Midway through Term 3, boarding families feel the strain—tired kids, long travel, rising costs and behaviour challenges. Here’s how parents can work with schools, know
Leading the charge with warmth and determination for ICPA Queensland. In this episode I chat with Wendy Henning from Glenmorgan in the ‘middle of everywhere’
Hello to you all it’s lovely to have you back here at Destination Boarding. We’re popping into your podcast feed with a few BONUS episodes
As a parent sending your child off to boarding school, it can be overwhelming to navigate this transition. Not only do you want your child
Kate Kennedy, mother and farmer from Trangie, shares her journey running a 3000-ha farm, raising four kids, and navigating rural life with resilience.
In this episode, I sit down with Phillip Heath, Head of Barker College, to discuss a key topic from this year’s Australian Boarding Schools Summit—Academics,
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Lisa Fahey, a psychologist specialising in trauma recovery and behavioral interventions for young people. As a mother of five
Our mighty patriarch, my husband’s father died peacefully of old age at 94. None the less, it was avery sad and distressing day for all
Let’s chat about something close to my heart – the beautiful friendships that find us when our kids venture into the world of boarding school.
Here at Boarding Schools Expo Australia, we have first hand experience of the ‘empty nest blues’ and although Term 1 is coming to an end,
This is the 2022 revised edition. Compiled from the real-life experiences of families who have gone before.
Have you been at the receiving end of an emotional ‘distance dump’?
I take a look at an interview piece in The New Yorker,
The emotions that come with being a boarder – and equally, a boarding family – are a bit like learning how to dance the tango…..
I imagine that as a parent, it’s with a heavy heart that you worry for your child’s wellbeing, it’s with angst that you wonder if
Dr Justin Coulson, from Happy Families, goes through a series of questions that will help you determine whether or not a boarding school aligns with
Dr Justin Coulson, from Happy Families, discusses the important topic of helping your child transition to boarding school. Key points include: Watch Justin’s video, where
Dr Justin Coulson answers the important question “what are some healthy habits that every student should know about before they start boarding school?”. He touches
Connection is critical for healthy relationships with our kids. But how do you maintain a strong relationship with your child when you’re physically apart? Dr
Dr Justin Coulson, from Happy Families, chats about the factors to consider when choosing a boarding school, in addition to friends, philosophy and fun which
Dr Justin Coulson, from Happy Families, discusses the all-important questions parents ask themselves when considering boarding school for their child—”is boarding school right for my
During the teen years our children’s friendships become increasingly complicated, volatile and important. Suddenly friends and friendships begin to mean everything to our teens, and
Connecting with teens can be challenging. The stereotype tells us that our sweet, loving child has turned into an argumentative, rebellious young person. More likely,
It’s normal for children to feel scared, homesick, lonely, or unsure. Here’s how to make the transition to boarding school easier. Every January boarding schools
Our teens’ mental health can be impacted by distance from family and loved ones. Here’s what to expect if you are sending your children to
Starting boarding school, or any new school for that matter, can be a bit of an upheaval for teens. But being armed with information can
Your teen is getting ready to venture out into the boarding school world. Encouraging independence in your teen will help them be prepared for their new
Boarding school vs day school. When it comes to motivation, engagement and psychological wellbeing, which is the better choice? Boarding schools have been a feature
If you’re wondering how to talk to your daughter about body image, you’re not alone. It’s a conversation that has no beginning or end, but
UPDATE: 25 MarchGood news for those with students at home and working online. Skymuster Plus will have education webpages unmetered and those on standard Skymuster will receive
As our kids made the trek back to their boarding houses for the start of the new school year late last month, we knew many
Katie and Shona Donald You know that finding the right education opportunities are a high priority when a family travels well over a thousand kilometres
Sibling support when living away from home Brother and sister, Will and Emma Benham are both boarders at The Armidale School (TAS), where they’re enjoying
Myfi and Grace Kellahan When nine year-old Grace Kellahan (Year 4) turned up at the 2019 Dubbo Boarding Schools Expo from West Wyalong with her
Boarding Schools Expo marketing communications specialist, Kim V. Goldsmith is mum to a school leaver. She gives a somewhat light-hearted take on the serious topic
One of the great things about Boarding Schools Expo is not just the events we host each year that bring boarding schools and families from
BY RYAN TAYLOR, FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS* Many students upon completion of high school choose to venture off on a “schoolies” trip with friends,
BY RYAN TAYLOR, FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS* The comfort of school will soon be coming to an end for this year’s graduates, with major
Living 50km north of Moree, Jodie and Andrew Crowe had discussed the idea of boarding school before the first of their six children arrived. It
Fiona and Bill Aveyard from Tullamore have approached the search for boarding schools for their brood of four children with an open mind…and some time
BY RYAN TAYLOR, FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIANS* Children learn so much from parents. Unfortunately, managing money is a topic you will also need to
Stephanie Day from Wagga Wagga is a mother of three children – Harry (finished 2014), Lachie (finished 2016), and Sophie (who will finish this year).
