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Ask your son how he feels about it. Let him know about all the facts, like he will be living with someone instead of you, but is for a greater good in your opinion. Explain the reason behind all of these, start by talking in concept that your son can understand. For example, ask him does he enjoy having food and water and not worry about freeze to death during winter, then slowly ask him if he knows the reason how everything he enjoy is taking care of.
Thanks for the answers everyone. I read all of them. Sorry for not responding, work is intense.well my father and my brother are the ones who are pressing me to do this.the reason for them is that my son is very spoiled and I'm not educating right and still has the family tradition too.Because I went to the boarding school at that age. But I'm scared because my family did not see me growing up. I do not have much affinity with my parents. And I really like my son. I do everything for him.When i have the conversation with my family,I will update.
I agree with you but my family is very conservative and likes to keep the traditions.It is not that simple. Thanks for answering,It helps a lot.I need to have a serious talk about that with my family.
When you have this talk, ask your family WHY they feel it is desirable to send their kids to boarding schools. Surely there must be a reason beyond "Because we've always done it this way." Maybe it's the perceived superior education; maybe it's the status; maybe it's a desire to avoid public school; maybe it's a way for them to claim to be parents without actually having to do the hard work of parenting.
Once you find out their reasons, you can probably find a local private school that would meet their established criteria. Because while I think that private schools can be a very good thing, there's no way that I would send a 7 year old to a boarding school.
Incidentally, OP, in what country are you located? You mentioned that your brother sends his child to a school in Switzerland. Is that where you are located as well? Or are we talking not merely out-of-town, but out-of-continent?
I think it's a little young, personally. Maybe starting at middle school, and even that would depend on the child. Would you have the ability to visit often? If not, then IMO, that's one family tradition that needs to die. Heck, even Harry Potter didn't go to Hogwarts until he was 11. :-)
Families often send their kids to boarding school because their own work/travel schedules were often too hectic to provide a stable home environment OR the schools around them were not of the caliber that they desired. The idea is that boarding schools offer a) a superior education that emphasizes discipline and structure, and b) an opportunity to mature, c) an opportunity to make life-long friends that are of the same social strata as you are. On the flip side, you have a lot of kids with access to lots of money who often don't make good choices when it comes to recreational drugs and alcohol, and a child who needs a more nurturing environment and is socially awkward may find it a living hell.
I wouldn't send a child of 8 to boarding school unless there were some severe extenuating circumstances (i.e., death of a mother and father with a demanding job, etc.) Depending on boarding school, I would think twice about sending someone just for high school if the school has a middle school, too -- the kids in the middle school have already formed friendships, and can be cliqueish.
Thanks for the answers everyone. I read all of them. Sorry for not responding, work is intense.well my father and my brother are the ones who are pressing me to do this.the reason for them is that my son is very spoiled and I'm not educating right and still has the family tradition too.Because I went to the boarding school at that age. But I'm scared because my family did not see me growing up. I do not have much affinity with my parents. And I really like my son. I do everything for him.When i have the conversation with my family,I will update.
Your family sounds very dysfunctional. And why do your brother and father have so much influence given that you probably don't know them all that well or have that much of a relationship with them? Are you desperate for their approval or something?
If you're worried about your son being spoiled, enlist a family therapist to learn about boundaries or take some parenting classes. Don't outsource the raising of your kid.
OP, the only people who would think of sending a 7-year-old away to boarding school are incredibly rich (it is absolutely NOT the culture of any other social class). Does that describe your family?
I REALLY wanted to go to boarding school for high school, but I was from a very working-class family and I would have required a scholarship, which meant my family would have had to provide financial information to the school, which they refused to do. But I absolutely LOVED learning (still do -- I became a college professor) and I was INCREDIBLY independent, and I would have LOVED to go away to school. Alas, I never got the chance to.
But again, I was 14, not 7.
Honestly, I have a hard time believing the OP, unless somehow the top, what, 1/10th of 1% are posting on C-D looking for advice? Hmmm ...
Think back to when YOU were 7 years old. How emotionally mature were you? How would you have liked being separated from family/friends MOST of the time? Please consider your son's well being more & your brother & family traditions less. I cannot imagine sending a teen, much less a 7year old. Wishing you & your child wisdom and peace with this decision.
OP, the only people who would think of sending a 7-year-old away to boarding school are incredibly rich (it is absolutely NOT the culture of any other social class). Does that describe your family?
I REALLY wanted to go to boarding school for high school, but I was from a very working-class family and I would have required a scholarship, which meant my family would have had to provide financial information to the school, which they refused to do. But I absolutely LOVED learning (still do -- I became a college professor) and I was INCREDIBLY independent, and I would have LOVED to go away to school. Alas, I never got the chance to.
But again, I was 14, not 7.
Honestly, I have a hard time believing the OP, unless somehow the top, what, 1/10th of 1% are posting on C-D looking for advice? Hmmm ...
Thanks for answering.Well like i said above,It is a family tradition. Yes I come from an Upper class family. And I do not see any contradiction because this is a parenting forum.
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