Dear Dawn,  I wish I had the courage to take a year off with my family. But what if the kids miss something valuable and have to repeat a grade?

Dear What if,

I get it. Should you stay or should I go? Good parents always ask themselves the same question when making a decision: “Will my kids have to repeat a grade or require years of therapy as a result of my choice?” Someone wiser than I once said “Work backward from death.” Now ask yourself: “is repeating a grade the worst thing?”  Makes you put things into perspective.

Our family needed a reset button because we were headed in a direction I didn’t like, going from ‘living life large’ to becoming introverted, fearful and hesitant.  Ron and I longed for our kids to discover this wonderful world God had left us, but even more we wanted them to grow to be problem-solvers, independent, confident young men. We had high standards and knew that in life’s game of “Show and Tell,” “Show” was always better than the “Tell.”

It wasn’t easy. Being a family is never easy. But parents,  it is worth the work, worth the investment of time into our most precious treasure – our kids. We saw so much positive change in each of our boys during this adventure.   They seemed to like who they were, which is a strong foundation for life. We solved every problem — as a family.  Together we faced difficult situations, juggled emotions and bad moods, made decisions and determined direction. Everyone had a map – no GPS!

Taking a year off with your family is not for everyone. You must be prepared to become a ‘gap filler road-school teacher,’ which requires a lot of work. But learning takes on a new angle when you do life up-close and personal, as a family. Don’t let your fear of travelling to the unknown direct your steps forward. Don’t wait till your kids need to reset their priorities and principles. Do it now.

So, should you stay?  Nyet.

You should go.  DA!                    Trenton and Colton in  Russia

Great travels!  Dawn