My boys go to a prestigious boarding school. Ask me anything !

[tummyduck]

Ask me anything about my boys who board at an all boys’ school ! Any disrespectful questions will be ignored

OP, I’m getting very little from your answers except that (prestigious) boarding schools are wonderful and your kids are blissfully happy.

Why are you not engaging more with the questions? E.g. on ‘boarding schools syndrome’, on what makes it prestigious, on the possible impact in later life? These are the things people are asking about and they are certainly not inappropriate.

There’s no point doing an AMA if you have nothing to say.

It is great to challenge your own comfort zone. I encourage it. I encourage my kids to. Not everyone in life agrees with or will like you

Oh they do give a shit.

As he's in the British army he won't be posted forever, will you plan to parent your dc at home at any point?

i am catching up now, just been at the beach!
also - this is not a court of law..

So nearly half the students are low income/assisted?.

They don’t at the school. They are not snobs.

Apologies, I suppose it all seemed very directed at you and your post specifically, rather than AMA as a board. Stand by whay i i said though.

25% assisted of which 4/5 on full bursary

You have said twice that you instill your values on them but that's not what makes someone a mother...
It's putting a plaster on their leg when it's cut, stroking your hand down their hair as you put their ceriel bowl on the table, rubbing nutella off their chin after they have been in the nutella tun, having them see you grin from ear to ear when they they manage to do something they were struggling with, sitting with them for homework and another million things that make up everyday life together, they won't get to experience these very ordinary things.
It just seems so sad and they won't learn to do these things with their children.

I'm am curious about the great things this prestigious school provides (apart from the boarding)

OP, what sort of schools did you go to?

Which are the awful public schools? How do you know they are awful given you only have experience with one of them?

I didn’t say you weren’t available to answer, OP, I said your answers contained next to nothing.

No, this is not a court of law - why do you keep saying that? You seem quite uncomfortable about being questioned, which is odd, given that you started this thread.

Took him overseas. Presumably if you are not in the military you are not obliged to go with him? You have chosen to leave your children because you wanted to be with your husband, but are perfectly comfortable with two of your children not having either parent.

Do you think it is selfish of people to have children if they aren't willing to choose a location and bring their kids up there with stability and longstanding friendships?

👌

Nothing to add but to say… I quite like you OP 😅.

I think people don’t realise how long boarding school holidays are. They are many weeks longer than state school. Typically 9-10 weeks over summer, 4 weeks at Easter. 3-4 weeks at Christmas. Then there is half term which is sometimes 2 weeks and a quarter term exeat weekend.

many pupils are weekly only so they come home for half Saturday and Sunday.

when you factor that the school day is longer and all the after school club type activities state school pupils do are just part of the school day you often find parents get a lot more quality time with their dc when they board.

it may not be day to day but tbh as everyone knows, day to day is often more about logistics and ferrying people from A-B than quality time.

I do agree that emotional support during the term is not great for boarding school but it’s not some austere parentless loveless situation.

The answers are very short, with no depth to them. I don’t feel I’ve learned anything from OP’s answers that I couldn’t have guessed myself.

You are aware that people present a front? Especially in a culture where the world's smallest violin would be played for anyone who whinged about having been damaged by this environment

IME there are two distinct reactions to boarding school from people of my age

1. I loved it, My Dad loved it, I had the time of my life and being buggered in the showers and bullied and having my head flushed down the loo was very character forming and has directly contributed to my huge success (which has nothing to do with my privilege) and I am very rich and very happy and only drink 3 bottles of wine a night because I am a bon vivant and I love my red trousers and all my 6 children will go to my school and be very happy just like me <lalalalala>

1. I am damaged beyond repair and also drink 3 bottles of wine a night to try and forget about it. I hate red trousers.

Does the same school really suit both kids or is it just easier to send them to the same place?

How many GCSEs will they sit and what are their predicted grades? Do you feel it’s good value for money?

Do they have the opportunity to socialise and attend clubs in the local area, outside of school or are they stuck with whatever school offers with just the other pupils that go there?

are you referring to me? My kids are still friends with the kids they knew aged 4? And some will stay with him untî he is 18?

They are stuck with 45 different options for after school clubs
from falconary to fencing
from debating to dancing

Do you think it depends on what age the child goes to boarding school? I personally wouldn't want to send my child but if they wanted to try I would consider from 14 and upwards - I would consider one that do weekly or flexible boarding schools.

I have huge sympathy for anyone who was a victim of sexual abuse and the perpetrators must be prosecuted to the full force of the law.

How can you afford it?