A child that attends a boarding school will face a very obvious challenge -- family isolation. More often than not, a child enters a boarding school that is not within his home town or even his own state. A student will be isolated from his family, close friends and other loved ones that can bring valuable support during his youth years and development. Children that enter into boarding schools may feel they are missing out on family life and will run the risk of missing events such as family get togethers, birthday parties and even sibling graduations.
Unlike a public school or even private school within your hometown, a boarding school will provide your child with strict structure and educational demands. The curriculum offered at boarding schools is typically more intense. Though it intends to help your child advance her education and exceed the students of a local school, this type of expectation can cause a lot of stress on a child, especially if she is struggling within a particular topic or area. These types of expectations and rules may explain why children are more apt to rebel in boarding schools than public schools.
A child that enters into the boarding school environment will constantly be at school. Most boarding schools offer extracurricular activities and academic events that require your child to remain constantly focused on school. Even though this will provide him with an excellent education, it can actually limit your child's private time. Children will not have time to sit and relax, read or even watch television for the majority of their boarding school experience.
When your child is at home, they have other things to do outside of school. Whether it is hanging out at home, playing with friends in the yard or going to the local park, there are more than enough distractions to take their minds off their studies. In the boarding school environment, everything is school-related. Free time becomes activities that the school hosts, relaxation involves relaxing in a dormitory at school and all of your child's friends are associated with their school as well. Students are more stressed to achieve excellence and meet expectations in their boarding school, and this can rub off on their fellow students, especially their roommates. Some students may develop anxiety or depression due to the lack of the outside world as well, according to a study by Get the Right School.