuing change as well.
All the best as you prepare for your move Catherine ! :)
We’ve frequently travelled internationally and moved several times with our kids and found that breaking long days into “phases” right at the beginning helped immensely. Flying from the US to Spain with a 2 hour drive just to get to the airport from our small town, for example, became “5 phases” (“Phase 1” is drive and get parked at the airport, “Phase 2” is get through security and find seats at the gate, etc.). When I heard my older one excitedly tap his brother on the arm as we landed on the other side of the Atlantic, “Hey J, we finished Phase 4!,” I knew we had a winning strategy ;)
Congratulations, Catherine! From what I hear, Northern Virginia has a pretty amazing homeschooling community. I'm sure you'll fit right in. I went to graduate school right across the river in Georgetown and often found my way on walks around Arlington as well. You'll have lots of history at your fingertips. Head on over to Teddy Roosevelt Island. It's a lovely hike. I'm not too far from you-- in Maryland, And have many friends in DC. When you get settled if you need help orienting yourself let me know! And I'm sure the kids will be great travelers. Just pace yourself for the trip and save any especially novel or fun things for the last leg of the journey when everyone is just very over it!
Catherine, I am so excited for you and the family to be making this move! What an amazing opportunity.
As you know we moved from Vanuatu to several places around Australia before settling into our home, so the experience of upheaval is very fresh. The most meaningful connections we made everywhere we lived were through the homeschooling community, so I would recommend joining the Arlington VA Homeschool group on FB for a start (if you haven't already). Having some personal connections in place before you arrive can help inestimably with the nuts and bolts of relocating, such as finding a place to live.
Every time we moved I built our new routine with a mind to starting school when everyone feels ready, as you'll very likely be navigating big emotions with the children (exhilaration for the new, grief for the old) depending on how sensitive they are to such things. For us it helped to build adventure and exploration into family life, such as finding new places to swim or hike in good weather. Packing a picnic has now become something I could do blindfolded, a totally new thing for us since coming to Australia.
Also, starting afresh like this is a great chance to shake any undesirable habits out of the routine (for instance, we managed to transition completely away from tablet use through our moving) and start trying new things we didn't have a chance to explore before (bikes, scooters, drama classes.. hooray for FB marketplace).
One big transition I had to make personally was going from not driving for 10 years to ferrying around 2 kids in an SUV. It took months to get used to driving on my own but having a car was really the most practical way to get to homeschool meetups/ groceries/ library in our new situation. I don't know if this applies to you as well but I imagine it will be quite a bit leap from London where public transport is the norm to America where enormous Dodge Rams rule the highways!
I am really looking forward to all your reflections about making the move and we are all cheering you on from Substack 🌞
Fun! I look forward to reading about your adventures. A few things off the top of my head-
Friends with something like 6 kids fly internationally to visit family. Dad gives each kid $20 to spend at airport/ plane, no whining, buy whatever you want, food or kitsch but that’s all you’re getting.
Others do a special snack bag where kids are allowed to pick out unusual stuff at grocery store- even expensive stuff is cheap compared to US airports. (This is a key difference when you fly: UK airports have normal pricing on things or even sales sometimes. US airports have tripled the price on everything.)
If anyone gets travel sick, the wristbands do a decent job of keeping it at bay.
I loved living in Virginia, esp Old Town Alexandria which has European vibes. DC is not London though and the museums are lovely but it is not safe in the same way London is. Same for public transport. Of course every family is different but I think it’s probably more challenging to do to “free range” kid stuff in DC proper than in London- will be curious to hear how you find it!
That's so exciting! What a fun new chapter of life for your family. Although I don't have traveling abroad tips to provide, I do live just a couple of hours from DC and we take day trips down quite often...the Smithsonian museums are amazing (and mostly free!) and there's just so much beauty in the city. My kids love days when we explore the nooks and crannies around the National Mall. As far as getting started with your homeschool year, just give yourself grace that this season will look differently than previous ones. I'm curious to hear what you have to say about homeschooling in the US vs. UK ; ) Every state is different but feel free to reach out if you have any questions about legal requirements. Safe travels!
