Life on a Boat!

I am amazed to see the amount of children that live on boats these days! I do wonder if most of the younger ones are not French? In any case at this marina it sure is the case!
When I was growing up on a boat, there were far less children and if there were some, it was unlikely they would be the same age! But we got buy, we played with younger and older, it did not matter!
At least not always!!

In France there has been for ages a really good correspondence schooling, but now with internet its so much easier! One of the reasons my parents did not do it for us, we met so many poeple along the way who had to wait ages for mail! My dad did not have the patience to wait for such things, especially that school was not a main focus for him!

I don't regret in the least bit (not any more that is) the life I had on a boat.
I look at the kids around and they are self sufficient, they have game with nothing and they are without a doubt VERY agile!!!
Not only hoping on and off boat, walking on a moving, swaying home but walking on a deck can be...slightly dangerous...To say the least!

Just yesterday my Little Tullula would of gone right trough the port hole and landed, somehow inside the loo, if I had of not caught her by the last leg and arm that was left on the outside!!!
Poor things...She got a huge fright! so did I...

One of my yachty neighbours said to me how good Tullula was doing to walk about the deck. She continued on to tell me that her Daughter would have her grandchild in a life vest just to be in the cockpit!!!
My neighbour also said, that really children knew their limits, but felt their parents emotions and that the mother being scared probably did not help the little girl feel comfortable on a boat!

I do believe that some children are more clumsy than others! We are all different.
Before I left on this trip I had someone ask me if I was going to put a life jacket on Tullula when on the deck?
I had not really thought of it, but went on to say that I was going to see how Tullula was going to go!
Last year when we came to visit my dad, Tullula was not a great walker, still a little clumsy on her little legs, and really we spend most of our time on land...
But this time I knew it would be different!!!

yet she is doing well...Apart from the hatch accident yesterday...I think i need to say that it might of been my fault! we were on out way to the shower ashore and she was only in Nappies, I did not want to bother getting her dresses! But she really wanted her cloths on, whimpering as she followed me! Ok, lets put some cloths on, so I stopped where I was- right next to the hatch- and got her shirt on, and her pants...Well that's when she stepped back...into the hole!

Anyway...

Stephen and I would also like to take her sailing when she is a bit older...But I wonder, is it not better to have children younger on a boat? When they adapt so much faster, when it all just becomes/is second nature?

As for now I am happy with the way our life on the boat is going!!!