A child this young needs to be with their family

April’s dad has the emotional range of a teaspoon.

Did anyone else notice April throwing herself at Lottie’s mum when she came on that first Wednesday? That was so sweet but so sad!

"You close your eyes and think you're in your own bed and wake up say 'awe, this isn't my home" - April (8 yo) :((((

I don’t understand how turning your child over to complete strangers at the age of 8 is a good thing?? The goal to keep them “so busy they don’t think of home” is the main reason they are simply too young to be away from home. I know I’m American and I don’t “understand” the ways of England, but as a mother of grown daughters and currently having an 8 yr. old granddaughter, I just can’t imagine this as a way of life. Your child is a child for a limited amount of time, and then they leave. Why do you promote this while they are still little?

I believe parents should raise their children, not schools and housemasters or house mistresses or whatever they’re called.

You only have 18 years to be with them! If you can’t commit to raising them, why did you have them? My child went to public schools, and is exceptionally smart, and has earned her Doctorate degree. I would never give up a minute of my time raising her, not a minute!

With boarding schools becoming more and more like a home away from home and large families, I don't think it would be a terrible idea for an older pre-teen or a teenager whose own family was constantly being moved by the military and needed a place of stability and friends to have this life for a few years. But for a child who is only 8 years old and is happy and content, there's no reason to uproot them from an already stable and loving home. Too many kids don't have that and it's important they develop a sense of family before it's lost in being shuffled from school to home and back again. All of the families in this documentary seemed to truly love their children and just want to do what was best for them. It's in regards to April that I'm not sure if boarding school was best for her.

What completely unnecessary emotional distress for these young children. It would be far less emotional for them to move around with their family.

The Mom needs to take her babies n run away from that emonional stone...shes obviously hurting n misses her kids. Kids over a man especially one thats got no personality or heart.

"Do you want to know why I'm crying? Because I'm happy." Even the daughter isn't that naive lol

Don't send children away. These are formative years, you want your influence to be there. Not some strangers. I don't care how nice they are, it's not a family environment. Too much like Scientology. No one will love them as you do. That's the unique role of the parent.

I cried like a baby sending 2 of mine off to college at 18. So I know I couldn’t of done this. At all.

Interesting that they consider it to be a success when the children finally detach and no longer miss their mum.

Don't have children if you plan on sending them away! If you think you are doing them a favor, you're Absolutely incorrect! We become recently throughout the tears, to the point where we feel UNLOVED.

When I see this I fell sick... when I was 8 my parents would hardly let me spend 3 days at my granny's house... it's just so sad I am 14 now and have a pretty normal relationship with my parents. What kinda of a relationship will these kids have with there parents ???

I was sent to a boarding school at the age of 13, it was very traumatic. I was able to see my family only at the holidays (I was an international student) and also you are left to yourself to deal with things like bullying, it does happen and as you can imagine you end up eating, studying and sharing the same room with ppl who you do not get on with

I was sent to boarding school at age 5 years. Result - no connection with my parents or siblings. We are all past 30 years and disconnected emotionally as a family.

Bruh the parents have the emotions of a glass of water

Mummy showing emotion, "Mummy is silly isnt she" - Child's thinking "Showing emotion is silly"....child as an adult - "Why do i feel so awful, I need to take prozac"

39:22 This woman feels like she's suddenly lost her purpose because she's not really a "mom" anymore. That's devastating. :(

I went to boarding school at 13 and I absolutely hated the first year. After that it was fine but 8 is far far too young. It does put distance between the relationships with your family. Your friends become your family. It depends on the personality of the child. It either makes them or breaks them. Really terrible to see

At about 12 minutes when the little girl is crying and the other girl hugs her and pulls her out of sight from the camera. That was sweet. I think the cameras on her crying weren't helpful.

Don't send kids to boarding school that young. They will miss mass part of childhood. They still aren't old enough to cope with home-sickness.

