The cultural and ethnic diversity in boarding schools in India has been one of the prime features for years. It is a clear mirror of the “Unity in Diversity” culture of India, and a special place for children to learn and live.
Top Boarding schools in India for girls are even working hard to create an environment on the school campus that emphasizes diversity, equality, and inclusion. To transform students into more responsible, empathic, and culturally aware young adults, ready for all the joys and challenges.
Where diversity still being one of the blessings, staying away from parents introduces many challenges to boarders. Many parents have said that their children have a little unpleasant experience of living in boarding schools in India. Out of which homesickness remained one of the most distressing concerns parents have shared.
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What is Homesickness?
Homesickness is most prevalent among children studying away from their parents in boarding schools, caused by the stress of detachment of a child from home. The fact that children feel the safest and most comfortable at home makes it pretty normal to react to such issues.
What we don’t know is that even a mere day of feeling homesick can make your child depressed, anxious, and withdrawn. This may often result in a lack of focus in studies, and low self-esteem, and sometimes may lead to developing long-term behavioural issues as well.
Major Causes of Homesickness Among Boarding School Students
When away, almost everyone misses something from home, especially the children living in boarding schools away from the care and comfort of their parents. These are some of the causes of homesickness among children, which we think you should know as parents.
i. Disruption in home comfort
Children may feel a little withdrawn at the start due to an unfamiliar environment. More than anything interruptions in daily routines and lifestyles can lead to increased anxiety, and children in schools may start to feel a little distressed all the time.
ii. Cultural differences and distance
Children may feel slightly homesick at school because of the diversity most boarding institutions practice. Difficulties are often caused by isolation from a group of students from different cultures or ethnicities judging or disliking other students.
iii. Difficulty adapting to new faces
Even if they are successfully enrolled, adapting to this new environment is potentially difficult, in which children are expected to be friends with fellow students, and learn to adapt to adjust in an environment that doesn’t have their parents and siblings.
What to do when you’re homesick at boarding school?
It is hard to feel like you are not making connections with your classmates, but it is as hard for others too. To help you out we want to share 5 tips on how kids in boarding schools can deal with homesickness when they are away from their parents.
Stay connected with family and friends
Studying abroad might make it easy to feel like you are missing out on things back home, but thanks to today’s technology, staying in touch with loved ones is easy/ The best thing you can do to overcome homesickness is to schedule regular phone calls with your family members. You’ll feel more at ease if you use Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram to stay in touch with loved ones.
Become familiar with different cultures
Share your culture Seek out student organizations that do the same or invite other students to join you in celebrating a holiday. Learn about other cultures as well; you’ll discover a lot of fascinating parallels and get to know some new people. Meeting students from other cultures and places helps them learn new values. Similarly, celebrating holidays from various groups helps students feel more connected to one another.
Be welcoming to everyone Have a global outlook
Learning about diverse cultures and customs helps students develop a global perspective. While the diversity of the student body at boarding schools provides students with a lifelong understanding of what it means to live and be a member of a global community.
The best approach to being happy is to meet new people and form friendships. Even if you don’t immediately become friends with others who speak the same language and culture as you, they will unquestionably improve your life. All top boarding schools in India organize events for students, and this may encourage you to learn more about your new place of residence and meet new people.
Create a routine
Having a routine in a new place can help you stop feeling homesick. Such as getting up early, attending a sports game each week, reading, going to the library in your free time, going for a walk, etc. These ordinary routines will keep you grounded on a schedule and help you to spend less time feeling homesick.
Ask for help when needed
When you are at home, the first thing you would be doing is reaching out to parents to complain or if you need anything. The downside is that if you live in a boarding school, you don’t have your parents to go to. But you have teachers and school management to reach out to in case you need help.
Nothing is embarrassing about feeling homesick or wanting to talk about it. You can reach out to people in schools who can give you immediate support when dealing with homesickness. Talk to other students; they are most likely feeling the same way and may have some advice of their own. Talking about your experiences can help you connect with others and develop new acquaintances.
You can support each other and share tips.
Conclusion
It is completely normal to miss your home, family, friends, and pets when you move. It denotes a healthy attachment to your loved ones. It can take some time to adjust to a new environment and make friends with new people.
But don’t worry, you’ve got a bright future ahead of you. The boarding school experience goes beyond academics. Life in a boarding school campus may offer opportunities to develop a strong character along with academic excellence. activities that create an undeniable bond between students.
If you’re a parent who is still concerned about your kids, check out some of our top boarding schools in India that offer a home-away-from-home environment for your children.
How best boarding schools in India address Mental Health issues in Children
1. JAIN International Residential School
JIRS is one of the best boarding schools in Bangalore, and also the pioneer to establish programs to monitor and assist students with homesickness and other mental health issue. The infirmary is located at the heart of the campus and has qualified and dedicated doctors and nurses who not only consult but also provide advisory and counselling services regarding policy.
JIRS also has a Grievance Redressal Cell operated under the direct supervision of the Chief Executive Officer or Public Relations Officer. Students facing any differential treatment socially or otherwise can contact the concerned authorities to raise grievances and seek instant resolution after school hours.
What else JIRS offers for Pupil Welfare
> Infirmary and Counselling
> Reliable security system
> Student Wellness Committee
> Grievance and Redressal Committee
> Sexual Harassment Committee
Know more about JIRS
2. Satluj Public School
Satluj Public School recognises that each child is unique and will make decisions differently from the start. Being the best boarding school in Haryana, it goes beyond academics to care about student’s mental health. With a transitioning programme your child begin enjoying life at Satluj Public School immediately. The programme aimed to re-creating an environment, similar to home comfort. In which each student is monitored and mentored by experts to ensure he receives all of the support he requires throughout the year.
What else they have:
> Easy access to the principal and all staff for one-on-one interaction
> Teachers and coaches who serve as guides and mentors
> House mothers and a pastoral care team quickly form a special bond with each child.
> Child-centred educational and living environments
> Counselors are readily available to discuss anything from the pressures of studies or sports to feeling homesick.
Know more about Satluj Public School
3. Tula’s
Tula’s International School is one of the best CBSE boarding schools in Dehradun. It emphasizes more on the mental health of students, with having on-campus counselors and comprehensive support services, so that their students can thrive both physically and mentally.
The school has a wellness infirmary equipped with everything that one may need to keep healthy. If any student requires any special medical counseling or assistance, s/he can be immediately provided with it.
Know more about Tula’s International School
4. Shri Ram Centennial School, Dehradun
Being amongst the best CBSE boarding school in Dehradun SRCS doon is renowned for placing students’ mental health at the top of everything. There is a school infirmary that is equipped with beds and all the necessary equipment and medical facilities to address the immediate health needs of the students in school. In case a border needs further medical attention, upon the advice of the doctors, they are provided with special care.
Know more about SRCS Doon
To find more boarding school and top boarding destinations of India, visit www.boardingschoolsofindia.com
Additionally, the following links below will allow you to learn more about boarding schools, their facilities, and how they work.
Facilities of boarding schools in India
Learning at Premium Boarding schools in India
Ideal boarding schools for girls