Long distance travel for a Jewish education...advice?

Soul on fire

Thu, May 30 2019, 12:25 pm

We currently live OOT, like waay oot. In a kiruv community due to my husband's work. We need to move to a larger community for our children's sake but Hashem has us here for now. We are currently homeschooling but I don't feel as a geirus that I can give my children enough in the way of a proper Jewish education and they need to be in a school. The only options are around an hour from where we live. So....do any of you drive or bus your children that far for school? Please tell me the good and the bad.

amother

Fuchsia

Thu, May 30 2019, 12:45 pm

In my community, some kids commute an hour each way starting in upper elementary grades, and many more for high school. Most of them tolerate it, but some find it overwhelming. Even if there's a bus, be prepared to do a lot of driving if your kids are involved in extracurricular activities.

trixx

Thu, May 30 2019, 1:00 pm

I think the answer really depends on ages of kids (younger ones will fall asleep after school and may need a later bedtime but then wake up too late), temperament of kids (can they sit for so long, will they fight, do they get carsick - can they do Hmwk or review chumash in car, will story tapes/music or handheld games like Nintendo (notice I do not advocate for ipads) entertain them) and actual commute (how bad is traffic, what are the hours, what is seating arrangement in car - this makes a big deal).

You can make it work by feeding breakfast in car so everyone can wake up later and being prepared with lots of healthy snacks or essentially pre-dinner on the way home. Car stocked with a charged ipod etc for music and tapes and car friendly games. Car rules re touching each other, cleaning up garbage, and taking care of toys or materials so everything is restocked (coloring paper) or recharged for the next day.

If you'll be the one driving your kids, say goodbye to your day.

If it's a school bus, it's a whole different ballgame. It just feels different to sit for an hour in a car or on a bus.

If it's a carpooling van, throw in coordinating carpool with the other parents and the kids all getting along.

Is it doable - yes. Could it be difficult - yes. (disclaimer my commute as a kid wasn't as long)

simcha2

Thu, May 30 2019, 1:11 pm

In our not so OOT community, all the kids travel that long. Elementary, the school is only 20 minutes or so away, but the bus travels all over, and it's during rush hour.

High school, the nearest is 45 minutes away, but most kids go to schools that are at least an hour away.

amother

Lavender

Thu, May 30 2019, 1:15 pm

An hour is really doable. I know lots of people who do it.

We had a 40-60 minute drive as kids, and we listened to a lot of story tapes! You can also use that time to talk to the kids, lots of times there are less inhibitions when there is no eye contact because you are driving.

Give yourselves time to get used to the drive and the schedule, but it will be worth it.