Ok I am very late to the party news but how exciting!! I can't wait to hear how you settle in. Please add me to the list of people to text for any questions & help while here. I've always wanted to visit Monticello--I think that will be quite close? Let me know if you want to visit VT!
We want to visit everywhere!! We are having a great time, aside from the not inconsiderable challenges of living in a hotel room and trying to find somewhere to live FAST! This afternoon I realised that I want a nice knowledgeable American friend to tell me what to buy in the supermarket. All your laundry detergents are different, for example! How do I know which to buy?! And where can the children buy their beloved Lego magazines, which in the UK are all over the place but here we haven’t seen a single one since we landed. I’m amazed at how different things are given that we all speak the same language!
I can so relate to the decision exhaustion and have lived stateside my whole life! I like shopping at Costco for many things because there are way fewer choices. Otherwise I buy whatever has the least amount of added crap (aka, free and clear detergent, natural pb). You probably have a refill store nearby, which will fill refillable containers with household products from their bulk supply, typically has fewer choices and better prices for the environmentally friendly products.
Those Lego magazines sound quite fun! Never knew that existed! A board games or niche hobby store might import them?
One of my favorite activities when visiting a different country or even region of the US is to go to supermarkets. You can learn so much about a culture from the mundane, but I can imagine how overwhelming it is trying to set up house.
For the Lego magazines, your best bet might be a chain bookstore like Barnes & Noble, unfortunately. They tend to carry magazines that no one else does, especially for the littles.
Ok we're definitely going to need a post about these purported lego magazines! Haha. Have you put out a 411 to all husband's new contacts that you're looking for housing? Also I think you should post on Well Trained Mind's community board as VA is their area. https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/forum/31-the-chat-board/
Tide for laundry. Crest toothpaste. Clorox bleach. Clorox multi surface cleaner. Scrub free bathroom cleaner. Heinz ketchup. Helmanns mayonnaise. Jiffy peanut butter. Jam at the farmers market. Dial bar soap. Milk is weird here so I’ve landed on Horizon organic milk. Buy country eggs at the farmers market. Mt Olive pickle products.
Tide is what seems to be the number 1 brand advertised here in the states, but we use whatever free and clear detergent is cheapest and have never had any problems!
I'm not sure what Lego magazines look like for you, but here you can sign up to get a quarterly lego magazine for free on the lego website (I don't know if it's the same as your kids are used to though!)
Is comic the word I’m looking for? They cost around £4-9 and come with a mini figure or two, and have stories and games etc inside. I loathe them but my children love them, and in the UK they’re in every supermarket, train station, news agent, corner shop etc. If they don’t sell them here we’re going to have to get the grandparents to stock up and bring them over!
Hi Catherine! We’re well versed in both overseas moves with kids and the Virginia side of DC. We recently moved from Alexandria, VA to Spain. If you send me a chat I can connect you with other homeschooling families in Alexandria and Arlington or just give you neighborhood recommendations if you need any!
Hi there! I follow your husband's Substack and used to work at Mercatus. I was also homeschooled, and plan on homeschooling (no kids yet though), so I had to give you a follow too. :)
I worked remotely, but traveled to Arlington regularly. Home is eastern North Carolina. You'll have loads to do locally in and around DC, but Virginia and the surrounding states offer fabulous historic sites for homeschoolers as well. Colonial Williamsburg, Biltmore Estate, Jamestown, Monticello, etc. Check websites for special homeschool days.
The North Carolina coast is a popular travel destination for Virginians because our beaches are better. 😅 There are historical sites along the coast and a good aquarium as well.
The Appalachian Mountains are the oldest range in the world. Lots for homeschoolers to explore there!
For some very American fun, King's Dominion and Busch Gardens theme parks are both in the Williamsburg area.
Best of luck with the big move!!!
P.S.
You can't get an apartment quickly and easily everywhere in the US, but Arlington will not be a problem. No spiraling hotel bills! Promise!
