What to do? Boarding school or being dragged round the world being educated as well as possible?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Which would you go for, the stability of boarding school and continuity of friends (assuming the DDs are happy to board) or drag them round the world with you, changing school every 3-4 years, either international school or possibly American system?

Once more, but with feeling - it was 2007! I'm thinking a decision Has Been Made.

Yep, we are dragging them! Now in Paris, so easy to get back and see friends in UK and for friends to visit us. Seems OK so far, DD1 struggled a bit to settle in, but now quite happy and doing well academically.

My DH and I changed careers to avoid this dilemma s we wanted to have the DCs at home and knew that suitable schools would not be available everywhere.

As others have said, a lot depends on the children. Some would not want to be uprooted every 3 years, whereas some would cope. Can you talk to your employer about key stages when you'd really want to be able to stay in one place? Some will try to help with that sort of planning.

I find it really hard as a parent myself, why anyone would want to pack their children away to boarding school...... I couldn't imagine being without my boys for a few days let alone a whole term. Have to say why have kids in the first place...? Sorry , but just my opinion....

No one wants to 'pack their children away to boarding school', but in some cases the places that HM Forces and the FCO are asked to serve may not have suitable schools for the children of such families. Boarding then becomes the option.

Mrs S, dh back where you used to be now.

It depends on your children, talk to them they know what they want. We just returned from 2 years abroad and our 2 eldest have gone off to boarding school this time, as they are fed up of moving and changing schools and their education being disturbed. They say they get long enough holidays to experience wherever we are and now they are older (9&7) they want to know they will get the best education available. They came to us with this and we went with it, even though it is hard, we miss them more than they miss us as school is full of activities and they are on the go till they fall asleep