I work for a boarding school but I didn't know that they have this schools in England for 8 years old our youngest are 11 . I am in shock...poor kids.

Does anyone else find it creepy that they have a male overseer in their dorm?

Me and my sister have been at boarding school since we were 10 and it’s the best thing my parents could have done for me! It’s amazing and I love it.

I wish her mom would have admitted she was crying bc she’d miss her. Instead she tried to be, “strong” and positive and I feel like kids don’t need that 100% of the time. People don’t give them enough credit.

As a parent who remembers what it felt like to be a child I believe the most stability a parent can provide is their daily presence. And Ms. King holding back her tears about her experience 🥺.

These young children are learning to become detached from their parents in order not to suffer. How is that good for their wellbeing and their emotional development?!

The whole contact with parents thing reminds me of all the hoops you'd have to go through if someone u loved was in prison

I’d be scared of child abuse, 8 year olds living with strangers. No thanks. Kids can learn from their parents and communities then go to boarding school at 14. Kids need to get to know their parents, this is discounting the ability for parents and the community to teach young children. Might negatively effect emotional bonding and families ties. Girls won’t have memories of parents or even know them. Parents could pass away young and child never knew anything about them. Wouldn’t parents want to instill certain values in their kids by being a role model and have them learn from you and not a houseman. I wouldn’t trust a house man with my kids...what experience does this man have that is superior to that of a father and mother. Not right in my opinion.

Watching this my heart breaks . These kids are to young! Parents please rethink what you are doing.

This is absolutely ridiculous! They are still young children who need their moms. I don't care how many times you have to move, they should be w the parents at this age. This is cruel and completely unnecessary to do this to these little girls.

i’m literally 17 in a month and cry every time i sleep over away from my mom. idk if it’s normal or what but april shattered my heart into pieces. what kind of parent does this to their 8 year old

I cried five time watching this. Like i just feel like this is like torture

An 8 year old that still sucks her thumb she be home. My heart hurts for her as a mom and you can tell her mom is questioning her choice too. I genuinely hope this works out best for all the girls.

Wow these kids get to see their parents once a week ,in my country Zambia Africa, I only got to see my mum once after 3 months👀😂😂😂I cried until I could cry no more.

i love how it cuts to aprils brother having the time of his life

Seems like they don’t feel like raising their kids

I never knew how heart braking boarding school can be. I understand if the child is a teenager and they have been given a great opportunity to go to a school etc, but willingly sending your child away is a bit harsh

I went to a boarding school at 9 and everyone cried at night but no one talked about it. It was considered weak. I got to see my parents after 2 and a half months.

that lady helping April out is so kind

In the United States my understanding is that many army or service families homeschool so that the moving around doesn’t take them in and out of schools

As a girl that grew up in a dificult home this looks like a dream, I would have lived this

My son will going to college next year and I am already getting sad about it. I couldn't imagine at 8 or 10 years old sending him away. These parents are way stronger than me.

She is also gonna miss you! You are a family for heaven sake.

Boarding school is actually not a bad solution for children who come from dysfunctional families/parenting. They need stability and structure. Many students in the inner city would benefit from this, especially since it will help them develop good study habits and a strong work ethic. Such students need responsible adults in their lives who will give them consistency.

8? Wayyyyyyy to young.

Why didn’t Lottie’s mom take the twins? Just as she let Sarah come along, would it have been a burden to take the other girls as well?

I didn't stop CRYING WITH YOU MY PRINCESSE APRIL😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢She needs to be feeding with LOVE MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Smashed feelings School😲😲😲😲😲😲

I know a few people that have went to private school and ended up in ordinary universities. One didn't even go to college. One girl I knew who went to public schools her entire life, then to a public college. After two years there, she transferred to Stanford university.

Dang! Reminds me of my boarding days. There were some tough days.

I understand sending your preteen or teen to boarding school for state ability, but a young child I believe needs to be with their parents. I think as soon as her parents heard they were moving only 3 hours always should have come and got her because then she’ll have a stable home with her parents.

