The mum and dad have swapped the UK for a life of travelling with their kids – and they are loving every minute of it.
A mum who traded the UK for a life of travelling with her family is “giving her boys the world” instead of a conventional classroom education. Billie Van Der Walt felt a “little bit of guilt” as other parents were preparing their children for the new school term.
Last year, at 36 and 35 years old respectively, Billie and her husband Selwyn bid farewell to their home and careers to embark on an adventure with their sons, Bligh, four, and Rothko, two.
This week, instead of the usual school gate goodbye, Billie snapped a photo of Bligh sporting sunglasses and a large travel backpack. The Van Der Walt family, originally from Atherton, Greater Manchester, are currently exploring Vietnam, having already visited Abu Dhabi, South Korea, and Thailand.
“There’s a little bit of guilt at him not having the milestone of the ‘picture in uniform behind the door’ and occasionally we worry that he’s missing out but we know we’re doing the right thing – giving him the world!,” Billie told What’s The Jam.
“Bligh is actually a year or two ahead of where a school would expect him to be – which is amazing for us because all of the learning we do is child-led.
“We’ve [also] saved hundreds on uniform, equipment etc – that’s a couple of weeks living costs here in Vietnam [where we currently are]! We get to spend time together, not worrying about all the stresses of back to school.”
In her social media update, Billie also shared further reflections on her family’s unconventional lifestyle choice. She expressed her mixed emotions, saying: “Sad isn’t the right word, but I’m definitely in my feels today.”
Reflecting on their lifestyle choice, she shared: “We know we made the right decision and we’re SO lucky to be living this life… BUT there’s a small part of me that’s missed getting him his own little uniform, packing him a lunch he’ll love and giving him the biggest squeezes at the school gates.
“We know he’d smash it but he’s doing SO well and as someone pointed out to us last week, we LITERALLY are giving our boys the world, still, today’s a difficult one.
“Sending so much love to everyone waving their whole hearts away this morning as they trot through the school gates and I can’t WAIT to see all of their beautiful first day of school pics all over my feed in a couple of hours time.”
Prior to setting off on their current adventure, Billie and Selwyn encountered money troubles in Manchester, frequently battling to balance the books and cherish precious family time within weekend boundaries.
Though satisfied with life, they existed “pay cheque to pay cheque” and relied on credit cards for unexpected expenses. Selwyn’s role at a kitchen showroom demanded lengthy periods away from the family home, whilst Billie looked after their boys.
The burden of expensive nursery fees and the threat of penalties for removing their children from school during term time were amongst the pressures that drove them to seek an alternative route.
Discussing their educational approach, she said: “In terms of the kids’ education, there are a few ways to describe it, but we definitely fall under worldschooling and unschooling.
“Unschooling sometimes gets a bad rap – people think it means doing nothing. But really, it’s just learning through life.”
Billie describes their educational philosophy as blending museum visits with local experiences. While some days include reading and workbooks, others develop more organically – such as stopping to learn how drainage systems are repaired or chatting about historical events whilst exploring a monument.
She said: “People have said, ‘You’re being selfish, the kids won’t even remember it,’ or ‘You’re ruining their education and future.’ To the ones who say they won’t remember it, we always reply, ‘They won’t remember their first birthdays or Christmases either – but those moments still matter.'”.
“These experiences are shaping who they are. I was truly happy before but now it’s as if my soul feels a little lighter. I didn’t even realise how much the weather in the UK affected my mood until we left and had more sunshine.”
The family have no plans to return to their previous life in the UK, but admit they will eventually settle somewhere with more sunshine and a slower pace of life.
Yet, their next stop on their travel itinerary? China.