Leaving Home At Eight | Boarding School Children 

When the nurse tells April its really difficult for her parents to hear her distress....so now its the 8 year old child's responsibility to protect her parents emotions on top of everything she is going through !!8 years old is far too young to be separated from the family in this way and will cause a huge amount of trauma for the child.The parents should have taken into consideration the fact that they are an army family who would be moving around alot before having children

To tell the child (who is already not feeling well) that their parents will feel too sad if she talks to them, makes her feel like it would be her fault that her parents feel sad. This is wrong…

I don't know how this is legal. I wonder how many studies have been done on the longterm impacts on children who experience separation in boarding school. I don't think boarding schools for children under the age of 13 should even exist. This is a heartbreaking first world cruelty.

Parents are the primary influence. You can't send your kids away in their formative years and be upset if they turn out how you don't want. Kids need to be home.

what's the point of having kids if you miss out on their entire childhood and have them raised by strangers.

Childhood is so short, shipping children off to boarding school is ridiculous. Parents are supposed to be the role model for their children, not some random grown-ups/teachers. Unconditional love on a daily basis is so important. Family is important.

I cried when I moved out for university. Can’t imagine how this little girl felt. I could never send my child to boarding school because even though you are a parent for life, you’re missing such fundamental years. Your child will grow up and move out and before you know it, you’ll spend even less time with them

Boarding school saved me - an orphan at 8 I discovered a " family" I felt safe, and now at 78, I still have great memories ❤

feel so bad for some of these children :(

I went to a boarding school from the age of nine, and i loved it. Admittedly, it was tough at furst but i soon got used to the routine, it made the bond with my parents even stronger and made me into a confident, independent woman.

My sister went to boarding school at 15. She had a great experience but her morals are nothing similar to how we were brought up. Because of this, I will NEVER send my children to boarding school. Especially so young.

Would be really interesting to do a follow up on these children who were sent away to school when they were so young. I tend to think it would have a lasting emotional effect. Princess Diana’s brother Charles certainly seemed to have had a truly horrible time at boarding school.

I can't imagine sending my kids to boarding school my daughter is just about to turn 8 and she is my baby I would simply not be able to send her away, how heart breaking. 😢

TBH I cried when they said Symone had home sickness, cause in the 5th grade we had camp, and I had the worst case of homesickness, and it truly is a horrible feeling, and I felt so sorry for her and she is only 8

10:52 the other girl hugging Simone is so sweet. The other girl probably felt sad also but put it aside to help her new friend.

I was raised in an army family and I could not imagine in my wildest dreams not traveling to all the wonderful places that we lived. I certainly didn't lack stability because my mum was always there!

I’m sure this kid will definitely get home sick being away from her family for that long 😢

2010 ... that's 14 years ago, I wonder how they're doing now.

I know someone who sent her 8 year old.son boardinf school. He came back a different person, soulless, blank and empty ,she regretted it

If I was the first mom who visited there is no way I’d be able to leave two girls behind to cry. I would either take all of them or spend the time at the school with all of them. I’d hate to think that another mom would do that to my child. Especially since they’re so little and can’t fully understand why they don’t have their moms and then here comes a mom and she takes her kid and another girl and excluded two of them

Then I went to boarding school was the first term horrible but then I got used to it too. It is now 12 years ago and I am very happy that I went to the school and it gave me very much.

Understand parents, that your children will be affected for life. My parents stuck me in a boarding school at 16 to get rid of me. I am almost 80 and have never recovered.

I remember watching this a few years ago and wondering how the children were. They’d be in their 20’s now I believe.

"Keep yourself really busy and get yourself really tired" sounds like the making of burned out adults with no coping skills. This is awful for children. I already hate the system with parents having to send their children to daycare/school in order to work, only to spend maybe 6 waking hours with them 5 days a week until they grow up. But this, is on another level. What's the point of having children ony to do this to them?

I have separation anxiety with my parents and can’t sleep anywhere without them (can’t sleep at any family members or friends house) and just watching this makes me so sad

Why would anyone put a little girl thru so much pain😢

A sacrifice she's making?! 😒😑

I went to boarding school and loved it, yes the first week or two are hard but i had a lot of fun and went home on the weekends. In a way you get just to the routine of going home on weekend and being in boarding school though out the week . Here in Belgium its not always the parents choice but that of the government when parents for example can’t care for them full time because of mental problems themselves or behavioural problems of the child. Here you can go to boarding school of age 6 and up. In my school the older children would help the jonger ones or new ones with the homesickness or other problems, like one big caring family here you make friends for life.

I can’t imagine sending my kids to boarding school. These kids are so traumatised. I hope they get through it. It’s unnecessary trauma.

