Boarding school

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I genuinely did not still think boarding school existed for little children anymore. Teenagers yes. But I looked up Prince Harry's old school after starting the book, and it takes boys from age 8.

AIBU to think that unless there are extenuating circumstances, sending your 8 year old away to board, with them coming home every two weeks for the weekend, is cruel? With everything we know about attachment and young children now, I just can't fathom it.

I went to boarding as did almost Al my friends. Some have their children in boarding but very flexible ie only week days or less.

Many went to boarding and are happy many didn't and aren't. Depends on the child and circumstances.

Many members of my (not me) family boarded from age 10. Very mixed experiences, but none of them chose to board their children, although affording it isn't an issue.

I look at my 7 year old and cannot imagine sending her away to school. Despite it being a familiar thing in my family, I still cannot understand why parents with a choice make that choice.

I went to boarding school and know many other people who went.

I have never met someone who started at age 8 and doesn't have severe emotional regulation issues.

I think a LOT of parents lie to themselves and claim they send their children to boarding school because it gives them the best start in life, but they actually do it because they don't like having their children around all the time.

I am now at a place mentally when I understand my mother didn't like parenting me and have accepted that that doesn't mean I, as an individual, am inadequate or irreparably flawed. It also doesn't make her a bad person. I just wish we could have been open about her feelings so I could have understood these things earlier without oscillating between hating myself, and hating her, for so many years.

That's nice for your friends, I assume they have help. I don't so sod off judgy pants.

Your line of reasoning...I have anecdotes of single parents doing this so you should too.

Ridiculous.

I went to boarding school in the early 80s and there were children there aged four. Only a couple but there were and then many more aged 5. I’ve been confidently told on here before that isn’t possible but it is because one of them was my younger sister. I was 9 when I went. I quite liked it for about a year but then grew to hate it and we were taken out at the end of the third year. At the time it seemed normal but once having children of my own, I cannot fathom how parents could send their children away that young.

‘I cannot fathom how parents could send their children away that young.’

parenting young children can be incredibly tedious. Lots of people - with money - seem happy to outsource that as they do with many things in their life.
it’s bizarre, but if you can tell yourself your child gets a ‘better’ education, ‘better’ connections, and sleep somewhere that looks like Hogwarts I guess it’s how they justify it to themselves.

@jeaux90 - your child isn’t really boarding though? A night or two occasionally when you travel for work is hardly boarding.
there are millions of kids living with single mums ( 3 million now in the U.K.) and somehow they manage to get on with life with full-time boarding.

Please read Charles Spencer's new book A Very Private School as well as Alex Renton's account and educate yourself.