I’m trying to figure out how Choatiekid was a Boy Scout without being driven all over the place! Even if the den meetings are in your own garage, the activities and commitments they require these days are insane! Troop meetings, den meetings, pine wood derbys, rain gutter regattas, blue and gold parties, courts of honor, JAMBO, camping weekends in the middle of summer AND the dead of winter, popcorn sales and all the work that goes into getting badges… the list goes on! We couldn’t keep up with all that, it was exhausting!
Our kids did cub scouts for two years when they were young. The first year it was only scouts and no youth sports. The second year we combined scouts with youth sports, and our lives were insane. After that year we told them it was one or the other, and they chose to continue with sports. For 7 consecutive years after that my husband head coached both of our kids teams, both fall and spring seasons. Even with head coaching, our lives were still less hectic than our parent friends who had their kids in scouts! I have a lot of respect for the scout organizations, but it is just as much work for the parents as it is for the kids!
Anyway, back on topic, I think boarding school is a good cure for the helicopter parent. I think I operate on a continuum between authoritative and permissive. In fact I am probably easier on my younger son as a result of my older son going away to school. As for my son at BS, he understands the sacrifice and commitment we are making to send him there, and so far is working hard to make it all worthwhile. So far his decision to go to BS has been good for all of us.