There is a common misconception that digital nomads are young, single people who can pick up and move at a moment’s notice. However, this lifestyle is not just for the young and unattached – it can be done with a family in tow! Becoming a digital nomad with a family has never been easier thanks to the rise of remote work and online education. In fact, 61% of digital nomads are married, and the average age for digital nomads is 32! What was once seen as reckless and ill-advised has become an ideal way of life for millions worldwide.
Here is everything you need to know about becoming a digital nomad with a family.
What is a digital nomad family?
A digital family is a family who travels together while working remotely. This can mean living in different countries or even just moving around within your own country. The key is that everyone in the family can work online and have a flexible lifestyle.
Why become a digital nomad with a family?
Living a nomadic lifestyle has plenty of advantages, especially when you have young children.
Here are some of the most significant advantages of living remotely for parents and children.
Advantages of being nomadic parents
- Being able to work from anywhere in the world
- Having a flexible schedule
- Being able to spend more time with your family
- Being fully self-employed
- Still being able to experience new things and places
- Increases family connection tremendously
Remember, just because you have children does not mean you must stop traveling and pursuing the things you are passionate about!
Advantages of being nomadic kids
- Being able to see different parts of the world
- Learning from cultural experiences instead of classrooms and textbooks
- Increase a child’s maturity and give them perspective on life
- Traveling is fun and an adventure!
- Making new friends from all over the globe
Challenges of being a digital nomad with a family
While there are countless benefits for nomadic families, there are challenges. Here are some of the most common difficulties with raising kids while location-independent.
Childcare
The biggest challenge for many parents is finding affordable and quality childcare while they work. This can be difficult in any country, but it can be especially challenging in unfamiliar or remote areas.
Childcare options for digital nomad families
While finding affordable and quality childcare can be a challenge for digital nomad families, a few solutions can make it easier.
Here are some of the best options for childcare for digital nomad families:
Find a local babysitter
Finding a local babysitter is an excellent option for families looking for affordable and quality childcare. You can usually find babysitters through word-of-mouth or by searching online.
Here are some great resources for landing childcare to make your life easier.
Babysitting websites
- Great Aupair – Aupair options worldwide
- Silly.co – This is one of the largest babysitting websites worldwide
- Maypop – Another global babysitting community
Join babysitting Facebook groups and communities
Joining a babysitting Facebook group or community is a great way to connect with other families looking for childcare. This can be an excellent resource for finding local babysitters as well as getting advice and tips from other parents.
Here are some examples of babysitting Facebook groups:
Nanny in Belgium – 337 members in this group
Chiang Mai Babysitters – This is an example of a location-specific Facebook group
Maintaining a sense of community
Another difficulty that digital nomad families face is maintaining a sense of community for their children. It can be challenging for kids to make friends when constantly moving around, and they may feel isolated from other children their age.
One way to combat this is by finding other digital nomad families in your area or even connecting with them online.
Best way to build a sense of community for kids and parents
Having a sense of community is essential for both kids and parents. Maintaining a sense of community can be challenging when you are constantly moving around, but there are a few ways to make it work. This is essential to maintaining your children’s emotional well-being while enjoying the digital nomad lifestyle.
Here are some of the best ways to build a sense of community for your digital nomad family:
- Nomad Together – Nomad together is a community of digital nomad families. They have regular meetups and events in different locations around the world. This is an excellent way for your children to meet other kids.
- Unsettled – Unsettled is a co-living community for digital nomads. They offer month-long stays in different locations around the world. Nomadic families Facebook group – This is great for connecting with other digital nomad families.
- Nomad list – Nomadlist is possibly the world’s most extensive digital nomad community. They have a forum where you can connect with other nomads and offer coworking spaces in different locations.
Ensuring the kids get quality education
When you are living a nomadic life, getting a formal education for the kids can be difficult. While many online education options are available, ensuring that the kids get a quality education is still vital.
Here are some of the top ways to get a quality education for your kids while living the digital nomad lifestyle:
World schooling
World schooling is a type of education where children learn through travel and experience. This is an excellent option for digital nomad families who want to give their kids an education that is not tied to one location.
For example, instead of your kids learning about history from a textbook, world schooling would involve you bringing them to historic places and teaching them about it in person.
There are also online guides and curriculums for world schooling in different locations.
How to start world schooling?
Here are some of the best ways to start world schooling your children:
Facebook groups
Facebook groups are a great way to connect with other families world-schooling their children, and this can be a great resource for finding information and support.
Here are some of the best Facebook groups for world schooling:
- Worldschooling Central – A Family Travel Community – Education with Travel
- World school and house swap
- Project world school
Here are some additional resources for world schooling: Ultimate Worldschooling Ideas, Tips, Destinations, and Resources
Homeschooling
Homeschooling is another great option for digital nomad families. This allows you to tailor the education to your children’s needs and interests. Many homeschooling options are available, so you can find one that works best for your family.
Some of the most popular homeschooling curriculums are:
Abeka Academy: Abeka Academy is a Christian homeschooling program that offers an accredited curriculum.
K12 International Academy: K12 International Academy is an online public school that serves students in grades K-12.
ECOLE (The Education Cooperative Online Learning Experience) – ECOLE is an online homeschooling program that uses a mix of video conferencing, discussion boards, and independent work.
Earning a full-time income remotely
For many families, the biggest challenge is earning a full-time income remotely, and this can be difficult for parents who are used to working in an office or for those who have never worked online before. Fortunately, there are many ways for nomads to make money online that can help support their families.
