b'Homesickness Homesickness is almost always a short-term problem that the school, the parents and the child can weather by working together. Its not a universal afiction, but many children away from home and family for the rst time are likely to have a bout. Schools manage this by keeping their charges busy, busy, busy during the rst few weeks and being ultra-vigilant. Several have told us that managing parents during this time is equally challenging and that, depending on circumstances, it can be more settling if children arent chatting to anxious mummy every night. Some children sail through their rst term but come down with a nasty case when they return to school after the Christmas holidays. No school will want to keep a child boarding if they are profoundly and persistently unhappy, and in these relatively rare circumstances parents are advised accordingly. Sometimes its a case of trying again after a few terms, but sometimes a different type of school is the only answer. 61'