Monday Morning, blurgh. Monday during term time, is the weekly dropping off of youngest daughter at school for weekly boarding. The older children both boarded full-time too. I hated that as well!
I have had my fair share of critics over the years for sending them to board. I have rarely defended myself. I do not see any point in explaining how they love the boarding environment, being with friends their own age, planning 'get togethers', whispering to each other after lights out, giggling over the latest pop god or discussing the latest 'reality' TV. Boarding has given them continuity of care and study time in a family life that is punctuated with my heavy workload. They loved coming home for holidays and weekends but it was obvious that they could not wait to go back either!
The most common comment thrown at me, 'how selfish, how can you abandon your own children?'. I have never abandoned them. I have worried and fretted late into the night over each of them. I have resented (occasionally) the bonds they have formed with the House Parent's and Matrons who have cared for them over the years. I have dreaded the end of each holiday drawing closer. I have taken myself off and cried after leaving them and not just at the beginning of term. My grief was never limited to the start of term time; it sprang upon me at its own choosing.
This weekend my ex husband and I took the youngest to see her new school. She absolutely loved it. Her excitement at seeing the school and her new boarding house was barely containable. This morning on the school run, I asked her, 'if there are no flexible boarding places left, how do you feel about boarding full-time?'. The answer cut like a knife. 'That would be great'. Great for you I thought, but what about me.
Sending my children to boarding school has never been an easy option for me. I adore all my children and dote on them, probably more than I should do. The research that goes into finding the next school is time consuming and mind blowing. Many parents encourage their children to go to University and expand their education, I just started earlier with mine. I look at the two older children, now young adults. They have a strong work ethic, are kind, considerate and accepting of others. I rarely clash with them. Perhaps they would have developed these traits had they gone to a local Comprehensive or a day school. Who knows?
The youngest is excited to be back at school today, she has been learning a jazz tune for her drum lessons and is rehearsing a new piece for her drama exam; she has stories of her new school to tell her friends. Meanwhile I am might just pop to her room, have a tidy round, and have one of those moments.
I have had my fair share of critics over the years for sending them to board. I have rarely defended myself. I do not see any point in explaining how they love the boarding environment, being with friends their own age, planning 'get togethers', whispering to each other after lights out, giggling over the latest pop god or discussing the latest 'reality' TV. Boarding has given them continuity of care and study time in a family life that is punctuated with my heavy workload. They loved coming home for holidays and weekends but it was obvious that they could not wait to go back either!
The most common comment thrown at me, 'how selfish, how can you abandon your own children?'. I have never abandoned them. I have worried and fretted late into the night over each of them. I have resented (occasionally) the bonds they have formed with the House Parent's and Matrons who have cared for them over the years. I have dreaded the end of each holiday drawing closer. I have taken myself off and cried after leaving them and not just at the beginning of term. My grief was never limited to the start of term time; it sprang upon me at its own choosing.
This weekend my ex husband and I took the youngest to see her new school. She absolutely loved it. Her excitement at seeing the school and her new boarding house was barely containable. This morning on the school run, I asked her, 'if there are no flexible boarding places left, how do you feel about boarding full-time?'. The answer cut like a knife. 'That would be great'. Great for you I thought, but what about me.
Sending my children to boarding school has never been an easy option for me. I adore all my children and dote on them, probably more than I should do. The research that goes into finding the next school is time consuming and mind blowing. Many parents encourage their children to go to University and expand their education, I just started earlier with mine. I look at the two older children, now young adults. They have a strong work ethic, are kind, considerate and accepting of others. I rarely clash with them. Perhaps they would have developed these traits had they gone to a local Comprehensive or a day school. Who knows?
The youngest is excited to be back at school today, she has been learning a jazz tune for her drum lessons and is rehearsing a new piece for her drama exam; she has stories of her new school to tell her friends. Meanwhile I am might just pop to her room, have a tidy round, and have one of those moments.
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