If I had a child and the ability to send them to boarding school I still wouldn't do it I learnt independence from a young age but I still could turn to my mum whenever I needed to

I would divorce my husband before I ever dreamt of letting him “win” that. What a travesty. Intentionally harming your child. It’s a joy and a privilege to parent everyday, I’d never give up a moment.

This is me talking emotionally however what husband does this to his wife and what mother allows him to😡

Has anyone heard any updates about the kids if they stayed or left?

If you are gonna have kids at least raise them. Family is far more important than anything that boarding school promotes. I understand in cases of having to move away constantly or dysfunctional families, boarding school could be a solution but for some normal family to send their kids away? Why? You, as parents, are missing out on great memories and crucial years for their upbringing and you just distance yourselves from them. Let alone that kids can become perfectly successful and get a high level of education in regular schools too with their family and friend’s support and motivation.

Didn’t we already see this episode?

Why have kids just to send them away? Might as well as send them to an orphanage or foster home.

Due to boarding school my relationship with my parents was strained till I was in my late twenties. I hated my mother (the one who wanted me to go because she did) with a burning passion. This all left me with horrible abandonment and trust issues. If your kid wants to go to boarding school let them, but if they do not want to, then do not force them or it will come back to bite you.

April was happy at first but the ending she was crying I felt so bad that I cried

It is like they abandoning them

I feel this is just legal child abuse

I didn’t watch the whole thing.. the mom made me emotional.. 😰 Edit: scrap that, I am watching it. 😠

I went to boarding school when I was 9. After month 2 or 3 almost no one ever got homesick(same for parents) and we were away from our parents for longer than these girls. So even though they seem sad this was all in the first month and it can be that they were just very overwhelmed at the same time. Also my boarding school had a more family approach . And you had more freedom in off hours (3pm-8am). And although my intelligence may not be extremely advanced, I would not be as independent, have gained many other skills or made tons of best friends.

I live in a boarding school and oh boy its like prison

WHY CAN'T MUM PUT CAREER ASIDE UNTIL APRIL IS 12- 14. YOU AREN'T A MUM FOR 8 YEARS. IT IS NOT REASONABLE OR FAIR TO EXPECT A LITTLE 8 YEAR OLD TO ADJUST BEING AWAY FROM PARENTS WHO JUST ABANDONED THEM.

ok but off-topic, if i didn't have sleep anxiety this would literally be so fun

We only have 18 years with our children! Why would ANY mother, regardless of constant moving, want to shorten that amount of time?? l

Boarding school is traumatic enough for me at 18…couldnt imagine any boarding school at 8

April is too young for boarding school 🥺 she can't see her parents

Gosh I feel like I did not went to a boarding school after watching this video, I feel like I went to a military bootcamp. 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ But I still like boarding school because it keeps me away from home, *Yeah I end up not liking to be home after years of boarding school.

I mean I completely get why military families would send their children to a boarding school, im not sure i could do it with my daughters if I was in that situation though. My mom grew up with a dad in the Marines, and was forced to move so much she never once got to make a friend before her family was being shipped out again. It makes me so sad to think about my mom being made fun of and having no one to play with at recess cause she was constantly the "new girl". I think she would of benefitted from being enrolled in a boarding school, she also would of escaped being physicly abused by her father. I also grew up with a huge military base basically in my backyard, so many of my friends were military children. A lot of them had the same issues my mom did when it came to never feeling like they belonged anywhere, making friends, and getting to experience being a child and teen with friends. I mean some military kids you will get to be friends with if your lucky for a couple of yrs, others 6 months. Whats worse is they don't even get to say goodbye to any friends they had managed to make, one day they just aren't in class or on the bus cause their parent/guardian was reassigned. Its just not an easy way to grow up. My mom is in her early 50s a, raised 2 daughter's and many of our friends, has 4 grandchildren, a nurse and successful business owner and she still has issues with feeling like she has a place to call her own, or has really put "roots" down anywhere, and insecurities of being accepted. Even though she is loved by everyone that gets to know her. Its sad.

