While choosing a school for your child is a battle in itself, preparing them for boarding school is a challenge in its own right. Boarding school can be a significant change for a child. There they will need to learn new skills to feel confident in their transition into a new lifestyle. Such a change can cause your child to feel distressed and may impact their mental health or well-being, making it an adjustment that should be taken seriously. Here is all you need to know about getting your child ready for their new life.

Keep Them Involved

Boarding school is a new experience that will have an effect on your child’s life and well-being. It is important to value their opinions and views on the situation and let them know you are accommodating to their needs. Keeping your child involved in every step of the process will help to feel confident in the decision and in themselves as they transition.

It could be beneficial to reach out to other students who have already begun their education at a boarding school and listen to their feedback. They could raise important issues that you otherwise might not have thought of, and they could provide insight to your child to help keep them at ease.

Tackle Anxiety about Staying Away from Home

As the time to depart approaches, your child may feel anxious about sleeping away from home. This is a very normal feeling that can be helped with gradual and positive opportunities to stay away from home. One way to approach this issue is by planning brief overnight stays to help your child feel more comfortable staying somewhere else. Consider planning stays with family or friends and gradually increasing the length of stay in small steps.

This approach might be overwhelming for children who are especially nervous. To accommodate their needs without pushing any boundaries, try providing a caregiver to stay with them at home while you stay somewhere else for the night. This allows your child to become accustomed to your separation without too much stress.

Build Their Confidence

The environment at the boarding school may be different than what your child is accustomed to. They may struggle with comparing themselves to their peers and teammates at their new school and have trouble maintaining self-esteem. Be intentional about celebrating your child’s efforts with praise and positivity, and refrain from only praising their accomplishments.

Advise Them on Sharing a Space

Sharing a space with other children can be a new opportunity that your child may need some guidance on. Discuss important topics with them, such as being respectful of others’ personal space and belongings. These skills can be practiced at home with siblings and family members, as well as in the classroom with peers.

Along with teaching your child to respect others’ spaces, be sure to provide them with the tools to take care of their own space. Motivate your child to practice good home habits with chores and other household tasks. Encouraging tidiness and organization early on can help them feel confident in taking responsibility for themselves. 

Develop a Routine

While living at home, your child may rely on you to assist them in staying on top of their schoolwork and belongings. Find simple ways to help develop their organizational skills in their everyday life. For instance, encourage them to try packing their belongings for school and creating a useful checklist to help them remember what they need to pack. You can also teach them everyday skills such as implementing a planner, making their bed in the morning and preparing simple snacks for themselves.

Life at boarding school tends to be very structured and disciplined. Helping your child to get into the habit of a routine similar to that of the school they’ll be attending can help ease the adjustment period and help them understand what to expect. You can start by planning meals for specific times or enforcing bedtime and wake-up time.

Familiarize Them with the Environment

Your child will be adjusting to a whole new environment. Scheduling a visit to their new school and browsing the website together can help them gain an understanding of what to expect, and they will feel more comfortable in a familiar environment. If possible, schedule a meeting with their teachers to get to know them as well. The teachers will be familiar faces which can help comfort them as they enter a whole new territory. For parents, these can be beneficial steps to take to help understand the child’s new environment.

Discuss Tools to Make Friends

Forming new bonds can be an intimidating experience for your child as they start their new life. Aside from friendships that can be made by connecting with other students’ families, encourage your child to establish relationships of their own by being involved. By participating in activities they enjoy, they will be exposed to other students who have similar interests. Be prepared to take a step back from communication in the beginning as they settle in and take part in activities.

Another way to provide some familiarity on campus is by connecting with other students and their families. Your child will have a friend to reach out to off the bat, as well as the added bonus of you having other parents to reach out to. Some schools will host events to get to know the school and peers, which can be extremely helpful for the students to attend, as many of them will connect with each other there.

Discuss Homesickness Coping Strategies

Being away from home for a long period of time might have your child missing the comforts of home. Explain that homesickness is a common experience for people of all ages and discuss possible coping strategies to help get them through it. Providing some items that comfort them, such as photographs, plush toys, or treats, can help them feel better if things get tough. Research shows that comfort foods can positively affect emotions and decrease stress, so including snacks your child enjoys could be a beneficial treatment. Discuss the ways you will stay connected while apart, such as via phone calls or letters.

Familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms so that you will know if your child is experiencing homesickness. Some symptoms could include:

• A decrease in involvement in activities or in the classroom

• Spending an increased amount of time alone or in their room

• Increased contact with home

The transition to a boarding school lifestyle is a big step for students and parents alike. It’s important to prioritize your child’s well-being and be attentive to their needs. Whether you’re seeking assistance with school placement, tutoring, or other wellness services, The Veda Group can help you with the entire spectrum of education and wellness needs. The Veda Group has a 100% customer satisfaction rate due to our ability to quickly address any mental health, well-being, or crisis situations. For a free consultation or more information, visit www.thevedagroup.com.