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Boarding school

Connect with fellow parents of boarding school students on our supportive forum. Share experiences, tips, and insights.

Missing meals

11 replies

Unintentionallycausingoffence · 20/04/2024 16:09

My DS has ASC and is at a day SS where he does really well and is very well behaved. He has begun displaying aggressive behaviour towards DH who refuses to look into why he just feels sorry for himself and gets angry. DS loves his school and it would break my heart to move him but DH is saying boarding school as they have harsh discipline like refusing meals for misbehaving, surely this doesn’t happen?

OP posts:
everydaywonderful · 20/04/2024 16:11

no of course it doesn't. And no, he probably wouldn't get into a boarding school, there are very few state places.

Fergie51 · 20/04/2024 16:12

What is ASC?

MissyB1 · 20/04/2024 16:15

I work in a school that has boarders, I can categorically state children are not punished by being denied meals, what a bizarre thing for your Dh to say! Anyway you wouldn’t let him send your child to boarding school surely?

Fergie51 · 20/04/2024 16:17

While I don’t know what ASC is I think the problem within the family needs to be sorted out with the people involved. Passing the buck over to a school is not the answer here. Boarding schools do not punish children for not eating meals or poor behaviour! The issue is why your son is aggressive towards his father. Does his father have unrealistic expectations?

Valhalla17 · 20/04/2024 16:17

Why is your dh suggesting boarding school as some kind of punishment?! I'd be sending dh away instead...permanently! What crap parenting from him.

greenfluffyrug · 20/04/2024 16:23

Think the OP means autism.

It would be utterly barbaric to send a child with autism to boarding school or to expect their behaviour to be punished.

You have a 'D'H problem.

RazzlePuff · 20/04/2024 19:23

Boarding schools actively monitor meals to make sure children are eating. If some aren’t monitoring, they should.
Aware that meal skipping is considered a problem, some have meal slippers on of system where they are monitored.

Anyway, making this “boarding school” threat probably makes your DH feel like he has some control about the aggression that is upsetting him. You can let him know that the kind of “strict” behaviors he expects from staff at boarding school don’t actually happen.

Total guessing - but thinking that fear, uncertainty or anxiety is causing fight or flight feelings. DS just might not be able to redirect himself yet. Can you have a direct conversation with son to ask & discuss how to change his reaction to DH?

My DH acts like a jerk with my boys at times, says regrettable things when the boys are acting like typical teens. I have suggested he hug them instead - I told “shut your mouth and give them a hug because they are feeling bad - can you not see that??”
I made the choice to not shout or look crazy angry, it never changes the behavior. Kids already know they f’d up - better to talk about what to do differently.

with ASC the hug maybe not the right behavior, but soothing rather than combatting ?
I would guess all boarding schools have ASC students. There are Boarding schools that are for ASC. It depends on what’s best for your son, if he can meet the academic standard and cope with sharing rooms and student life/sports, then he can board at mainstream. (Good schools guide has book on SEN)

You can tell your husband that normal boarding school punishments are early wake ups, supervised study, detention, loss of weekend privileges- worse behavior gets students sent HOME.

Unintentionallycausingoffence · 21/04/2024 09:30

ASC is Autism Autism Spectrum Condition

OP posts:
WASZPy · 21/04/2024 09:31

Your DH's view of boarding school sounds like an outdated description of an 'institution' of the past. Is he remembering stories he heard about 'borstal' type places in his childhood?

To help you get more useful replies, the terminology used in the special school sector is 'residential'. When you say boarding school, people will think of paid for mainstream schools. If you want to discuss the pros and cons of residential settings and placements, you would be better off posting on the SEND boards where people will have experience.

However, it sounds like you need more help at home (or your DH does), rather than a move to residential. Have you talked to the school about the issues at home? Do you have a Children with Disabilities team social worker?

EBearhug · 21/04/2024 09:35

It might have happened in my father's day - he was at boarding school in the '50s. But schools and discipline have evolved a lot since then.

FloofCloud · 21/04/2024 09:42

Fuck that! ASC children need their parents (perhaps not your DH tbf). FFS don't take away his life, it's hard enough for them as it is

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