Have you considered boarding school?

[Anonymous]

Hell Yeah everyday, Only problem is I can not find an Elementary boarding school

[Anonymous]

Search for "Junior Boarding schools"

[Anonymous]

Kent School is one of the top for NYC kids to be sent to. Other then that, Kent school is the most international American boarding school you will find. Many schools have problems with "clusters" of kids. Meaning, they only get kids from Maryland applying or something. Kent turns down many international applicants, because many international applicants apply. Peru, Finland, Japan... Very diverse.

[Anonymous]

Such a great decision! My son is going to Exeter next fall!

[eguruli]

Families considering boarding schools (particularly military boarding schools) should be aware that the schools are in business to get your money, and will tell you that the school is not for "problem" children or "children from the court systems." We made this mistake and our son ended up spending his 10th grade school year at a "college prep" boarding school that was full of troubled boys. (Fishburne Military School)

Also, be mindful of the living conditions as you select a military boarding school -- this school did not have DOORS on the bathroom and shower stalls -- something that may not be appropriate for teenage boys.

[Anonymous]

I have three family members who attended boarding school.

The first 2 had a nice little drug habit developed within the first two years. The 3rd was shipped off when her parents were divorcing (a common reason to send kids away to school). And although she returned with no disciplinary problems, she's still dealing with the fallout of the dissolution of her parents' marriage 20 years later. Might not have been if her family had helped her to deal with those issues at the time.

My children will most certainly not attend boarding school.

[Anonymous]

I attended a very small girls school in New England. I absolutely loved it and it was the first time I was actually in a diverse setting - race, class, etc. I had attended a private school before and everyone was the same - doctor/laywer families, white. Not the case at this school.

I made the best of friends at boarding school and yes, they are pretty generous at scholarships/grants.
Not all boarding schools are the same. The facilites may be very similiar, but the people and size can make all the difference in the world.

How great was is to be around my friends 24/7? Amazing.

For those parents who are considering it, I would take tours and speak to students. I am sure most of them love it.

[Anonymous]

The possibility/likelihood of recreational drug use is very troubling to me. Kids are smart and I would not expect I would be able to determine which schools have such a problem versus which do not merely by touring the schools. Schools like Exeter, Andover, etc. strike me as less likely to be a problem ... the kids attending could likely affort drugs but seem highly motivated to do well academically so maybe would be smart enough to avoid drugs ... ??? But my child is not the type-A over-achiever type, so he could never get into that type of school anyway. Better to keep him home and have at least some chance of influencing/monitoring his behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have three family members who attended boarding school.

The first 2 had a nice little drug habit developed within the first two years. The 3rd was shipped off when her parents were divorcing (a common reason to send kids away to school). And although she returned with no disciplinary problems, she's still dealing with the fallout of the dissolution of her parents' marriage 20 years later. Might not have been if her family had helped her to deal with those issues at the time.

My children will most certainly not attend boarding school.

Interesting. I knew someone in college who had attended a boarding school for her high school years. She (and her friends) also used drugs during those years at boarding school, and add to that that some of her friends were promiscuous in restaurant bathrooms. Yes, restaurant bathrooms! I would never send my kid to boarding school. The OP is probably adversting for boarding schools.

[Anonymous]

Never have and never will, the idea that I will not be able to kiss my baby good night, tuck her into bed, hear about her day, and so on, terrifies me. She will grow up and fly out of the nest soon enough, and I do not want to speed the process. Also, my ideas of boarding schools are formed by films and most of them pictured them as loveless, gloomy places where children get caned I realize that this is not the case nowadays, but just cannot shake that image.

[Anonymous]

Both of my brothers were introduced to drugs at boarding school. One of them still smokes marijuana (he's in his mid-40s) on a regular basis. It completely destroyed any initiative he'd had before. DH also did drugs at his boarding school. These were all-boys boarding schools, by the way, that are now co-ed.

[Anonymous]

Definitely yes! One major aim of a military school is to enable the students to take responsibility for their own actions. If you want your child to grow up, this could be the ideal environment. There is a huge push to get good academic results. If your child is lazy or needs someone to drive them harder, the supervised homework sessions and small student staff ratio numbers means academic success will be given its best possible chance.

[Anonymous]

My DD wanted to go and LOVES it. Not our idea, hers. Coming home with great grades and great experiences and is at a school with a diverse population, which she also loves. Not all boarding scoops are the same, just like not all independent schools are the same. You have to walk the campus, talk to people, and do a lot of research before committing your DC to 4 years there, but if you find the right fit, it can be an amazing experience. As for being hard to let her go, we were never going to be ready. We are just happy there are so many vacations.

[Anonymous]

No. I love my children too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have three family members who attended boarding school.

The first 2 had a nice little drug habit developed within the first two years. The 3rd was shipped off when her parents were divorcing (a common reason to send kids away to school). And although she returned with no disciplinary problems, she's still dealing with the fallout of the dissolution of her parents' marriage 20 years later. Might not have been if her family had helped her to deal with those issues at the time.

My children will most certainly not attend boarding school.

You need to take Stats 101.