Boarding school

I used to beg to be sent to boarding school. No luck though ☹️

There's no way I would let anyone else bring up my child, be it a daily childminder or a full-time boarding school. What's the point of having a child if you aren't prepared to bring him/her up yourself? They end up being just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned - whoever wants that for their children (apart from people with property or titles they want to hand down)?

Yes we did send two of ours to boarding school.
It’s horses for courses, some will love it some not.

My husband went from 7 to 18, we did at least wait until 11/12.

I never had the opportunity to go to boarding school and sometimes wondered about what it would be like.A lot better education than the one I got am sure and endless clubs and sports and things to do probably.I had a happy homelife but quite restricted in some ways.

I have no doubt that a good independent school can provide a great all-round education which can indeed set a child up for life, but boarding doesn’t suit everyone. Probably your mother originally thought she would be doing the best she could for you, but then she couldn’t bear to part with you. I would be the same and obviously you were with your own children. Well done for standing up to the children’s father, and well done to him for not putting the paternal foot down.

My DH went to boarding school, always says he was happy there - not sure I believe him . I made it very clear before we married that any children we had would not go to boarding school - would have been too expensive any way.
I understand that sometimes it is necessary, especially if parents work overseas . A personal choice but I would'nt have done it for our children , even if we could afford it. It seems like having your child in care and who wants that !?

I'd love to have gone for the sports and the social side. My London comp probably taught me far more about life though!

NonGrannyMoll

There's no way I would let anyone else bring up my child, be it a daily childminder or a full-time boarding school. What's the point of having a child if you aren't prepared to bring him/her up yourself? They end up being just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned - whoever wants that for their children (apart from people with property or titles they want to hand down)?

I had to work full time, I had no option . Obviously you did. Lucky you. My child was never ‘just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned’. What a horrible thing to say, and most upsetting to those of us who had a much wanted and much loved child but didn’t have your obvious financial advantage.

Aveline

I used to beg to be sent to boarding school. No luck though ☹️

Me too, it sounded wonderful.

DH went and it wasn't so wonderful as the Enid Blyton books, but he survived it.

escaped

I'd love to have gone for the sports and the social side. My London comp probably taught me far more about life though!

Same here 😁I have a good right hook.

NonGrannyMoll

There's no way I would let anyone else bring up my child, be it a daily childminder or a full-time boarding school. What's the point of having a child if you aren't prepared to bring him/her up yourself? They end up being just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned - whoever wants that for their children (apart from people with property or titles they want to hand down)?

Some of us Mum’s had to work!

Barleyfields

Well said!

NonGrannyMoll

There's no way I would let anyone else bring up my child, be it a daily childminder or a full-time boarding school. What's the point of having a child if you aren't prepared to bring him/her up yourself? They end up being just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned - whoever wants that for their children (apart from people with property or titles they want to hand down)?

They end up being just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned

How strange. Our friends' children went to boarding schools because they worked overseas on contracts and they have all grown up to be happy, well-rounded adults.

Barleyfields

NonGrannyMoll

There's no way I would let anyone else bring up my child, be it a daily childminder or a full-time boarding school. What's the point of having a child if you aren't prepared to bring him/her up yourself? They end up being just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned - whoever wants that for their children (apart from people with property or titles they want to hand down)?

I had to work full time, I had no option . Obviously you did. Lucky you. My child was never ‘just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned’. What a horrible thing to say, and most upsetting to those of us who had a much wanted and much loved child but didn’t have your obvious financial advantage.

Totally agree. That's a very judgemental post. Both of children went to nursery full time when they were three months old, because I had to work. That doesn't mean they weren't loved or wanted. Some women have to work, others choose to do so. Not everyone wants to be a full time stay-at-home mother - thankfully, these days, we have the choice.

