My 2 kids go to boarding school, AMA

[happylady1982]

My kids are 14 and 16, they both go to boarding school. Weekly boarding. This means they come home every weekend, and during the half terms and the major holidays too (Christmas, easter, summer).

Right now it's the summer holidays so they are home.

I wanted to do an AMA cause I think people still have negative stereotypes about boarding school.

I was of the thinking that parents dumped their children, but as a parent now had I been given the opportunity to do it I certainly would have considered as I feel it makes children more mature and independent, would you agree?

Why did you feel the need to send your children away from home?

I do agree! They are extremely independent and capable

What age did they start boarding?

They wanted to go to boarding school because being day students would have been more stressful than boarding

11

You haven't said why it would be more stressful?

I was a day girl at a boarding school. I always wanted to board as the girls had such fun but sadly my parents couldn’t afford it

What negative stereotypes are you looking to correct?

Do you work? If so gas it helped your career to be able to focus during the week without the distraction of managing kids at home?

Why is being a day student more stressful?

They would have had to wake up really early to get to school and they would end up coming home really late and then have to do homework. Their evenings would have been gone basically

There's a stereotype that parents who send their kids to boarding school don't love their kids...which is crazy false for the vast majority of families who send their kids to boarding school

I do work. And yeah, it is easier to focus on my career because I know I can work longer hours if I need too.

How much does it cost @happylady1982

That's odd. Surely it'd have been way more sensible to move closer to a school that they could go to at normal times like most people. Sounds like it's not the real reason because those kinds of logistics are easily surmountable when you're talking 2 kids from age 11 with the kind of wealth that can afford boarding. There would have been other solutions to the stress described.

About 90k a year for both kids to attend boarding.

What are your and your husband’s careers?

Don't you miss them terribly?

(This would break my heart honestly you couldn't pay me enough to send mine)

Yes, what is your career and what is your partner's career?
What is your salary?
What is your partner's salary?
This is key in the list of AMA.

I do miss them!

Why couldn’t you move closer to a good school?

Do they like it?

What grades are they expected to get in GCSE/ A Levels and what Unis if any do they want to go to?

Do they have friends from different backgrounds, social class etc? Outside of school? Like do any of their friends live in social housing and go to comp? If not do you feel it's a disadvantage to them that they may not fit in with people from other walks of life?

I work in the film and TV industry. My husband works in the medical industry. I won't specify our exact roles because this information is already insanely identifying lol, and I don't want people I know in my real life realising I posted an AMA 🤣
I earn about 80K a year, but my salary is always changing depending on what department I am working in.
My husband earns around 200k

Don’t you worry about them navigating difficult day-to-day life experiences without your support? Like friendship issues, a harsh teacher, first periods, a bad test score?