I know this was filmed a while ago so does anybody know if there are any updates on these kids and how they are doing mentally?

Having been to a boarding school myself at age 12, i am now 39 and a Dr. I would NEVER under any circumstance send or recommend anyone to do so. If an institution raises a child better than parents, its not a sign of how good the institution is, it is a sign instead of how inept the parents are. Boarding school is merely an artificial mode of orphanages. It is a legalised form of child abuse. Homesickness is not a simple cope with it thing. Children are NOT MINI ADULTS!!! The developing brain is very different from a fully developed adult brain. Homesickness is very similar to bereavement (as good as dealing with death). Pure cruelty! Even if they stop crying, its not that they have finally gotten used to it, its simply a normal phase of bereavement, at some point they will stop crying... BUT REST ASSURED, THE DAMAGE IS DONE AND IS LIFE LONG! DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN TO BOARDING SCHOOL!!! Remember, children naturally trust parents. They will agree to whatever you say because they just trust you know best. Its when they grow oldr that you will see it...

"Do boarding schools provide a better education?" We might know if you had bothered to actually talk about the education they're getting

Wish they would do a follow up on this show

It's weird in my country there is an effort to make even the orphanages to look like real homes because the people leaving them are not ready for a real life and have so many issues to coping with life. They found out it was a really bad idea to put kinds into this big facilities cause the young people living there usuually ended on drugs. They were not able to make healthy relationshops etc. These people just institutionalizate the kinds even if it's not necessary.

I think the Ross’s is actually better for be kids, at the boarding school they will be able to keep their friends rather than moving all over the country

Why couldn't they do homeschooling instead? I'm talking about the kids that are having a hard time there. I'm from Minnesota USA tho

I think 8 is to young to leave ur parents. I went to boarding school at 10 y. old. in Germany. It was much stricter. I was happy in boarding school. But my parents could not show affection,never told us : I love you or hug us .iMy education was excellent .I saw my parents every 6 weeks for a few hours and on holidays ,summer vacation .

So sad that one of the 8 year old girls is sucking her thumb.

This is so wrong- nothing is more important than being with your family

When I watched Harry Potter I always thought it could be awesome, but then I remembered Harry hates his home and magic isn’t real. Boarding school looks like a nightmare tbh

So you birth these children and then send them away for 3/4 of the year. They’re literally being raised by strangers. What’s the point of having children if you’re just going to send them away. I find the entire concept incredibly selfish.

Its sad. The children that really need this will never have the opportunity. Yet, others are dumped there unnecessarily.

I would detest being in a boarding school because I hate being around too many people for too long. And I definitely could not share a room with someone else. I cannot share my personal space.

41:40 idk if this is her but I found a yt channel of a girl named lottie and she's in boarding school lol

I don't understand the decision made sending kids off such a young age. Kids at such tender age need constant emotional bonding and support from parents/ family.

By the way this was recorded February 2010... . Passed 10 years back ! I wonder if she continued or enjoyed the family life ! I wish she didn't go through this

Children should not have to learn to cope without their parents

I wish they would do a follow up... where are they now

God this is so sad to watch 💔

I could not do this ? 8 wow sorry I would move them with me. I guess its different over there. Kinda feel sad for the kids. I have 7 kids all lived at home till collage and some stayed here for collage. I guess i just dont understand?

Without mom and dad , they’re exposed to anything , and I mean anything . The guy saying goodnight gave me the creeps . Poor kids .

8 is crazy. That’s practically still a baby.

I think this is an older video.

But for the army family I agree that the children may have been better off with stability. I mean new houses, schools, friends, teachers, places every few years? That’s not a good environment for them. I would do it with my children if it meant that they didn’t have to go through all of that continuously.