Take your child’s hand and enjoy the boarding journey together: Boarding works when it is a family choice. Head of Boarding, Regan Schreiber explains:
‘Harper Lee once said that you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it. After almost twenty years of houseparenting, I finally “climbed” in to the skin of a boarding parent. I thought that I had heard it all, seen it all and felt it all. This all changed when I helped my son get ready for full-time boarding in Year 9.
Boarding only works if the child, the parents, indeed the whole family and the school are all in it together. It is a most magical journey of discovery, boarding is a choice – a choice a family makes together.
Hazlegrove boarders are incredibly fortunate children. Their boarding houses and boarding staff are not their replacement family – they are additions to their life’s rich tapestry. A boarding house at Hazlegrove is a place where a child can make life-long friendships; develop character and resilience; and importantly, make the most out of all that an independent education offers.
Home is still home and parents should still be massively involved in their children’s lives. While at school, parents should not feel guilty about phoning, sending letters and smuggling in the odd treat! This is not bribing or appeasing a guilty conscience, it is being actively involved. Boarding is a choice and we should celebrate this choice and journey of discovery.
In our years of being Houseparents, we have always seen children develop and grow at a rate that is quite honestly staggering and inspiring. These children are able to stand tall and be confident individuals, safe in the knowledge that they are loved deeply by their families and cared for by their boarding staff.
Of course, we miss our children. But we still love them, and we still have a huge part to play in their development. The strong family bond is not broken by being at boarding school; our parenting has not been placed on pause, whilst the boarding staff take over; if anything, our parenting has been strengthened and evolved. Boarding is a positive choice; be proud of the choice and let’s enjoy the experience as much as our children will.
You are giving your child an amazing opportunity to flourish in a safe and enriching environment.
