Rest on a yacht with children - is it possible?
Denis Korablev
  • 30.03.2020
  • 489

Rest on a yacht with children - is it possible?

For those who sailed on a yacht as a child (or even was born on board a ship), it is important to share their experience of communicating with children on cruises. There are many things parents can worry about when sailing throughout the journey, from supplying sweets and treating illnesses to safety. However, there are other, more subtle moments of becoming on the water, which are not always obvious to parents. Experienced yachtsmen 2yachts have provided some tips on how to make life happier for kids on a yacht.

Provide space for children

Lack of personal space can be a problem when a child has to huddle with you and sleep in the same cabin, which can cause irritation on this basis. Since not all yachts have separate cabins for children, it is possible to provide a child with a “private room”, for example, by hanging a curtain dividing the space into two zones (if there are two children). You can also leave children on the yacht alone for several hours, or let them walk on an island while traveling, which may be most important if the child is a teenager. It is especially important for adolescents to have a separate place so that, in moments of reflection, they can sort out their thoughts.

It is worth letting the child decorate the cabin and decorate the space in the same way as other children do in their rooms at home, even though it can sometimes be difficult to find such a space on a yacht. It is important for a child to have boxes with their toys, finds and crafts, as well as memories in the form of pictures they painted, photographs hung on the walls, etc. In short, everything that children themselves wish to do to master the space and create home comfort (within reasonable limits, of course) in the nursery.

Let the child feel free

Living in a confined space with children can quickly make your life miserable if not properly prepared for a work pastime. You need to make sure that you allow the children to walk freely in a place where you will not worry about them. You need to let your child manage the yacht - let this be an expression of your trust. If the child is old enough, can be allowed to be in charge of launching, lifting and steering the boat, in water areas it is almost the same as driving a car or a bicycle. Some even buy two yachts - for themselves and for a child. This decision is correct if the children have been on the yacht long enough, because this is how they feel independent. The teenager will not feel obligated to report to their parents all the time.

It is necessary to encourage the creativity of children, and the very status of children does not give them sufficient responsibility in difficult issues. By entrusting them with matters of vital importance on the water, you give them a sense of command and even some importance. Thus, children can even be trusted to keep watch on night crossings. These responsibilities will help them mature and feel proud of their actions on board. Children will feel freedom, independence and the importance of fulfilling family obligations and responsibility for the boat while you sleep.

Do not burden them with studies, and during the period of study you will have some difficulties in relations with children, because you will face a situation where you have to simultaneously play the role of both teacher and parent. Of course, you should not give them complete freedom, but forcing them to study all day will also be ineffective. Children should know the amount of housework, and if the child is able to complete the task in a couple of hours, and not in half a day, then let him do it. It is also worth remembering that the opinion of child psychologists is that parents should not meddle in a child's education until he asks them about it.

Create conditions for entertainment

Modern children are immersed in the Internet to pass the time. However, most young sailors do not find this acceptable. During times when you are not interested in exploring new places or looking for ways to somehow diversify the time when the ship is moored, you can heed a few tips:

  • You should take some books and games with you on the voyage (preferably board games), and provide the children with space to store them so as not to take up extra space in the cabin.
  • The number of films should be even higher, since the Internet is not a very reliable area: a child watches films and cartoons much more often than he does anything else. It is worth to come up with your own movie evening ceremony: movies by genre on certain days, or some special types of food (crackers, chips, etc.) that everyone loves to gnaw while watching themed films.
  • As far as music is concerned, it is simply a must on the water, and many find an emotional outlet in this. In this regard, when choosing boat for rent, be sure to pay attention to the presence of an audio system in it. High-quality music must be available either on a smartphone or on an iPod, it is also worth buying more headphones, because in this way children take their souls away and escape reality. Music can be used to turn many of the daily activities on board into a fun pastime.
  • Do not leave children alone, allowing them to maintain contact with other children. For parents and children alike, this is one of the most annoying moments of life on the water. Alone is difficult for a child, especially when the child is alone, and sometimes it is worth diluting it with the presence of other children. However, yachts with children at sea are rare, and finding a boat with children on board along the way can be even more difficult. To everyone's joy, the child has ways to make friends on the sea voyage and stay in touch with them when you go out on the water.
  • You should take care to find a boat with children on board. There are several ways you can do this, and one of the most effective is through SSB or VHF radio. Contact other boaters to find out where in the area of your trip you can find a boat with children.
  • There are many cruise children's websites, groups and Facebook pages on the Internet. Yachtsmen connect with each other through YouTube video storage, Instagram and other resources. There are such places - such as, for example, the capital of Guyana - Georgetown, or the Caribbean Islands, where families with children flock on yachts for the purpose of making acquaintances. By the way, the Caribbean is one of the most pleasant locations for leisurely sailing and life on a ship with children. It is not uncommon for parents to spend time here with their newborn children, before heading out to the busier places.
  • If a child has decided to leave school and his entire social life in his homeland to engage in navigation, it is worth providing him (albeit virtual) interaction with old friends. Often, the Internet is cut off, and cellular communication is too expensive. But there are quite a few instant messengers in which you can conduct active correspondence, spending a minimum of Internet resources, and the coverage area of mobile communications is more extensive every year. A child can sit in chats and instant messengers for hours, but it is worth leaving them alone, because friends are the most important thing they can have at this stage of development.
  • Encourage children to play with the locals, even if they don't understand the language each speaks. It doesn't matter what language they speak, but the usual game of volleyball or football, and even digging in the sand or mud, unites teenagers without words. Even if children are ashamed of something at first, encourage them to leave their comfort zones and play with their peers. As a result, it will help them become more entrepreneurial and connected in life, allow them to perceive people and the world more broadly.

Perceive your children

Of course, it is very important for children to have honest and discerning parents. Living in tight spaces with children is very difficult. It is important for you to listen to the children while doing this. Just remember that this is your child, not an alien or a stranger. Loving, appreciating good deeds and just understanding them are the most important things any parent, sailor or anyone else can do for them to ensure they have a happy childhood and help them become independent adults.