There are many reasons why people choose not to have children, although the cost of raising them as the largest. Another big factor is the fear that children will disrupt the perfect fire style. Many imagine a life of travel around the world, indulgence in amazing food, and live automatically – things that can feel more challenge with children in clouds.
I understand this perspective. I grew up while living in six countries before the college, I studied abroad for six months, and I spent 13 years working in international stocks. Travel was a large part of my life. My approach was to achieve financial independence as quickly as possible and then having children.
As one of the oldest parents, I feel relatively safe, as I had more time to save and invest. However, I wish I had children earlier in 39 and 42, given the amount of energy it takes to raise them. The younger start meant more of their years later in life.
To prepare for stability, my wife and I, 2012-2017, travel to about 20 countries before having our first child. We wanted to get these travel experiences out of our system so that we can embrace parents at home during their early years. By the time our son arrived, we were more than the constant desire to jump on aircraft or ships, so our plan has done.
This mentality helped us focus on raising our children without feeling afraid of losing it – especially during the first two years of the epidemic.
Don’t be afraid to have children if you want to shoot
After eight years of paternity and motherhood, he realized that delaying the children’s children is Bad idea If you really want them. Children will not hinder your fire lifestyle as much as you may think that they have already have more flexibility than you expect.
In addition, as you get old, your desire to travel and party parties naturally decrease. Instead, you may find yourself enjoying the simple pleasures to read a good personal financing book in bed or request eating abroad while watching your favorite offer. Take, for example, my last trips.
Just two weeks after spending five nights in Palisades, Lake Tahoe, we went back to stay for another for four nights. With my children from school for nine days between 15-23 February, I believed that we should benefit from it on another trip.
Since we are excited about the broken personal financing that I am, we planned to visit us strategically – in driving on Monday, February 17, and to leave on Friday, February 21. In this way, we can rent our place on the weekend before and after the rental revenue. For 3.5 hours by car in each direction, we found that four to five nights are the sweet place. In addition, the weekend rates are peak rates, and we prefer a fewer crowds on the mountain anyway.
A lot of school holiday holidays!
While driving, I could only think: Dang, these children are really lucky – a lot of holidays! It seems to be more trips than she did as a child. It seems as if education has taken the back seat to increase freedom at an early age.
Once we arrived, I decided to verify the evaluation of school holidays. Certainly, there 46 holidays/days outside During the school year – it does not include 2.5 months in the summer. When you are treated on weekends wrapped around this comfort, we look at 4.5 months of free time per year!
Throughout these days you feel like the beginning of the quiet smoking movement, but for school. Does anyone else feel that the number of school holiday days reaches high levels of ever?
The perfect amount of time to spend travel every year
Before his retirement in 2012, I imagined that the perfect time to travel when the fire was about three months a year. I have already spent six weeks a year in the last two years of my career. My plan was simple:
- One month in Hawaii To spend more time with my father.
- One month in Lake Tahoe to get the most skiing as possible.
- One month in traveling internationally, he visits at least two languages.
For several years, I held this plan, and sometimes my flights extend to 3.5 months a year. But in the end, I am tired of everything. Although I am not at this stage again, I remember how frequent travel could be exhausted as I was driving my car to Lake Tahoe.
As much as I enjoy the experience of new places, I came to estimate the balance between adventure and survival. Although three months a year may have been the beautiful place in front of the children, I am now review What is the perfect amount.
It usually means vacation for children more work for parents
Although vacations are enjoyable for children, they often need more effort from parents or those who choose to spend a vacation instead of sending their children to mini -camps or day care. The higher the number of school that breaks your child, the greater the energy you will need to devote paternity and motherhood.
However, this additional time together is a gift – especially if your children are less than 12 years old. At this stage, all they want is to spend the largest time with the family. One of the best privileges for fire is the flexibility to enjoy every school break with them.
However, if you are one of the parents that settled in a routine where the traditional school works as a virtual structure for your children, you may feel more tired during the extended holidays. We are used to our habits, and it is paradoxes, that lack of having to the house made us softer.
Besides paternity and motherhood, most of the parents who I know have personal emotions they like to follow. For me, she is writing on financial samurai and creating a new personal financing book every three years.
