The Australian Boarder Parent Handbook

For many Australian parents, the decision to send a child to boarding school is among the hardest choices they will ever make. Selecting a suitable boarding house is paramount, as this environment and its values will have an enormous influence on your child's development during their formative adolescent years. Thankfully, most young people grow to enjoy boarding and benefit from the opportunities it provides, developing networks and gaining skills that will set them in good stead for the rest of their lives.

Dr Kate Hadwen's passion for boarding has led her to undertake vital research aimed at understanding and meeting the needs of Australian boarding students and their families. The Australian Boarder Parent Handbook is based on this research, but it is also inspired by the years Kate has spent observing the courageous and resourceful manner in which parents and children have overcome the challenges they've experienced while boarding. Topics covered in the handbook include the following:

• selecting a boarding house
• preparing your child for boarding
• choosing transitioning activities
• understanding and overcoming homesickness
• what to do when things go wrong