You’ve already taken a bigger step than most parents do this
early in life by sending
your children to boarding high schools to get them
the best education you can. Come to find out there are unspoken rules for just
about everything regarding them going away.
As someone who’s new to this you have a lot of questions.
How much do you get to interact with your students? What is the fine line
between visiting enough and a little too much? What makes for the best visit? By
setting a few guidelines for yourself, you can make sure that your students get
the most out of their boarding high schools experiences away from home, without
losing their close relationship with you.
Unexpected Visits
Aren’t a Good Thing
The younger your students are, the harder it will be for
them to adjust to going away to their boarding high schools. The adjustment curve comes as they
learn about their new roommate’s habits, get used to their class load, and
become more independent away from you.
Your student may call or email about how much they miss
being home with you, but don’t let that be your cue to visit them too often.
Set a specific date that you’ll be there, whether it’s for parent’s weekend or
their first basketball game. Having a set date lets them focus on what they
need to at school while still having something to look forward to.
Let Your Student Be
Your Guide
When visiting their boarding high schools, it’s easy to let
your students’ grades be the focus. Of course you want to know how they’re
doing, and that’s why they have counselors and advisors. Instead of focusing on
their grades, praise them for their independence.
Take the chance to follow them around their boarding high
schools campuses to bridge the gap between their two worlds, home and school. Not
only will you get to see their favorite places on campus that they’re always
talking about over the phone with you. But you will also get to meet the people
who are most important to them in their day to day life.
Spoiling Isn’t a Bad
Thing
Your students who took the leaps to boarding high schools
don’t get the every day perks that come with living at home. They don’t get the
snacks in the pantry or the special dinners that they once lived for.
While some see spoiling your students with a special weekend
as overcompensating, it’s really just a way to make them feel special. Taking
them to their favorite restaurant or sneaking away to a local baseball game
like you used to is bringing a piece of nostalgia to them. These special visits
and weekends spent with you are what will stick with them as they grow older.
Kenadee Hatch is an academic writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and
content marketing agency. Information provided by Wasatch Academy. Follow on
Twitter.
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