Announcement and need support :)

[Scott & Heather]

Haven't announced this anywhere on Facebook or anything, but the bus club is pretty tight knit so just wanted to let anyone who cared, know that Heather and I are expecting our first baby October 2, 2015   those of you who have met Heather know she's a tiny cute girl and pregnancy just adds to her cuteness.

Anyway, as you know, we are bus full-timers (4 years and counting). Our coach isn't a million dollar bus but it sure is nice. In fact it's nicer than some peoples houses we visit. We have a king bed, glass shower, washer and dryer, nice leather furniture...its cushy in here. But so many people are giving us a hard time because we may continue to fulltime with a baby on board. 

We love our bus, we are used to the lifestyle, and we think we may be giving our future little one a special outlook on life. As a self employed dad, I'll be home all the time to actually see my child grow up and that means more to me than anything. The Shanks family are probably the best mentors in this endeavor as they have been successfully raising no less than 4 little ones in a bus and it's brought their family closer together. Outside of the bus community, no one can seem to think outside of the box these days. Anyway, that's my rant for the day. We find out the gender in two weeks. Tell us we aren't crazy for wanting to keep full-timing after 4 years now even with a baby coming...



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[Bill Gerrie]

Congratulations!!!! People think anyone with a bus is nuts so don't worry about what they think about raising a child in one. I'm sure you will manage just fine and your new addition will see parts of this great country that other children never will.     

[peenhead]

Congratulations on the new additions. A bus with a crib would be very cool and driving around to get the baby to sleep means more time behind the wheel. We are currently selling our house and would love to figure out a way to go full time and raise our 3 kids. Just because every one else does something doesn't mean we have to. The freedom to travel and see this great country we live is is a privilege that only a few take advantage of.

[RJ]

Scott -

Congratulations to you & Heather!!    

IMHO, you'll be giving your little one a far better education than in some government-run school somewhere.  

Most of the home-schooled kids I know are more curious, more knowledgeable, better behaved, more courteous and overall happier than a lot of the traditionally schooled kids.

Sean, Angie & the Turtlettes are great examples, as you well know.

Don't let the haters get to you - they're really just jealous!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[DKO]

Congratulations, Scott! May God bless you and your wife and baby.

Our daughter was 7 when we first traveled full time in an RV for ministry. Over the last 22 years we have spent over 13 of them traveling with our family in RVs and the last 7+ in a bus. It has been an amazing life and my daughter would not change a thing if she could.

Roll on, bro!

Davy

[eagle19952]

Congrats from Deborah and I, we love kids 

We brought my son home to a 1972 Airstream trailer he's 39 now and turned out good. 

[solodon]

And the Pilgrims were crazy for leaving England.  Those who settled our West were nuts for packing belongings in a wagon and traveling cross country for months or years and then building their lives.  Where would our great country be today if our forefathers had listened to the naysayers?  You've done it for 4 years and know what you're getting into.  Think of all the people that have kids that are single, in abusive relationships, whatever.  And then the ones that are in good relationships abut the parents are newly married and have no idea what life is like.  You've got 4 years on the road ahead of all of those.  Be proud and enjoy the new one.

[blue_goose]

Great news, I am sure you three or more will be just fine in the bus.
Jack

[gumpy]

Friends of mine have 6 kids. Up until a couple years ago, they full timed in an MC8. The kids are home schooled and are more advanced in education than most others.
There was a bit of social disadvantage, but they were seldom without any other kids to play with. How they turn out is directly related to how the parents raise
them.

[bobofthenorth]

Do what's right for you but once the kid(s) hit 4 or 5 I think its incredibly selfish to not allow them to form long term friendships which means being stationary.  Equally important is having a space of their own which isn't going to happen in 320 square feet.  The fact that other people have made it work doesn't mean its the ideal solution - it just confirms that kids are resilient.  If you really want to do what's right for the kids I think you'll start looking for a permanent location for them to grow up in sometime in the next 4 or 5 years.

Sorry for not confirming your plan but you asked.

[luvrbus]

Now you did it you just become number 3 on the pecking list, kids adjust that not a big deal,I have grand kids that were and still are taught in public schools and home school, my take go for the home schooling if any way possible even if in 320 sf bus

[Cary and Don]

I don't think it is much different than many military families.  The kids become very close to their siblings. Long term relationships are usually only a couple years long for military kids. You have five or six years to decide which is best for your family. Nobody knows what is in their future six years out.  Congratulations.

Don and Cary

[Scott & Heather]

All interesting responses. Wish there was a "like" button for these Thanks for the honest opinions. Bob, I actually really appreciate your honesty and frankness. Good stuff. I can't say we know what the next 5 years hold, I can say this, I do get homesick sometimes, so I expect at the very least, we will take the summers off and spend them in Michigan. So at some level, there will be long term relationships built. I appreciate all of the congrats too. Thanks for making us smile today. I definitely believe in a balanced view of raising kids. Definitely don't want to allow our selfishness to adversely affect our kids, but also don't want to over-cater to them either. I've seen both extremes and they are both kinda ugly.

Let me express this thought: neither my wife nor I still maintain any of the friendships we built before college...interestingly enough. Once college hit, we started building relationships that were more permanent. And post college, we are meeting new people with similar interests and at a similar stage in their lives whom we have chemistry with. Just a data point.


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[Lin]

Life in general requires some adaptability.  For now, it looks like you see no reason to change your circumstance, so there is no need to do it.  As time passes you, just like everyone else, will be constantly reevaluating things.  You will realize it and adapt if you need a change.  As Heraclitus, an old bus nut, like to say, "The only thing that is constant is change."

[Jim Eh.]

Congratulations on the coming addition to the family. Hope all will be healthy and happy. As far as home schooling goes I can't give an opinion on that as I went to public school. I do know some who were home schooled but only had brief (in the grand scheme of life) associations with them (their parents).
A friend of mine once said to me "your best friend is the one you are with". Seldom are your "best" friends your best friends through your entire life, military or not. Jobs, life conditions, economic situations all change our location and/or our lifestyle. It doesn't matter if your young one(s) are 4 or 40, their friends will probably change, stationary or mobile. It is a choice you and your wife will have to make when the time comes.
Good luck.