Boarding Schools

It is this variability that I have been trying to emphasise.

When children, and I was one, only went home in the summer, the norm was to spend the other holidays with family members. My sister and I lived with our paternal grandparents and the aunt who was officially our Guardian. We saw that as our home in England. My grandparents had a large family and mixed with all sorts of people in school holidays.

I was at a school close to several army bases, so there were a lot of boarders like me, who only went home in the summer, I cannot think of one who did not spend all the other holidays with other family members. In one case this did go disastrously wrong, but most of us led quite normal lives in the holidays.

The variability has always been acknowledged and is by Nick Duffell.

Some children did not go to other family members. Some stayed at school through the holidays. Some were put into wardship with "Gaurdians" ...who may or may not have been people known to them. For you it was an aunt who you knew. That is good! Some did not see their parents for several years. Some never really identified a home in England. Some did. Some led quite normal lives. Some did not.

Variability of experience there certainly is! Which in the end does not detract from some common traits often but not always identified in ex boarders, from different backgrounds and experiences of school/holidays/gaurdians/home life etc.

Some will feel it is not relevant to them, which is fine. Others can find some relevance to themselves, which is also fine.

It is interesting reading all the responses to my original question both from ex boarders and parents who chose boarding for their children, and those, like yourself, Monica who have experienced both. It really highlights what a complicated subject this is with lots of differing aspects