Would you ever allow your 7 yo to board?

[Toolley]

Hiya, DS has been accepted onto the junior swim team with his school, he is the youngest on the team, but most of the boys are roughly his age, maybe Year above. Would you allow him to board on the 2 nights that he trains in the evening/morning. For example, training is Tuesday night, Wednesday morning (so board Tuesday night) and then training on Thursday night and Friday morning, so board Thursday, so he would only board on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He is very keen.

Would you allow this?

I wouldn't.

I would never send any child to actual boarding school, and I thinks he's too young for even this just now.

Of course, why not? Sounds like a practical solutions and there's every chance he'd love it. Can always stop if it's not working out.

I would and I say this as someone who went to boarding school and wouldn't send my kids to boarding school weekly/ full time.
By the time he's finished training and had tea and watched a bit of TV it will be bed time and then mornings are busy with breakfast and more training.
It will be like a sleepover to him
And if in a few weeks he doesn't like to you can always stop the boarding aspect

Yes, I wouldn't be keen on full time boarding miles away at his age, its only for a couple of nights. It seems very practical and less tiring.

Thank you for your opinions Old would you not even allow a teenager? For flexi-boarding??

Most definitely if he wants to do it, it's not like it's permanent boarding.
Obviously I would need to be confident he could/would tell me if he wanted to stop/ didn't like it, decided he wanted to stop etc.

My dd became a weekly boarder at 11, much older i know, but the above was the only way I'd agree with it.

Is he an open child in so far as you know if there is something wrong, would he tell you or bottle it up?

I'd obviously also want to have a good relationship with staff who were looking after them and be confident they'd let me know immediately if something was wrong.

I was going to say definitely not. But 2 days a week like this doesn't sound too bad, especially as he is keen.

I think it sounds quite sensible in that set-up. Full time, or even weekly, not at that age. But a couple of nights a week to accommodate a serious hobby is different. Would you need to be very organised with uniform/swim kit etc/musical instruments/any homework etc? That might be the only drawback I can see.

Bythebeach, the house masters do a homework session with all the children, so homework will be completed just before bed. They will also help wash swim kit (you can only purchase one swim team set, so it has to be washed after each session) so they will help with all that aspect.

Yes, in this case I would. My DS1 is 6, and I can actually see him loving boarding if it ever became a sensible option. He's very self-contained.

All this is assuming that you are confident he's OK with it, and that the staff will look after him well.

No, I wouldn't, I went to boarding school, and just think it sets up weird relationships with family, and emotional difficulties.

Just my opinion, and I can see the point of it more on certain nights for a specific activity, but just too young.

I became very self sufficient, but not in a good way and am now very much against boarding at all.

I would consider it for 2 nights a week to accomodate training but with a clear understanding that if he isn't coping with boarding he didn't have to keep doing it.

As he is keen, I would let him try it. If he doesn't like it, he can always pull out.

I would not have let mine board full time at prep age but the odd night would be fine (and very useful).

I was coming on to say no way, but reading it here - yes I would I think, especially if he was Keen. Ds is day pupil at a boarding school, the do a 'sleep over' on a Friday night and he is desperate to join in. I don't see your arrangement being that dissimilar.

Just keep an eye on it so he's still okay with the arrangement once the novelty has worn off.

I would my ds would love to do something like this.

Yes, it's flexi-boarding and he'll be a lot less tired without the journey home then back to school in between the training sessions.
Also he'll be with the team so won't be left out of things that are discussed between them at school at those times.

Came to say absolutely not but actually that sounds quite reasonable.

I think I would if the child was up for it. You can presumably review if it's not working for him.

Sounds reasonable if he wants to. Not that different to a sleep over at a friend's. Just make it clear that he can stop whenever he wishes.

Yes under those conditions, 2 separate nights a week only.
As you say, like doing sleepovers.

Never. Much too young.

Absolutely not

Def let him, it is just like a sleep over my DS2 full boarded at 7(&10months) & loved it. DS1 started at 8yrs and DS2 saw how much fun he was having and begged us to let him go. I cried buckets but have never regretted it. Before all the anti boarders attack me our personal circumstances were quite exceptional and we live in a very remote location so normal opportunities like sports activities would not be possible without full boarding. Both boys were head boy in their final yr & got scholarships to senior schools. Despite boarding we are a very close family and none of us would change a thing.
Two nights a week will give OPs Ds massive opportunities to flourish, go for it.

Yes, I would let him board

Yes, I would in this situation. You could always agree to do it until say half-term or even Easter and then review. But I bet he'll love it, I think my 7 year old would. Well done him for getting on the swim team.