Survival Guide for New Boarding Parents
- Name absolutely everything! Socks, undies, phone chargers, water bottles, caps. EVERYTHING!!
- Make sure you name items with Boy’s name & House number; most parents will put their senior house number if printing the tags so they don’t have to rename items when they move the following year (Corfe House doesn’t have a house number).
- Some boys find a double bed doona is a better option than single doona as it hangs down the sides of the bed a little more to keep them warmer in winter.
- An insulated metal water bottle is often a good investment especially if they are playing sport, as it can hold more water and keep it cold the whole day. It is recommended to have it engraved with the boy’s name & phone number as they can be expensive.
- Some boys find it more convenient to have an extra laundry bag. It is better to send three half-filled bags to the laundry a week than have all their underwear in the one bag and then must go without jocks and socks for a day if they are not organised or it goes missing.
- A watch is a good investment so they are on time, again worth having them engraved as boys often take them off for sport and they can fall out of bags.
- If you know that your son has been at an away game, remind them that they need to put their dirty clothes in the wash and clean their boots if they are muddy.
- Keep updated with information on the TGS App, read the newsletters and emails, follow the social media pages.
- There is so much information and so many dates to keep track of, using a family calendar app that your whole family can access may assist you all in keeping up to date with everything. There are many free and paid apps available (some suggestions of paid & free Apps are in the links to recommended apps/resources section).
What to Teach your Son Before he Commences Boarding...
- How to make his own bed, including fitted sheet, pillowcases and how to put on a doona cover.
- Make sure they turn their socks in the right way, unroll sleeves, empty pockets etc in readiness for laundry and they know if they don’t hang up their towel it will get smelly.
- Understanding the importance of good hygiene practices (washing hands, showering daily, brushing teeth, wearing deodorant & stinky shoes). When living in a communal environment they may have to be a little more diligent with these things as other boys may be less tolerant than what you are at home.
- Encourage them to have a plastic bag in their sports bag for dirty, BO smelling sports clothes for when they change into Blazer at away games. It will keep the rest of the items in their bag from smelling. Also, good to have a separate bag for muddy sports shoes so again everything in the bag does not end up muddy.
- Urge them to carry body wipes and deodorant if they do struggle with BO in their school bag & sports bag so they can wipe themselves down before adding more deodorant as it often accentuates the BO smell.
Keeping Connected
- Familiarise yourself with who to contact about what
- Join your Boarding House Parent WhatsApp group to keep up to date with things relevant to your individual House. This group is for parents only and will be monitored by the House Representative. This group is for general positive discussion directly regarding boarding in that individual house and the House Representatives will keep you updated with any important info, date reminders etc. This is not a group to have a “whinge” or raise concerns it is for information sharing purposes only.
- The TGS Boarding FB & Instagram Pages are a nice way to feel connected to what is happening.
- The Fortnightly Boarders Telegraph keeps you informed of all boarding related news.
- Parents are welcome to attend any of the BPSG meetings either in person or online via teams. Or if you have a matter, you would like raised at a meeting, please contact your BPSG House Representative.
Phones, particularly for new phone users
- Teach your sons how to use their phone, it can be quite overwhelming for them to work it out on their own.
- It is often best to let them use their phone at least a few weeks before they start boarding if they have never had one so they know how it works and the novelty may wear off a bit.
- Having a strong phone protective case and screen protector can often be a much more cost-effective and convenient option than replacing a dropped/smashed phone.
- It can be helpful to set some firm ground rules around what your expectations are around their phone use and make them aware of phone safety.
- Turn on the “Find My Phone” function on your son’s phone so if he loses it, you may be able to located where it is.
- There are apps available that you can install on your own phone enabling you to have control and monitor your son’s phone usage. From these apps you can set the restrictions on the content you would like them to access, how much screen time and what access to social media you would like them to have etc. (some suggestions of paid & free Apps are in the links to recommended apps/resources section).
- The SBS documentary “The Hunting” is rather confronting however is perhaps a good way to open a vital dialogue with you and your son around the consequences of inappropriate phone use. Recommend parents watch first before sharing with boys if you feel it necessary.
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/the-hunting
- If you are not familiar with Toowoomba, a good place in town to get phone issues sorted is https://www.forbesbatteries.com.au/
Links to Recommended Resources
- Here is a review site on top parental control phone apps https://www.tomsguide.com/us/b...;
(Steph uses Apple Family Sharing on her IPhone and loves how user friendly it is)
- Here is a review site on top Family calendar apps: https://www.top10.com/family-organizer-apps
(Steph loves Cozi and was using the free version initially but has found the paid version is worth every cent).
- If you are new to teenage boys Maggie Dent’s book “From boys to Men” is a brilliant read or listen, it may help you understand your son better and help you navigate the teenage years.
- Tune in to TGS’s “Raising good Men Seminars”, School TV and the “Fireside Chat Series” on the TGS App and website – a range of diverse topics on offer with brilliant guest speakers.
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