Amanda Ferrari hails from Trangie, on the Central Western Plains of NSW. She’s still starry-eyed over the fact that she managed to snag a farmer,
Continuing from our last blog post on the changing face of contemporary boarding, now we look specifically at the needs of boarders, and the expectations
The days of ice-cold showers in open area bathrooms, unidentifiable food, military-style dormitories with regulation bedspreads (hospital corners, please) and white sheets stiff as boards
Exam stress is something most of us have suffered at some point in our lives, whether we remember our own experiences or are living through
Mel and Ado Scolari of Narromine are parents of three children aged between 12 and 19, who have been or are currently at boarding schools
It sounds daunting and expensive, and while that may be so, think of the prospects it offers our children. I was a boarding school child
There is a high likelihood your teen will be exposed to drugs and alcohol in their high school years. There is a good chance that
The seriously impressive Megan Dalla-Carmina, a strategist, coach, writer, speaker and researcher, penned a timeless article titled “The truth about becoming more confident”. In her
Teenage years means an appropriation of space – emotional, intellectual and physically – from an adult. Whilst parents of boarders have accepted (but may not
Protecting our children comes naturally as a parent, what doesn’t come as naturally is protecting them online. Knowing about potential risks and how to deal
Some children are more sensitive than others, which can contribute to their feelings of self worth as they struggle to shrug off negative feelings, or
I’m too tall, not smart enough, too quiet, too loud (yep, at the same time), a corporate banker moonlighting as a yoga teacher & wellness
It’s back to school time already and often it’s hard to know what to pack for your child if it’s their first time at boarding
Entitled and spoiled are two adjectives thrown around a lot about this generation of teenagers and young adults. This often comes from smothering your children
Do you constantly argue with your teenager? Is he or she defiant or rebellious? One of the mums on our team has a 14-year-old boy
It’s easy to be the boss when your child is five. It’s harder to have that same influence when they’re 15. If you were lucky
Whether your child is at boarding school or closer to home, it’s all too easy to end up trying to control kids to keep them
It’s very common to see a friend and think, my goodness, I haven’t seen you in so long, how you’ve changed. It’s harder when it’s
How do we make sure our kids at boarding school aren’t spending their lives on the phone when we can’t get off the darn things
Dr Justin Coulson is a positive psychology researcher, author, and speaker. He is the founder of The Real Men Project, an Honorary Fellow at the
Empty nest syndrome is usually associated with families whose children leave home to gain independence, attend university or get married. But for some parents of
Before long, parents will be packing up their children to return to boarding school after the winter holidays. So what else goes into their bags
When choosing the right school, it’s not like buying clothes – one sizes doesn’t necessarily fit all and you can’t take a few home and
We have spoken to lots of parents recently about the issues they consider when choosing a boarding school to meet the needs of their family.
One of the mums on our Boarding Schools Expo team is having trouble communicating with her teenage son. She’s fallen into the trap of lecturing
Today was National Walk Safely to School Day. This coincided with the release of the Active Healthy Kids Australia report card, which reproted that more
Footy training, music lessons, swim squad, dance rehearsals, maths tutoring, leadership programs… the list goes on. Some children these days seem to have every minute
Is your child on social media when they should be asleep? Do you know how much sleep they actually need to perform at their best
There’s a school of thought that too much praise is harming our kids. They think they are great singers and should win X Factor or
When you choose a boarding school for your child, you are putting a lot of trust in the hands of the school and, in particular,
Introducing our guest blogger: Mrs Judy Duffy, current Head of Boarding for Kambala Girls’ School in Sydney. We know its getting to that tricky time
Homesickness affects people in different ways and often at different times. Sometimes it’s fleeting, other times it can hang around for a while. Everyone experiences
We look at why education is a precious gift and why reading aloud to our children is so important. If any of you happened to
We take a look at the debate around giving children their own phone/smart phone or tablet. Almost everyone these days has a mobile phone or
We’d like to start by wishing you all a safe and very merry Christmas and thank you for all the support this year. We know
Bring a Princess is not really a job…. On television today, our kids are bombarded with advertising, product placement and all sorts of mixed messages
The HSC is upon us. Year 12 is a challenging time for kids as it comes at a fairly stressful time for students as they
We are a big fan of the blog by Generation Next – an online resource aimed at protecting and enhancing the wellbeing of our children
Watch the UK Channel 4 Promo Video to see a different side of the Paralympics Do you know that the Paralympics are on? Are you
In our Boarding Schools Expo blog, we have placed a lot of emphasis and research in our articles on setting a good example and the
With 20 million children actively using Facebook, how do we let our children keep up with technology while also protecting them from cyber bullying? A
Internationally, high schools are feeding grounds for social cliques, strategic playground seating arrangements, cyber bullying and mean girl queen bees who torment the nice kids
He or she who owns a problem, solves the problem. It’s a simple philosophy and one that Australia’s leading parenting educator, Michael Grose promotes as
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Created to support rural, regional and remote families as they plan the next chapter for their children. Open to families with children currently in Year 3 and above, and to those already on their boarding journey, this competition celebrates the courage it takes to look beyond your postcode and pursue opportunity. Entries close Friday 5 December 2025
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