Aveline

I used to beg to be sent to boarding school. No luck though ☹️

Me too and I almost got there, at 10, but my mother thought I might feel I was being sent away, not sure why she didn’t just ask me, as an only child, who loved sport and reading and was very outgoing I’m sure I’d have loved it 🙅‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Both my husband and I went to boarding schools from the age of 11 and 12 respectively, as both our sets of parents were abroad with the forces in the far East and Germany. Our children, also forces children went to a co-ed boarding school, and both say they are pleased they had a settled education and friends rather than changing schools and making new friends every 2-3 years. If I hadn't gone to a boarding school I would have had 9 schools and my husband 12 due to service commitments.

viceversa

“Totally agree. That's a very judgemental post. Both of children went to nursery full time when they were three months old, because I had to work. That doesn't mean they weren't loved or wanted. Some women have to work, others choose to do so. Not everyone wants to be a full time stay-at-home mother - thankfully, these days, we have the choice.”

All four of my children has lots of different types of childcare, from Nannies, to au pairs and very nice day nurseries. I worked full time as this was the only way we afford the mortgage!

Some people eh! 🙄🙄

I try hard not to be offended by the ignorant!

I come from a military family. In my childhood, the 1950s we were conastantly on the move. I went to 8 primary schools and also missed nearly a years schooling through moves and illness.

My parents, my mother in particular believed that the best life insurance policy a woman could have was a good education and career, and if we continued to follow the flag during secondary school years, that would be very difficult, so like so many military children we went o boarding school.

Almost all my fellow boarders came from similar families, military, diplomatic, travelling abroad with big companies.

What's the point of having a child if you aren't prepared to bring him/her up yourself? They end up being just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned - whoever wants that for their children (apart from people with property or titles they want to hand down)?

I find these words utterly, utterly offiensive. My parents loved us deeply, it caused them both, my mother in particular, deep distress to decide to send us to boarding school, I think it would have killed my mother to think that anyone would consider that as far as we were concerned we, her beloved daughters, were no more to her than just 'another pet'.

Thanks to her, and my father's sacrifice, both I and my sisters were able to go to university when very few women did, to have good careers and successful lives.

I would never send my children to boarding school . I can't see the point in having children and then
sending them away for others to bring up . I didn't like school so would have loved personal tuition
But my parents couldn't afford it.

NonGrannyMoll

There's no way I would let anyone else bring up my child, be it a daily childminder or a full-time boarding school. What's the point of having a child if you aren't prepared to bring him/her up yourself? They end up being just another pet to be kept fed, watered, walked and cleaned - whoever wants that for their children (apart from people with property or titles they want to hand down)?

Indeed *MOnicaand others, very offensive, some of us had few options but to work, very rarified air you breathe NonGrannyMoll

What all the 'would never send my child to boarding school' brigade forget is that most chldren who go to boarding school, especially today, do so for a reason, not just because their parents think it will be a good idea.

There are fewer forces families than before but many more British families, whos work means that they travel the world or spend years living away from Britain but want their children to get British qualifications and go to British universities. Then there are diplomats, those who work for international organisations.

Before you start pontificating from your aery eminence give a thought to those parents, who do nto want to send their children to oarding school either, but whose work circumstances mean that if their children are to get a good secondary eductation, or even any education after 11, then boarding school is the only solution.

Nanato3

I would never send my children to boarding school . I can't see the point in having children and then
sending them away for others to bring up . I didn't like school so would have loved personal tuition
But my parents couldn't afford it.

They aren’t sent away to boarding school for others to bring up, they go to be educated. As MOnica says, for many parents it’s unavoidable if their children are to get a good education rather than a fractured one as a result of attending numerous schools - and a fractured childhood too, with no long-term friendships.

I went to boarding school for one term. It seemed a wonderful thing to do. There was a children's magazine called GIRL,which I had weekly. The students in the story had a fantastic time, having midnight feasts in the dorm etc. The reality was very different and I simply hated it.
Mom said I must stay for the term before leaving. I was so glad to leave.

Probably a lot of us were influenced by what they read in Girl and the like. I certainly was!