Boarding School....why?

[nailit]

Have just finished reading this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stiff-Upper-Lip-Secrets-Schooling/dp/1474600549
Its only confirmed what Ive always thought...that the 'upper class' system knocks out any and all basic human emotions from their own offspring in the name of class and breeding.
But that aside, why would anyone bother to have children and then proceed to pack them off to first 'prep' school and then boarding school?
Why have children and then cart them off to be 'educated' and boarded elsewhere for months at a time (and from a very young age)
The best part of being a father (from my own perspective) is been there for my child and watching him develop...warts an all.
NOT packing him off and seeing what happens....
Something wrong in my book in having kids and then shipping them out for someone else to look after 24/7 for several months of the year.

[jno]

[i]If you want your son/daughter to be a barrister, entrenchment, surgeon[i]

I don't know who'd want their child to be an entrenchment, life's tough enough without soldiers walking on you all day.

[nailit]

LOL @ jno ^^
Sqads post (like Rockrose's) is so out of touch as to be laughable.
Will get back to this later as I have to go out for a bit.
Thanks all for replies.

[Prudie]

Absolutely, this is only one aspect of how one can raise and educate a child. Some will benefit, some will not. You can have the same arguments about parents who both work, work shifts, use childminders, use grandparents, single parents.
Many who boarded will say it was hell and many will say it made them what they are and gave them social skills and friends for life. It's no more fair saying upper classes don't care and knock all emotions out of their kids than me saying all single mums on benefits couldn't possibly raise a well balanced child who will contribute to society.

[Sqad]

jno/Nailit.......I typed "entrepreneur".

[kvalidir]

My Mum went to boarding school for some of her education ( the important graduating bit Sqad ;-), and my grandmother is certainly not psychotic Nailit. There is something to be said for kids being able to go it alone, get on with things and generally not be overly mollied. Some kids are not suited to it and some kids thrive, and not many people go six months without seeing their kids :/

[Rockrose]

Both my husband and his brother went to boarding school and I was a day boarder. I loved it and wanted to go full board but my father wouldn’t allow it.

[Sqad]

"Sqads post (like Rockrose's) is so out of touch as to be laughable.

Well there you go, a waste of time for both of us.

[kvalidir]

I imagine mine will be added to that list too Sqad :(

[Sqad]

LOl...^^^^

[EDDIE51]

I worked in the Kitchens of a boarding school. It took children from age 3 to 19. It was 'all year round' advertising 'Term time learning & holiday time fun' Most of the pupils were from wealthy Chinese families who wanted their children to have a formal British education & speak /write perfect English (apparently a big advantage in China) A major factor was that it was near Cambridge, a lot of pupils went on to study for a degree at Cambridge .

[nailit]

I really have to go out NOW.
OK, I might be wrong...always interesting to see another POV.
Thanks...and no hard feelings. Just trying to learn here.

[jourdain2]

I very much agree with Prudie. I actually think that it would benefit my grandson at the moment. Older granddaughter goes to a school which does have a 'sleep-over' system if parents can't manage them at home occasionally. This does happen sometimes because both mum and dad are travelling up and down the country on work (occasionally conferences are in Europe) - she's quite happy with that.

My kids stayed at home - others boarded and all were fine. I've know hundreds of children who would have benefited from having been taken out of their dreadful home circumstances as well, sad though that is.

[Cloverjo]

My son was a day boy at a boarding school. He wanted to board despite our home being only half an hour's drive away. The boarders that I knew all seemed very happy.
Many were foreigners whose parents wanted them to have a good British education. Some had parents who travelled a lot for work, and boarding was more settling than continually being uprooted.

[Purist]

When I was a kid I don't remember my parents really doing lots of family stuff bar the occasional picnic during the holidays or Christmas day (which I would assume boarding school children would be home for) I would play out all day until the street lights came on with the local kids, my father was a builder who had long hours and my mother was always cleaning, shopping and doing chores. I don't feel like I missed out, I knew how to entertain myself and as a result of being out so much with local kids I had no shyness issues, I can't fault it.

[Malachite]

Nailit.
"No bed time stories, cuddles (yes im a man but I cherish those moments), no talking about this and that at the end of the day".

I 100% understand with this.

I am going through some extreme worry and sadness because the mother of my 11 year old Godson has recently decided to take this route and I think she's an effing nutter because of this.
Her brothers and sister were all shipped off to boarding school by a cold emotionally constipated mother and they have all turned out to be ...cold and emotionally constipated. I feel that my Godson's mother is following a family tradition and at the same time bottling out of seeing him through adolescence, despite the fact that I'm there as backup.
I am totally choked up over this and feel helpless about it, I have been minding him 1-3 days a week since he was 5 so we are very close. I have tears in my eyes as I type this.