Wednesday night, sending your child, aged 8 to boarding school, do tell me about it as i won't be able to watch!!!

[piratecat]

I couldn't even watch the trailer for it without wanting to weep!

I don't think I can watch this.

I have friends who have put their son in - and this is just so upsetting .
In my eyes 8 years old is too young.

their house is shite (or is that me)

I don't understand the first mother's comment about her (mother) making a sacrifice for her daughter's benefit. A bit 'me, me, me'

Their house is a quarter and yes they're shite!

I think it is army housing. First family are army so I wonder what the others are.

Plenty of kids from military families live all over hte place and move tons of times and do fine.

They're just using this as as excuse to pack off their kids.

Sounds like the mothers are under their husbands' thumbs, too, because if mine tried to bully me into sending my kid off that young I'd tell him to go straight to fuck.

I just couldn't do it. I nearly cried in the first few minutes of the programme.

The alternative is to move their child to a new school every 2 years and after moving my DD and watching her go through what she went through just a few weeks ago I know I couldn't do that.

We decided to buy our own house but it means my DCs don't see their dad during the week. DH hates is and is thinking of leaving the military because of it.

From the preview I read none of the fathers appear in the programme.

I agree with you expat. The mothers don't seem to want this at all and I wish they'd stand their ground.

It must be different for people in the forces - moving school so often must be very disruptive to schooling and would put paid to long-term school friendships etc...

But both my parents went to boarding school and didn't like it (although, for my father at least, it was the only real option).

and so? it's a new school full of other military kids because they're living on camp.

i don't see how loads of other children of service personnel move lots and don't seem unduly traumatised.

how 'stable' is it to be farmed out by your own parents at the age of 8?

i went to boarding school when i was 9. i loved it. i have a v close relationship with my mum (who sent me) and don't feel emotionally distant from anything/one.

horses for courses though - not right for every child and i couldn't say about dd until shes older and whether it would suit her or not.

I think if the man chose to jion the forces it's him that should live away from the family not the child.

It's crap expat. You don't necessarily get into the "camp" school you get whatever place is available in the closest school. DD didn't go to the local school on our last posting as their was no room. She went into a stable environment into a class with established relationships.

The same has happened this time but at least we have been able to tell her she never has to do it again.

I had no idea the school was Highfield - I've just realised that I know the owner of the school - he also owns a business that tries to give children being educated in the state system the advantages of one to one tuition at his learning centres, and I spent a lot of last year site finding for him .

I remember my mother saying that the day she dropped me off for my first day at boarding school (my father was at sea), she drove to her friend's house, who had also just dropped my best friend off with me - they went and drank far too many double whiskies and both went to bed crying their eyes out (as we probably did too!!)

poor kid!

I feel sad that there doesn't seem to be a mother figure around, when there must be one.

This is bringing back hideous memories of waking up at boarding school and being so sad.

"They have to learn to cope with homesickness" Poor mites.

blimey they would give a pill too

so is it the military type family that mostly use boarding schools?

Breaking my heart. Please someone fill me in as I am keen to know what happens but my 34 week pregnant hormonal self cannot bear watching these poor little girls. Hoping one of the mums will stage a breakout.

Weeping over breakfast! Other people having to console your child!

I am not convinced that the solution to military family moving around is boarding school but each to their own.

Well, in that case, McDreamy, I agree with ggirl, the father should be the one to move around.

These fathers come across as twats, though.