Hmmm, my mum was down on boarding schools: her little sister sent my cousin to one. So I grew up believing in "what's the point of having children to give them to others to look after."

Yeah well, can't be a SAHM so got used to that idea pretty quickly.

And, looking at it, boarding school was the best thing for my cousin. He's a great chap now. I wish I'd been to boarding school as a teen. Or my sister had. Or we both had gone to different ones. Far better going to boarding school for a bit than ending up disliking your mother!

I want DS to go to a boarding school, but one nearby so he comes home at night. Because of the way you meet so many people with so many backgrounds - who will be returning to those cultures so don't feel as if they have to lose them. Because of the opportunity to stay over if he needs to, for whatever reason (hmmm, that thought is putting me off more children!).

Sometimes people need to get away from everything. When you need to do that before you're an adult, boarding school can be the best thing that happens to you. I hope that's the case for your DD.