To be more present on vacation, I enjoyed writing and scheduling three posts. Inevitably, new publishing ideas – such as one – were put in my head, so I had to write and publish them. In addition, I enjoy engaging in the reader’s comments and email messages. So when I am on vacation, it never represents a full break.
Three months of travel per year more than enough
Traveling alone or with your partner is completely different from traveling with young children. If you are alone, I will throw everything in a backpack and go. But with children, our SUVs are filled with specific foods, clothes, stuffed animals, puzzles, games, and more. And if we fly, the luggage that was examined is inevitable. Thank God, we have crossed the seat stage in the vehicle and the car seat.
Since traveling with children requires more effort, the original travel goal for three months per year feels more than enough. In reality, Eight weeks a year of travel may be many with children. Even if children can travel 365 days a year, none of us will not want to do so. Children, in particular, have the comfort of their homes.
Looking forward, March has a four -day school break, followed by the weekend for three days. Do we really want to return to Tahoe just two weeks? maybe. The presence of the skiing school constantly is great for development. But perhaps we will choose Sonoma/Napa Valley instead – just 1.15 hours away to change things.
Then in April, there is a nine -day break for the spring vacation. I love skiing in the spring when temperatures regularly reach the 1940s. But if the snow is very thin, we may go to Honolulu to visit my parents – if they have.
When you have the freedom to take a trip during every school break, you can feel magic. You have to plan, pack, pay, coordinate and travel. But staying at home does nothing can feel like a waste because you are free. As a result, the natural trend is planning and going because you can.
The real pleasure begins in the summer for the parents of the fire
With 46 days of school throughout the year (weekends do not count), you may feel exhausted by June, when the school comes out. But then comes 2.5 months of the summer vacation for planning!
Most parents depend on summer camps, which offer great programs – if you can secure a place. In San Francisco, the competition is fierce, and it is supposed to be the same in other big cities. If you do not land somewhere, this will take place on the parents to fill the days.
I personally run “Daddy Camp” for my children, which currently includes swimming, cycling, walking for long distances, Pokémon Go, reading and PickleBall. I also have a “responsible camp”, where I study life skills around adulthood. Topics include morals, communication skills, household business, landscapes, and property maintenance. It is fun but also a lot of work.
This summer, we plan to spend at least a month in Honolulu. If we enter the children to a local summer camp, this will be a reward-it is like winning the lottery because the external treasury is in the past row. But if not, Daddy Camp and Be Assistant Camp will continue in Honolulu. But before booking tickets, we need to lock a 30 -day rental house. Anyone has one?
You can travel enough and enjoy your freedom during the school session
At the end of the day, having children’s lifestyle does not destroy the fire – still travels a lot with them. As they get older, travel becomes more feasible. Instead of just reading the pyramids in Egypt, they will be personally. Instead of eliminating expensive meals, they will actually eat enough to justify the cost. Most importantly, you will create amazing memories together for up to 4.5 months per year.
When the school is in the session, you will regain about 40 hours a week to do everything you want. This is the time when you may face a real retirement life early again because you do not have to work. And when they leave for the college, you will have 168 free hours a week if you want it. Hang there! However, at the same time, we cherish every moment with them.
Bring children to enhance your fire style because they will give you more purpose to explore. Yes, you will be more tiring, spend more negative income, and your patience will be tested indefinitely. But the children will get the joy of financial independence and its purpose. So do not let your endeavor prevent you from having children if you want them!
The fire may not be necessary
Finally, with many flexible work arrangements available today, is early retirement necessary anymore? Many of my friends work in Meta and Google from the home on Friday and Aluminat, and they effectively turn every weekend into a haven for four days. Whether it strikes slopes or relaxing on the beach, they already have the taste of a fire style – without retirement.
Get money for vacation and travel with your children look like a double reward. As a person who did not even receive paid parental leave, I am not sure that I can give up such an advantage.
Logically, it makes sense to get travel money and spend a vacation for as long as possible. If the employer begins to tighten the reins, then you only need to intensify your efforts to ignore again.
If you are a parent of the fire, I would like to hear how children have affected your lifestyle. Have you originally changed the way you planned? Do you find yourself constantly planning adventures whenever the school comes out, or did you learn FOMO resistance and enjoy a more relaxed local lifestyle? How do you plan to spend a summer vacation with them?
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