This is wonderful news! Each state has different requirements, so I am pasting the link for you to access Virginia’s requirements. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/parents-students/for-parents/home-instruction#. I homeschooled kindergarten to 12th and we traveled throughout that period. It sounds as if your children will do fine. Treat the travel itself as part of their education!
Ah what an exciting adventure lies ahead of you Catherine! We are currently travelling (road tripping) and we purchased an MP3 player for our eldest so she could listen to audiobooks whilst we spend long days travelling. It's been great in that it's kept her entertained without need for a screen. Happy travels ahead!
We have had a lot of moves and a lot of upheaval in our years of homeschooling, and I truly don't think you need to worry. I think the social emotional learning of traveling, frustration tolerance, emotional capacity etc... really does transfer over in ways we can't appreciate while we're in it and it feels like we're doing "nothing". I would say there's absolutely no shame in taking time completely off if necessary, but if you do better with some routine, then our go-to triad of "minimum school" is usually Bible, handwriting, and math. Then we always have books around -- this is one of the harder parts of moving, so sometimes we'll end up using more nature documentaries and such to fill in time as things are truly boxed up and inaccessible. The last 10 percent of the items to be packed always feel like they take the longest and it's actually interminable.
One of the blessings of frequent moves and a small house is that I've realized how little "stuff" you need to homeschool. Mostly you need a lot of books, or a good library.
I agree wholeheartedly with Ruth's assessment that finding ways to resource yourself to be able to handle the inevitable and appropriate emotions of a really big change is key. If you can give yourself a lot of grace, this trickles down to the kids and helps a lot. We actually found a few homeopathic remedies to be helpful with the emotional component of moving, but I would expect about 6 months of big feelings and then for things to feel less bumpy. Any visits from home/reminders from home will re-intensify feelings. I think that letting your kids have their feelings and not rushing into bright-siding them is helpful. It's a hard balance between validating what they've lost and helping them see the new things they've gained.
I found it helpful to get more involved than I was comfortable with -- I was very fortunate to have a sort of "in" in the local community, and if you have a friend who's one of those brilliant extroverts who connect people to other people then just show up to all the things you're invited to for a bit, and then as you settle in you can dial back. I am glad that we pushed as hard as we did to just try things and meet people, even though it was hard (granted, there is a large military community here, so the pace of "get to know you" might be different, but I masqueraded as an extrovert for a whole year, am exhausted, but also have people I feel comfortable calling friends)
My husband and I moved to DC metro when our oldest wasn’t yet 2. If you can store all your stuff, we found renting a furnished AirBNB month to month was way more economical than a hotel while we hunted for a rental house. We all had to share a bedroom so we stayed motivated. I don’t love the DC metro but plenty of people make a mix of busses and trains work for them. They just finished construction on the line down to Alexandria so at least that’s done. In my experience (5 years old now) usually street parking could be found everywhere if you don’t mind a bit of a walk. Car is the best for zoo trips. If you don’t do the membership for parking access street parking is affordable. DC was very cool for a couple years but the culture is very transient and we personally didn’t like the idea of staying long term. But it’s absolutely a great opportunity and no doubt you’ll make the most of it.
I’ve also heard that kids feel better with moves if they have one or two familiar things they can always have with them: their pillows, a teddy, a framed photo, etc- something that makes a place “home” even when it’s not.
Catherine, such exciting (and certainly nerve-wracking) news!
Flying:
We've travelled (flown) every year with our children since they were born, and the most important thing I've learned while flying is to ignore how you think other people around you are feeling. Focus on your kids, and trust that all will go well. Take along a small rotation of reading, snacks, and doodle paper.
Homeschooling while on the go:
As we've been playing the long game and two of our three kids are in university starting next month, I can confirm that there is absolutely no need to fret. Even if you were to do absolutely nothing "educational", your kids would not "fall behind". However, it can be helpful to keep a simple routine going. We usually took along a set of Right Start Math cards and would spend 20 min with speed math (addition/ multiplication etc). We did a little spelling/writing (letters /postcards) and then some reading during afternoon quiet time. This helped keep a simple rhythm going with lots of exploring/museum/cafe time in between.
