Launching Teens into the Real World: College, Gap Years & Everything In Between

Sponsored by RV Roofing Solutions

Preparing to launch your teen? Join the conversation in our Facebook community and share your experiences using #LTRVLaunch.

You've spent years traveling together as a family. You’ve educated your kids on the road and built that life that busts outside the traditional boxes. Congratulations! But now your teen is approaching 18, and you’re suddenly all asking: What's next? College? Trade school? Are they even ready to move out? Did they learn everything they needed to launch out on their own? And are you ready to hit that road without them?

Watching your adult children leave the nest can be hard for any parent anywhere. But for RVing families, launching teens into grown-up life comes with unique challenges, like no permanent address to serve as anchor, no traditional diploma for their next steps, and less work experience. And that cozy family dynamic you've built in 300 square feet? It's about to shift in ways nobody can be prepared for.

Listen. There's no single right way to launch your kids into this world, and the path that worked for your friends and family might be completely wrong for you. And that’s really okay.

What This Episode Is About

In this episode of Learn To RV: The Podcast, Jennifer, Jenn, and Tasha tackle one of the toughest transitions all families face: helping teens become independent adults. Jennifer shares her firsthand experience launching her four oldest kids — including one who moved out after hiding a packed bag in the closet. And we have heart-to-heart conversations with real RV moms who've navigated everything from workamping opportunities to correspondence courses. These are real stories from families who've been right where you are now.

Kirsten McCormick of Teen Connect Adventures tells us why she believes independent travel experiences are the answer. She thinks these opportunities can help teens build the confidence they need to transition into adulthood. Jenn also talks to Alisha Deschene, a mom who launched five kids while RVing. She reveals what she’d do differently if she had another go-round and what she learned about flexibility along the way.

We are not pushing a specific path. But we are hoping we can provide some solutions you might not have considered, like gap years and trade schools that can help kids avoid that massive young-adult debt. Because — and just hear me out, here — sometimes the best preparation for adulthood doesn't have to involve a four-year university. At all. And that’s coming from someone who has one. (And the lifelong national student aid debt that goes with it.)

This episode is essential listening if you're:

• The parent of a teen nearing graduation
• Worried how homeschooling transcripts translate to college admissions
• Asking if your teen is ready to launch or needs more time
• Feeling pressured to follow paths that don't align with your values
• Trying to help your RVing kids build independence
• Thinking workamping could be a launching pad
• Sure traditional college doesn’t fit your teen
• Navigating the emotions of feeling like you’re deserting your kids by getting back on the road
• Needing reassurance from parents who've done this
• Not sure you've done enough to prepare your kids for the real world

What You'll Learn

Your teens aren’t the only ones embarking on a new adventure. You both have things to learn, and we want to help. So listen to this episode and discover how different families approach completing education under different state requirements. Learn why some teens thrive with correspondence courses while others benefit from dual enrollment programs that let them earn associate degrees before turning 18.

We break down the concept of boomerang kids and why Jennifer's daughter's second launch was way more successful than her first. You’ll understand why financial conversations are so important to have earlier and how workamping can help your teens build nest eggs while developing real-world skills.

We present practical, but unexpected paths that help your family think outside the box. You’ll meet an animator who dropped out of community college for specialized training. We’ll talk about the young adult who afforded his first home at 22 by working for the railroad. And we’ll introduce the teen whose summer camp transformation helped her blossom from intensely shy to owning every room she enters with confidence.

Learn about some sticky logistics, too. How do you handle mail without a permanent address? What happens when your teen wants to stay put but you want to keep moving? And is there more value in trade schools over four-year degrees now?

Ready to Dive Deeper?

We’re exploring the emotional terrain of launching teens, and that means there may not be a dry eye in the room when we’re done. Jennifer shares why she worries more about her adult children than she ever did when they were little. Tasha talks about how worried she is about sending her kid off to a workamping assignment alone without a car. And you'll discover what Jennifer, Rosewood, and Theo learned in Celebration, Florida: that Disney program recruiting young adults might be perfect for some families but is definitely not practical or right for all.

We also break down some of our favorite youth experience programs — the ones we trust with our own teens, like Traveling with a Purpose, which offers them philanthropic international travel experiences. Hear why Kirsten believes independent travel experiences are developmentally essential for teenagers and how Teen Connect Adventures creates safe environments where they can spread their wings.

Not every kid launches successfully on their first try. Honestly, the only thing you have to do is stay flexible and love them through it. After this episode you'll understand that launching isn't a single event but a process, a collection of moments that look differently for every family. And part of learning to RV is learning to help your kids launch into the life they want and dream of.

Where to Listen and How to Connect

As always, you can hear this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform. But different from usual? We’ve got a super fancy special for you this week!

YOU CAN CATCH THE FULL, UNEDITED INTERVIEW WITH KIRSTEN and learn all about Teen Connect Adventures! All you have to do is join our Patreon Campfire Crew FREE community. It’s absolutely FREE to join. And the full interview is available to all subscribers FREE. That’s right! Our free subscriber community and our three paid subscriber tiers all have access to the interview for FREE. Did we mention IT’S FREE? Paid members also get bonus episodes and other full interviews, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and Campfire Crew merch, depending on their membership level. But today? We’re all getting the goods FREE. (And to be clear: the goods = Kirsten’s unedited interview. FREE.)

When you’re done listening to Kirsten’s super rad, FREE full interview, continue the launch conversation in our Roadschooling Resources group, a private Facebook community where you can ask questions and share stories safely and anonymously, if you prefer. Share your experience with #LTRVLaunch so you can connect with other parents who are navigating this transition.

You can also find more resources about full-time RV living with families, education on the road, and building independence at learntorv.com and learntorvthepodcast.com.

The Real Message

Launching teens into the real world isn’t a formula. It requires hearing and respecting your kid’s dreams, and realizing that by the time they launch, those dreams might look completely different. And you know what? If they do, that's okay. Success looks different for every kid. Some launch and soar, and some come back home, regroup, and try again. What really matters is continuing to be a safe place. The place where, even when they fall, they know they can return to gather courage and the pep talk they need to learn from their mistakes, get back out there, and navigate this new era of life with finesse.

Remember that 18 is not a magic number demanding or requiring immediate independence. Whether your teen pursues a four-year degree, learns a trade, takes a gap year to workcamp, or finds their path through trial and error, what matters most is that they feel supported.

As Jennifer learned, you'll probably worry more about your adult kids learning to soar than you ever did when they were learning to walk. But when they succeed, they’ll be ready to take on the world. And the years you've spent teaching them to navigate challenges, adapt to change, and build community have already given them the most important tools they need.

So, take a deep breath. Talk with your kid about expectations and finances. Think outside the box. And remember that there's no one right way to launch. There's only the right way for your teen, your family, and this specific moment in the journey.

Sponsored by RV Roofing Solutions

While you're preparing your teens for their next adventure, make sure your home on wheels is protected for yours. RV Roofing Solutions provides thorough inspections and complete roof replacements so you can travel confidently, whether your whole family is still on board or you're beginning a new chapter. Their experienced technicians understand life on the road and come to you nationwide so your journey doesn’t go off-course. Visit rvroofingsolutions.com to schedule your roof inspection. When your roof's protected, you can focus on supporting your teens through one of life's most significant transitions.

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