Here are some of the best ways to make money online as a digital nomad:
Freelance writing
Freelance writing is one of the most popular ways for nomads to make money online. This can be a great way to earn an income while still having the flexibility to travel. There are many websites and online platforms that allow you to find writing gigs, such as:
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Contently
- Problogger Job Board
- Blogging
Also, one of the most significant advantages of freelance writing is combining writing with artificial intelligence tools, such as Nomadly.ai.
AI writing software can allow you to write thousands of words in seconds.
If you want full training on how you can earn hundreds of dollars per day through AI writing, check out this link here
How to earn six figures as an AI writer.
Blogging
When done correctly and with AI writing, blogging can be a great way to make enough money online to support your family. There are many ways to monetize a blog, such as through advertising, affiliate marketing, and selling products or services.
Ecommerce
Starting an eCommerce business is another excellent way to make money online as a digital nomad. This can be done through platforms such as Shopify or Amazon. You can also dropship products, which means you don’t have to carry any inventory.
For more working online ideas and digital nomad jobs, check out this article here:
114 ways to become a full-time digital nomad.
Finding high-quality WIFI and working space
One of the most difficult challenges for digital nomads is finding high-quality WIFI and working space. This can be especially difficult in remote areas or countries with poor internet infrastructure. Here are some of the top ways for you to work remotely with a digital nomad family:
Coworking spaces
Coworking spaces are becoming increasingly popular and can be a great way to find WIFI and working space. Many coworking spaces have day passes or monthly memberships that you can use and have a strong internet connection.
Here are some coworking space examples:
- Avilla – This is by far our favorite coworking space in Portugal. The Avilla team is incredibly friendly and welcoming, the space is beautiful, and the WIFI is always fast.
- The Hub – The Hub has coworking spaces in many cities worldwide. They have a great community of digital nomads and offer various membership options.
- WeWork – WeWork is a global coworking space company located in major cities worldwide.
Finding accommodation as remote workers
Finding accommodation can be one of the most difficult challenges for digital nomads. This is because many landlords and property managers are not familiar with the concept of remote work.
Here are some tips for finding accommodation as a digital nomad:
- Stay with extended family – A great way to combat this is to stay with extended family when overseas. This can lead to family time that most families never get to experience. Whether staying in a guest house or a bedroom, this is a great way to get quality time and avoid the high cost of living in an expensive city.
- Rent an apartment with other digital nomads – Another way to find accommodation is to rent an apartment with other digital nomads. This can be done through websites such as Airbnb or Couchsurfing. Not only will this save you money, but it can also lead to some great friendships.
- Look for long-term stays in hostels – Hostels are an excellent option for digital nomads looking for long-term stays. Many hostels will offer discounts for those staying longer than a week or month. This can be a great way to save money and meet other digital nomads.
- Stay in a co-living space – Co-living is a new trend growing in popularity among digital nomads. Co-living spaces are when you combine a coworking space with a hostel. This means you can live and work from the same building. This is an excellent option for living as a digital nomad while saving money.
What are the best countries for a nomadic family lifestyle?
As a digital nomad with a family, one of the best things you can do is to find high-quality WIFI and working space. This can be difficult in remote areas or countries with poor internet infrastructure. However, coworking spaces are becoming increasingly popular and can be a great way to find WIFI and working space.
Here are some considerations before choosing a location to live life as a digital nomad family:
- Security – Since you are traveling with kids, safety is going to be a top priority. Do your research on the crime rates in different areas and make sure you feel comfortable with the level of safety.
- Cost of living – Another important consideration is the cost of living in different countries. Make sure you have a budget and know how much things will cost in each country.
- Quality of life – When traveling with kids, you want to ensure they are happy and have a good quality of life. Do your research on the schools, childcare, and activities available in each country.
- Infrastructure – As mentioned before, poor internet infrastructure can be a big challenge for digital nomads. Make sure you know the internet situation in each country and if any areas have good WIFI.
While there are many countries to choose from, here is a list of our top family-friendly countries to start your digital nomad experience:
- Portugal – Portugal is a great country for digital nomads with families. The cost of living is reasonable, the quality of life is high, and many coworking spaces are available.
- Costa Rica – Costa Rica not only has beautiful beaches, but it is also a great place to live as a digital nomad family. The cost of living is reasonable and there are many activities for kids.
- Thailand – Thailand is a popular destination for digital nomads and an excellent place for families. The cost of living is low, the quality of life is high, and many coworking spaces are available.
One of the best parts about being location independent is working in different countries for a few months at a time. For other recommendations on the top places for digital nomads in 2023, check out this blog post:
9 best destinations for digital nomads
Tips and tricks for digital nomad parents
Here is a list of additional resources, tips, and tricks when living a digital nomad life with kids.
Health and wellness
If you are looking for a great way to get your kids involved in fitness, nomad mobile fitness is a great option! The nomad mobile fitness club is a members-only club for digital nomads. They offer a variety of resources, including an online forum, meetups, and a directory of family-friendly places.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is critical when living in a foreign country, especially with a family. Make sure you are familiar with the coverage and that it meets your needs.
Health Insurance
Health insurance is essential when raising kids as a digital nomad. Make sure you have a good health insurance plan that covers your family.
Working and traveling visas
During the travel planning, you want to ensure you have the correct visas for your family. Each country has different requirements, so do your research in advance.
How digital nomads travel with a family
Traveling solo can be challenging but even more complicated once kids are added to the mix. Make sure you plan thoroughly and take into consideration the needs of everyone in your family.
Becoming a digital nomad family can be a life-changing experience and be the road trip of a lifetime and a chance to bond and connect with your family in ways you never thought possible.
If you are considering making the jump to becoming a digital nomad family, we hope this article has given you some helpful tips and tricks to make the transition smoother. And as always, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!
We would be happy to help!