For your kids the most important thing will likely be that *you* feel ok during this time of upheaval. We usually took time in the evening to process the day, talk about the challenging bits, make a plan for the next day. When my kids knew that I was fine and not too stressed out, they picked up the cue and were fine with all the continuing change as well.
All the best as you prepare for your move Catherine ! :)
We’ve frequently travelled internationally and moved several times with our kids and found that breaking long days into “phases” right at the beginning helped immensely. Flying from the US to Spain with a 2 hour drive just to get to the airport from our small town, for example, became “5 phases” (“Phase 1” is drive and get parked at the airport, “Phase 2” is get through security and find seats at the gate, etc.). When I heard my older one excitedly tap his brother on the arm as we landed on the other side of the Atlantic, “Hey J, we finished Phase 4!,” I knew we had a winning strategy ;)
This would work equally well for moving day.
Wishing you all the best in this new adventure!
Congratulations, Catherine! From what I hear, Northern Virginia has a pretty amazing homeschooling community. I'm sure you'll fit right in. I went to graduate school right across the river in Georgetown and often found my way on walks around Arlington as well. You'll have lots of history at your fingertips. Head on over to Teddy Roosevelt Island. It's a lovely hike. I'm not too far from you-- in Maryland, And have many friends in DC. When you get settled if you need help orienting yourself let me know! And I'm sure the kids will be great travelers. Just pace yourself for the trip and save any especially novel or fun things for the last leg of the journey when everyone is just very over it!
Catherine, I am so excited for you and the family to be making this move! What an amazing opportunity.
As you know we moved from Vanuatu to several places around Australia before settling into our home, so the experience of upheaval is very fresh. The most meaningful connections we made everywhere we lived were through the homeschooling community, so I would recommend joining the Arlington VA Homeschool group on FB for a start (if you haven't already). Having some personal connections in place before you arrive can help inestimably with the nuts and bolts of relocating, such as finding a place to live.
Every time we moved I built our new routine with a mind to starting school when everyone feels ready, as you'll very likely be navigating big emotions with the children (exhilaration for the new, grief for the old) depending on how sensitive they are to such things. For us it helped to build adventure and exploration into family life, such as finding new places to swim or hike in good weather. Packing a picnic has now become something I could do blindfolded, a totally new thing for us since coming to Australia.
Also, starting afresh like this is a great chance to shake any undesirable habits out of the routine (for instance, we managed to transition completely away from tablet use through our moving) and start trying new things we didn't have a chance to explore before (bikes, scooters, drama classes.. hooray for FB marketplace).
One big transition I had to make personally was going from not driving for 10 years to ferrying around 2 kids in an SUV. It took months to get used to driving on my own but having a car was really the most practical way to get to homeschool meetups/ groceries/ library in our new situation. I don't know if this applies to you as well but I imagine it will be quite a bit leap from London where public transport is the norm to America where enormous Dodge Rams rule the highways!
I am really looking forward to all your reflections about making the move and we are all cheering you on from Substack 🌞
Fun! I look forward to reading about your adventures. A few things off the top of my head-
Friends with something like 6 kids fly internationally to visit family. Dad gives each kid $20 to spend at airport/ plane, no whining, buy whatever you want, food or kitsch but that’s all you’re getting.
Others do a special snack bag where kids are allowed to pick out unusual stuff at grocery store- even expensive stuff is cheap compared to US airports. (This is a key difference when you fly: UK airports have normal pricing on things or even sales sometimes. US airports have tripled the price on everything.)
If anyone gets travel sick, the wristbands do a decent job of keeping it at bay.
I loved living in Virginia, esp Old Town Alexandria which has European vibes. DC is not London though and the museums are lovely but it is not safe in the same way London is. Same for public transport. Of course every family is different but I think it’s probably more challenging to do to “free range” kid stuff in DC proper than in London- will be curious to hear how you find it!