It is the worst think you can do to any child!!!! I have a friend that went to boarding school. They are institunalized. She has so many problems now that she is a grown up, you can not imagine. They grow up away from real life.

I was a gap assistant at a prep school and looked after 8-13 year olds and it was difficult for some, but most really enjoyed the experience and were excited to board from 4th year. On the other hand, I have a 9yo daughter and there is no way she'd cope. She doesn't even cope will without me for a night and says she refuses to go on school camp.

Why is there a male “housemaster” looking after young girls?

Lots of comments from people with opinions but no experience. My whole childhood, Dad was also in the Army. By the age of 8 I had already lived in 6 homes, in 4 countries (UK, Germany, Malawi, Hong Kong), and was in my 4th school. Dad was also due to be posted again, from the UK to Germany. The amount of disruption was significant. My parents were also disappointed by the fact that for example, I was being held back in various ways at school, to, as my teacher had explained, to allow the other kids in the class to catch up. I was at boarding school from 8 to 13, during which time my parents lived in Germany. I would travel back home for the main holidays (Easter, Summer, Xmas), and once a year or so, Mum would travel back to the UK during term time, or usually for half term. This was in the era before mobile phones and internet. Every few weeks or so, Mum or Dad would phone Matron's phone in the evening and we'd get to chat, but otherwise there was minimal communication, the odd letter here and there, but to an 8,9,10 year old, letters don't mean much to be honest. The quality of education I got was far greater than I'd had previously. I also played sport every single day, which doesn't happen in state education and was a big culture shock when I returned to state education at 13. I was about a year ahead when I started at the state school. A dorm with 3 others, nope, not what I experienced. My school's dorms were about 15 beds, no home comforts other than a duvet. The biggest issue I had was that I was supposed to go from the Prep School to another boarding school where I would have continued on till 18. For various reasons my parents made the decision to keep me at home, and instead I went to the local forces school in Germany from 13 to 16, then a college in the UK, then another college in Germany, so 3 more educational establishments instead of the alternative of just 1. I look back at my time at boarding school with much fondness and made some lifelong friends. In contrast I lost touch with all of my neighbours, or 'friends' that were at home, as we went on to live in another 4 places from age 9 onwards. Some of the comments are bizarre to say the least, 'I don't how this is legal' wtf are you talking about? 'That is child abuse', and so on. As the saying goes 'Do not mock what you do not understand'.

Both my parents and both of my older siblings all went to boarding school when I was six years old my dad told me I should go as it would be good for me. I went on a tour and was shown into a room with other six-year-old borders. It was the most depressing scene I’d ever experienced.(at age six!)I had to beg from the age of 6 to 11 to not go to boarding school.I thought I was really lucky as I never ended up going, but now as an adult, I kind of regret it as my siblings both had a great time. While my education wasn’t that great.

Alot of these ppl in the comments don’t understand the trauma of never feeling at home because you are constantly having to move around, boarding school can have its positives and negatives just like normal school. But these kids are going to keep friendships and not miss out on parts of education and fall behind. Yes it’s sad they are away from their parents but this is better than feeling like you never fit anywhere, that you cant heal.

I don't think a man shod be in charge of those young girls like that . He's NOT a mother figure , like a " matron " would be . I wouldn't send my daughter into a situation like this.

Wow how can any parent bare to be away from their little ones 😢so so young and all they need is their mummy’s. 8.30-3pm is long enough at school. My son went on a school residential Monday - Friday and it was torture for me and he was 10 years old. I wonder if these children will develop abandonment issues later in life. So cruel and so sad.

Poor wee pets just learning to distance themselves from their parents.. kids should never get used to not missing their parents...even seeing the effect on the gap year student.. she was fighting back the tears...so hard to watch...😢

I literally begged my parent to send me to boarding school. Not because of my home life. We have a great family. I just loved the idea it. They never sent me though lol

Interesting how April and his brother always talk about missing mom and never mention their dad

This just seems cruel. If you think your kid being away from home for weeks at a time, talking to them twice a week on the phone, is a good thing, you shouldn’t be a parent. The boys playing terrorists was appalling. This would have been my absolute worst nightmare as a kid. Poor babies!

I'm not opposed to boarding schools and I think they can be very good but it really depends on the personality and temperament of the child and I think that it shouldn't start before age 12 or 13. 8 is just too young!! What also disturbed me is when the older brother states that he purposely doesn't go home so he doesn't have to face the heartache of separation. That sounds like avoidant attachment in the making. Don't destroy a child's healthy attachment. The desire to be close to your parents is a good thing! If the separation is overly distressing for the child, then they aren't ready. Wait a few more years. Also, i found it quite alarming that a man would be in charge of the 8yo girls' dorm.

💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔This is a way of saying you dont want a relationship with your child nor raise them. There should be no reason kids go to boarding school unless they are troubled kids or kids that are in highschool and want to experience that. I depise this, it makes me ill to my stomach. I have never been without my child and i even work in the school system so i can have off when my child does and work a summer job while being able to have my child with me. Thats love, thats dedication. Not this crap these parents are doing. Dont be crying when you're old and they want nothing to do with you. You dont get my sympathy.

This should be shown to every parent before sending kids to boarding school

Just no, I don't think any child at the age of eight should be sent to boarding school, it is far too young, I truly believe that children need their parents all their lives but especially when they are minors, send them if you have to when they are teenagers, to teach them all the abilities and strategies that you want them to have to cope with in the big wide world that they will have to deal with, I am a mother and could never ever have coped with my child crying for me, I have experience of someone who went to boarding school at a young age and always felt rejected by their parents, I know it is a very controversial subject but I think children belong in their loving home environment with their parents to guide and support them through the difficult childhood issues, problems, dilemmas etc that it brings, it is not up to the school or house parents to do this, it's our job as parents, we had them, now that is just truly my opinion, no offence meant to anyone.

I went to boarding school when i was 6 years old many many holidays alone in those big schools didnt see my brothers for many years so so lonely! I swear all my life never to do that to my kids and im happy i never did

My nephew is climbing the corporate ladder, and his son is 10 and has been in a different school every other year since Kindergarten. He makes the moves. They do choose to send him to a private school so he is not so over whelmed with huge public school, but they would never send him Away. Just not normal for the US.

I hope this kids are alright and have good relationships with their parents, but personally i would never want anything to do with my parents had they send me away for no reason. There are intances in which the parents are forced to make such decisions, but when there isn't any, it just, feels wrong. Why would you accept not being with your child?

Boarding is something you have to want to do by yourself but it can be a good time. Even when it is difficult in the beginning. As soon as you have friends it is so much better.

From being soft and loving they go pale and cold and voices and demeanour hardens. That little girl desperately clinging to her friends mum that was tragic. The reality is heartbreaking and devastating.

Este documental me hizo doler el alma! No veo como un niño extrañando a su mamá a cada segundo...sabiendo que no la va a ver, que no va sentir sus abrazos por la noche, puede crecer y desarrollarse emocionalmente de manera positiva.

What a horrific thing to do to your children. Sadistic really. Why can’t the children stay with their parents even though they are in the military?? How weird and sickening

The poor mothers going against their instincts to do that they perceive is “best.”

The poor child sucking her thumb is clearly traumatized.

That mom should have put her foot down with the dad and said no she will not be going away.

This saddens me. I suffered from terrible home sickness as a child. I would be fine during the day, but as evening came along I would get physcially ill, throwing up and everything. Thankfully, my parents NEVER forced me to stay away from them. Everytime I tried and started to get ill, they would come and pick me up, even if it was in the middle of the night. I can't imagine any loving parent to send their child away and to watch them cry and turn them away like that. If your career is more important to you than raising your children, then don't get children. It's as simple as that.

Ugh they still need parents at 8! 😫

That poor child just learns to cut off her feelings

Wow, taking care of a dog, but not your child. My mother died when I was 17. So thankful she wanted to spend that time with me.

I dont get sending children as young as 8 to boarding school. Secondary school aged children, 11 and above at the youngest is better because at least they should have a lot of the skills needed, and they go up to secondary school for more independence. But 8! They dont have a lot of the skills. Like one of the girls was having her hair done. The girl wont be able to do that yet, and I doubt the school are going to. I think about my brother of a similar age, he needs reminding to shower, brush his teeth, his clothes put out for him, his cereal poured ready for him in his bowl, etc. how can you send a child who has that much dependence on his family as a source of support, to sending them away to suddenly do these things themselves, and maybe seeing their family at Christmas or summer

This is def a repost I was excited this was a new one 😢

Why do you send your kids off you can't handle them or no time for them that's sick shame on you all

It's so sad, that mother claimed she had to sacrifice, but they force the biggest sacrifice onto their children. Honestly, if you don't have time to care for your kids, why not use contraception in the first place? Poor babies. :(

That guy looks like a creep 😅 looking after little girls not under my watch 😂

The father who wanted his kids to go to boarding school because he went at 13 should have at least waited until his girls were 13 instead of sending them at age 8.

