Boarding School Syndrome Q&A

I am the youngest of 5 children and so knew and expected to be sent to boarding school right from the start. My brothers and sisters seemed content enough with going so I didn't think it a problem and I certainly never questioned it. Of course how they seemed to me and how they actually were didn't always match up!

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I was 10 and the youngest of my year group as I have a late August birthday. I grappled with being left every new term, with tearfully packing up my trunk every end of holidays, and always assuming everyone was happy and settled and so should I be!

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My mum was strong and sent me off with a tin of sweets (to be rationed every day) and my knickers and clothes all neatly labelled. I didn't realise until later how hard this was for her year on year.

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I hated waving goodbye that first Sunday afternoon and I still well up with emotion and tears at the memory of saying goodbye to her. As a result I don't like goodbyes and I feel a sense of abandonment quite easily. I am getting better in my old age!!!

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I would generally cry all night and wake up monday with a headache...but I'd dive on into the lessons and the friendships and tried not to think of mum and dad too much until it neared the time to see them.

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Resilience and compassion are wrought into boarding school children and I recognise the blessings of learning independence at at nearly age. However I am very very grateful that I never needed to send my four boys away...I could never have done that.

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These are only sketches of thought and memory but maybe they will resonate with other people's stories.