That's so exciting! What a fun new chapter of life for your family. Although I don't have traveling abroad tips to provide, I do live just a couple of hours from DC and we take day trips down quite often...the Smithsonian museums are amazing (and mostly free!) and there's just so much beauty in the city. My kids love days when we explore the nooks and crannies around the National Mall. As far as getting started with your homeschool year, just give yourself grace that this season will look differently than previous ones. I'm curious to hear what you have to say about homeschooling in the US vs. UK ; ) Every state is different but feel free to reach out if you have any questions about legal requirements. Safe travels!
Welcome to Virginia! I’m a little south of you but it’s a cool little state.
Ok I am very late to the party news but how exciting!! I can't wait to hear how you settle in. Please add me to the list of people to text for any questions & help while here. I've always wanted to visit Monticello--I think that will be quite close? Let me know if you want to visit VT!
We want to visit everywhere!! We are having a great time, aside from the not inconsiderable challenges of living in a hotel room and trying to find somewhere to live FAST! This afternoon I realised that I want a nice knowledgeable American friend to tell me what to buy in the supermarket. All your laundry detergents are different, for example! How do I know which to buy?! And where can the children buy their beloved Lego magazines, which in the UK are all over the place but here we haven’t seen a single one since we landed. I’m amazed at how different things are given that we all speak the same language!
I can so relate to the decision exhaustion and have lived stateside my whole life! I like shopping at Costco for many things because there are way fewer choices. Otherwise I buy whatever has the least amount of added crap (aka, free and clear detergent, natural pb). You probably have a refill store nearby, which will fill refillable containers with household products from their bulk supply, typically has fewer choices and better prices for the environmentally friendly products.
Those Lego magazines sound quite fun! Never knew that existed! A board games or niche hobby store might import them?
Were I few hours north, I’d totally volunteer!
One of my favorite activities when visiting a different country or even region of the US is to go to supermarkets. You can learn so much about a culture from the mundane, but I can imagine how overwhelming it is trying to set up house.
For the Lego magazines, your best bet might be a chain bookstore like Barnes & Noble, unfortunately. They tend to carry magazines that no one else does, especially for the littles.
Ok we're definitely going to need a post about these purported lego magazines! Haha. Have you put out a 411 to all husband's new contacts that you're looking for housing? Also I think you should post on Well Trained Mind's community board as VA is their area. https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/forum/31-the-chat-board/
Tide for laundry. Crest toothpaste. Clorox bleach. Clorox multi surface cleaner. Scrub free bathroom cleaner. Heinz ketchup. Helmanns mayonnaise. Jiffy peanut butter. Jam at the farmers market. Dial bar soap. Milk is weird here so I’ve landed on Horizon organic milk. Buy country eggs at the farmers market. Mt Olive pickle products.
I use Tide Free and Clear. It got the top rating from Wirecutter, I believe.
You might try a Barnes and Noble for the Lego Magazines?—they have an extensive newsstand section.
Tide is what seems to be the number 1 brand advertised here in the states, but we use whatever free and clear detergent is cheapest and have never had any problems!
I'm not sure what Lego magazines look like for you, but here you can sign up to get a quarterly lego magazine for free on the lego website (I don't know if it's the same as your kids are used to though!)
What is a Lego magazine?
Is comic the word I’m looking for? They cost around £4-9 and come with a mini figure or two, and have stories and games etc inside. I loathe them but my children love them, and in the UK they’re in every supermarket, train station, news agent, corner shop etc. If they don’t sell them here we’re going to have to get the grandparents to stock up and bring them over!
I have never seen such a thing
:-0
Hi Catherine! We’re well versed in both overseas moves with kids and the Virginia side of DC. We recently moved from Alexandria, VA to Spain. If you send me a chat I can connect you with other homeschooling families in Alexandria and Arlington or just give you neighborhood recommendations if you need any!
Hi there! I follow your husband's Substack and used to work at Mercatus. I was also homeschooled, and plan on homeschooling (no kids yet though), so I had to give you a follow too. :)
I worked remotely, but traveled to Arlington regularly. Home is eastern North Carolina. You'll have loads to do locally in and around DC, but Virginia and the surrounding states offer fabulous historic sites for homeschoolers as well. Colonial Williamsburg, Biltmore Estate, Jamestown, Monticello, etc. Check websites for special homeschool days.
