Figure 1.-- Children at this age form very strong friendships. There is nothing quite like your friends at 10-12 years of age that can never be recaptured as you grow older. Living together and experience challenges on sports teams with friends is a powerful experience. |
One skill that is often ignored when discussing the prep school program are personal skills. The children, especially at boarding schools, quickly learn to respect the rights and feelings of others. It is in the nature of the younger children to be very self centered. Some of these children come from pampered home enviroments. Many are only children. Thus learning to respect the rights of others and to sometimes give in and not insist on your own way is a very important learning experience. Of course this happens at state day schools as well, but the prep school experience is structured so as to promote this learning experience. Schools vary as to the attention given to this learning experience. Associated with this is the fact that children at this age form very strong friendships. There is nothing quite like your friends at 10-12 years of age that can never be recaptured as you grow older. Living together and experience challenges on sports teams with friends is a powerful experience.
