Would you send your child to boarding school?

[bab]

If so, at what age would you let them go?  I know this has been discussed before, but I am curious.  What are your thoughts? 

[RoxMonster]

I guess I might send them if they were having a lot of behavioral issues and weren't doing well at school and I thought it would help. In that case, I would say I wouldn't send them until they were a teen (like maybe 16-17)? But I'm really not sure and most likely won't even have kids, so take this with a grain of salt.

[rex]

I'm considering it for when my child turns 13.

Let someone else deal with the bullshit.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Jan 20, 2013 17:04:50 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

I guess I might send them if they were having a lot of behavioral issues and weren't doing well at school and I thought it would help. In that case, I would say I wouldn't send them until they were a teen (like maybe 16-17)? But I'm really not sure and most likely won't even have kids, so take this with a grain of salt.

*snort* by the time they are 16/17 and having behavioral problems, they are heading towards military school, not just a boarding school.

[textbookcase]

No, I wouldn't.

[speckledfrog]

It's not something I'm interested in.

[speckledfrog]

Jan 20, 2013 17:06:35 GMT -5 textbookcase said:

No, I wouldn't.

Ha! 

[nk]

We don't have kids yet - but yes we've always said if they wanted to go we'd send them. My DH went to boarding school for HS and a couple of our friends have kids that board for HS. I think HS would be it though...I don't think I could send them any younger than that. Granted this is dependent on us being able to afford it. The school DH went to is about $45K/year now.

[RoxMonster]

Jan 20, 2013 17:06:31 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Jan 20, 2013 17:04:50 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

I guess I might send them if they were having a lot of behavioral issues and weren't doing well at school and I thought it would help. In that case, I would say I wouldn't send them until they were a teen (like maybe 16-17)? But I'm really not sure and most likely won't even have kids, so take this with a grain of salt.

*snort* by the time they are 16/17 and having behavioral problems, they are heading towards military school, not just a boarding school.

Like I said, 99% sure I'm not having kids, so it's not a real concern for me either way. I have many students that I teach that are that age that would most definitely benefit from it.

[Deleted]

No. I feel like 18 years at home is so short already...

[EmilieMadison]

No, I'd miss them way too much. And I hope they'd miss me way too much. They can go away and live in a dorm when they go to college.

[Deleted]

Not boarding, but day. 

My brother boarded starting at 14.  I think it's too young.  I felt my parents were neglectful to begin with and I think boarding school just encouraged it.  

You know in Dead Poets Society when Ethan Hawke gets the desk set, it was like that, sort of. 

I remember my parents got my brother a wallet for his sixteenth birthday, that was it.  I remember how sad he was about it.  

I think if a parent is good and can find a way to regularly connect with their children then maybe it would be okay.  

[Deleted]

We're considering it for high school. My brother went to boarding school in Switzerland and excelled. The program was amazing, the curriculum has made him years ahead in college, he got to travel for interesting school assignments, they had wonderful charity program all students had to participate in, and the security and teachers were outstanding.

If we can handle the expense, we'll do it.


Sent from my cream of crap.

[Deleted]

I should add my parents visited regularly as well as skyped and chatted daily.

The first couple months were hard for my mom, but after that everyone adjusted.


Sent from my cream of crap.

[janegold]

Maybe, depending on our financial circumstances, the particular child's abilities and desires, and about a million other factors.

Probably would not consider it prior to high school.

[luckyval]

I wouldn't rule it out if there were some serious behavioral or socail issues that we felt a boarding school would address. But I'm not sure it's in any kid's best interest to be separated from their parents like that before high school age

[Deleted]

Nope.


Sent from my iPhone using the crappy ProBoards app

[EmilieMadison]

Jan 20, 2013 17:22:38 GMT -5 HRH Queen Dick I, Orphan said:

No way. 

Why have children if you would be willing to send them away?

LOL! From the movie "Away We Go", when one couple buys another couple a stroller as a gift and the recipient (a hard core APer) is not happy about it because:
"I love my babies! Why would I want to PUSH them away from me?!"

[Deleted]

no. i wouldn't write it off entirely as unacceptable if an opportunity presented itself that was awesome to the max, but i wouldn't go looking for it either.

[adhdfashion]

No way. I want to raise them.

[bab]

Jan 20, 2013 17:27:08 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

No. Not just no, fuck no. I knew too many kids who went to boarding schools.

What were they like? Please elaborate, I am very curious. 

[cleo29]

My school was more than half boarding. Some were there because their parents were stationed in countries where there were no good high schools. Some went there because they wanted to and I think it was what was done in their family.

[jane6672]

No thanks.

[lostsouldancing]

I don't think I could do that. My opinion might be skewed right now because my oldest is off to kindergarten this fall and I'm having a hard time with that. Who knows in eight years, when he's a teen 

[hopecounts]

Unless there was some kind of unique circumstance (such as DD being very advanced and getting an opportunity to attend some spectacular Prep school that would improve her chances of going to an Ivy League School and her wanting to go or behavioral difficulties that might be better adressed in a residential situation) we wouldn't most likely.
Of course if it is something DD decides she really wants to do we would discuss it, but I doubt we'd agree to it in the end unless she handsome amazing argument in favor of it.

[Deleted]

Sure. Why not?

[cleo29]

Jan 20, 2013 17:53:54 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

There were some that were very nice. But almost all had issues of one sort or another. Neglectful and/or absent parents were a common denominator in almost all cases. Many were emotionally stunted and a little off, which in conversation with friends who went to boarding schools I kind of attribute to a 24/7 atmosphere of society entirely created by peers instead of adults.

Additionally, some of the kids who went to private and boarding schools the entire way through were almost shockingly ignorant of anything outside their sphere of influence. One girl was astonished, literally astonished, that my public high school didn't have an equestrian team, for example.

I will say they weren't necessarily any more prone to substance abuse or shenanigans than the public school kids; we all had about the same level of promiscuity and drug use/alcohol use history.

Tell me she did not go to my school. Was it Foxcroft?

[dfl]

I did in high school. I don't think I would send my kids to a boarding school.

[Deleted]

I wish I'd gone. I'd probably have a BETTER relationship with my parents.

They made me take the requisite tests, and then they told me I couldn't go. I was very resentful. I really wanted to leave home.

[cleo29]

Because we had an equestrian team and local to you. I would like to think most of the girls were more aware than that though.