The North Carolina coast is a popular travel destination for Virginians because our beaches are better. 😅 There are historical sites along the coast and a good aquarium as well.
The Appalachian Mountains are the oldest range in the world. Lots for homeschoolers to explore there!
For some very American fun, King's Dominion and Busch Gardens theme parks are both in the Williamsburg area.
Best of luck with the big move!!!
P.S.
You can't get an apartment quickly and easily everywhere in the US, but Arlington will not be a problem. No spiraling hotel bills! Promise!
This is wonderful news! Each state has different requirements, so I am pasting the link for you to access Virginia’s requirements. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/parents-students/for-parents/home-instruction#. I homeschooled kindergarten to 12th and we traveled throughout that period. It sounds as if your children will do fine. Treat the travel itself as part of their education!
Ah what an exciting adventure lies ahead of you Catherine! We are currently travelling (road tripping) and we purchased an MP3 player for our eldest so she could listen to audiobooks whilst we spend long days travelling. It's been great in that it's kept her entertained without need for a screen. Happy travels ahead!
Headphones! We use old smartphones for the kids to listen to downloaded books on the Libby app while traveling.
gorsun Premium A66 Kids... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NKRXT9Y?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
We have had a lot of moves and a lot of upheaval in our years of homeschooling, and I truly don't think you need to worry. I think the social emotional learning of traveling, frustration tolerance, emotional capacity etc... really does transfer over in ways we can't appreciate while we're in it and it feels like we're doing "nothing". I would say there's absolutely no shame in taking time completely off if necessary, but if you do better with some routine, then our go-to triad of "minimum school" is usually Bible, handwriting, and math. Then we always have books around -- this is one of the harder parts of moving, so sometimes we'll end up using more nature documentaries and such to fill in time as things are truly boxed up and inaccessible. The last 10 percent of the items to be packed always feel like they take the longest and it's actually interminable.
One of the blessings of frequent moves and a small house is that I've realized how little "stuff" you need to homeschool. Mostly you need a lot of books, or a good library.
I agree wholeheartedly with Ruth's assessment that finding ways to resource yourself to be able to handle the inevitable and appropriate emotions of a really big change is key. If you can give yourself a lot of grace, this trickles down to the kids and helps a lot. We actually found a few homeopathic remedies to be helpful with the emotional component of moving, but I would expect about 6 months of big feelings and then for things to feel less bumpy. Any visits from home/reminders from home will re-intensify feelings. I think that letting your kids have their feelings and not rushing into bright-siding them is helpful. It's a hard balance between validating what they've lost and helping them see the new things they've gained.
I found it helpful to get more involved than I was comfortable with -- I was very fortunate to have a sort of "in" in the local community, and if you have a friend who's one of those brilliant extroverts who connect people to other people then just show up to all the things you're invited to for a bit, and then as you settle in you can dial back. I am glad that we pushed as hard as we did to just try things and meet people, even though it was hard (granted, there is a large military community here, so the pace of "get to know you" might be different, but I masqueraded as an extrovert for a whole year, am exhausted, but also have people I feel comfortable calling friends)
My husband and I moved to DC metro when our oldest wasn’t yet 2. If you can store all your stuff, we found renting a furnished AirBNB month to month was way more economical than a hotel while we hunted for a rental house. We all had to share a bedroom so we stayed motivated. I don’t love the DC metro but plenty of people make a mix of busses and trains work for them. They just finished construction on the line down to Alexandria so at least that’s done. In my experience (5 years old now) usually street parking could be found everywhere if you don’t mind a bit of a walk. Car is the best for zoo trips. If you don’t do the membership for parking access street parking is affordable. DC was very cool for a couple years but the culture is very transient and we personally didn’t like the idea of staying long term. But it’s absolutely a great opportunity and no doubt you’ll make the most of it.
I’ve also heard that kids feel better with moves if they have one or two familiar things they can always have with them: their pillows, a teddy, a framed photo, etc- something that makes a place “home” even when it’s not.