Sending your 8 year old to boarding school is crazy it’s just unnecessary emotional stress

April desperately hugging someone else’s mum made me choke up. Then for that mother to turn her back 😢 I’d love an update on how their lives are now and how this experience shaped their future.

This broke my heart. The feeling of abandonment has never left me and I’m in my 50’s. I vowed never to send mine and I never did. I love my kids far too much to make them feel like that 😢

Italian here! 'Stop it or I send you to boarding school' was actually the ultimate threat my father said when me and my older sister weren't behaving well during our childhood.. I considered it so scary

Stability is staying with loving parents no matter where they need to move

I don’t think children are ever better off , being without their parents, I think moving as a family , is an adventure

A grown man should not be running a little girls dorm 😮

11:35. 'The tricks are to keep yourself really busy'... So bury the feelings.. and let them emerge later in life.

horrible! there is no relationship between the siblings, parents and children. I dont know why these people had children. this is the future of children not having any connection with family anymore. Bad enough this country doesn't have better affordable daycare for parents so they can work and we need better schools for our kids so they dont grow up screwed up.

It’s not for April, she misses hugs! She is self soothing by sucking her thumb ! She even wants hugs from others sooo much

For me, boarding school feels like a place parents send their kids so they dont have to deal with them.

Sandra--YOU are her stability. She doesn't need a consistent building,, she needs YOU.

Sorry but it seems like those fathers just dont want to deal with their children. Those mothers are devastated.

I went to boarding school from age 10 to 16. Most of my friends parents were in the armed forces and were sent there because their parents moved a lot. My parents sent me there because they were busy with their business in Spain. Even though I had a good education I don't have that emmense love feeling and bond for my parents. I think it's because I grew up seeing them only three times a year. I grew up into a cold person who finds it hard to show my love. I blame it on attending boarding school in those years and the feeling of being left there.

My dad was sent to a boarding school as a kid and I can see the impact it's had on him. I went to a boarding school when I was 16, and even at that age I found it quite difficult. But the worst part was seeing the younger kids and hearing them talk about their parents... one little girl would brag about everything her parents brought for her, and act out in school to try and get their attention... I always felt so sorry for her, it was obvious to me that she had issues. I hope she's okay now.

My parents moved house often when I was a child. I attended four different schools between 6 and 12 years of age. As disruptive as this was, I feel it was definitely preferable to boarding school. I had the security of nurturing parents, providing one on one attention and care. Boarding school simply cannot provide that.

It broke my heart to see April happy to see Lottie's mom just to have a mom on campus and the mom refusing to hug April until she wiggled into her arms. These kids are desperate for familial affection that they will take it from a stranger. I could never send my child away so young. They are just not ready.

There is no reason to do that to your kid. At 8 years old, this is ridicilous. That is almost child abuse. Why do you even have kids, when you send them away most of the time.

Ok. A man looking after 8 year old girls. He just basically walked right in. No way in my book.

The mum who said she didn't mind boarding so much because she doesn't have to shout at her daughter to get ready or do her homework. So basically...you're happy not to parent anymore...

This is ridiculous! All this unnecessary stress and anxiety on these kids. Let kids be kids. This makes them grow up faster than necessary. Its gross.

I could never do this. Parents and children belong together.

These poor babies. The trauma response from this abandonment will be evident sooner than later. 😢

At the end, the kids have learnt to handle the pain and control their feelings. But the scar will remain for life.

I would divorce before I ever considered sending my children away. Absolutely not.

For people who had a good relationship with their parents, this would be hard. Me, on the other hand, I feel like I would have done so much better in life had I gone to boarding school.

Children aged 8-11 need more parental touch and warmth. Many parents enroll their children in boarding schools due to their inability to provide adequate care. The appropriate time to consider boarding school is when children enter their teenage years. This ensures they receive essential emotional support during their formative years, which is crucial for their development and well-being.

Poor kids. Kids need parents, home and hugs ❤

The girls seem rather distant from their fathers.

The mother with tears in her eyes. Never lie to ur kids and say you are happy when you are NOT! Tears are an emotion that should be expressed honestly and never hidden. Especially with an 8 year old young child!!!

Ever since I was born due to my dads job we moved every 3 years to a different country and my “stability” was being with my family 😊. Kids adapt very well to change.

Watching an 8 year old try to comfort an abandoned 8 year old is horrendous.

Is no one concerned that an adult male is in charge of little eight year old girls!!!! That’s sick!

My dad was in the army and he just travelled around and we never saw him but me, my mum and brothers stayed in the same place so stuff like this wasn’t necessary

This initially aired in 2010. I hope that the children - now adults - are living happy lives. The carer, making April promise to stop getting upset shouldn't be doing this job. Absolutely appalling.