I have worked my knackers off forever to be able to afford to send our kids to private schools. We have sacrificed lots as a family unit. Including holidays and lots of other things we have missed out on.
Our kids are the first in our families history that I know of to attend private schools. It was a very big decision, commitment and we don't regret it for one second. To send the 2 through private junior school will cost circa 170k of nett earnings which for us is an absolute boat load of cash.
Our kids our lovely rounded kids, nice and sharp also nice and happy. Coming to the end of junior school for my son and the decisions are different. After looking at various options for private senior schools the costs pretty much double and actually the options have not been so impressive as when we looked at junior schools.
We have decided that my son will come out of private school education and attend a local very good state school. There are various reasons.
If we had the money and were rolling in it would they go into private senior schools? Still no. I'd don't think the obvious options we have in our location/area are good value and right for our kids.
The junior schools were all boys for my son and all girls for my daughter. No think the decisions were both right for each for their respective junior schools. Now they need to learn many different additional and improved soft/life skills. This will hopefully come more from what I would regard as a conventional mixed state school.
They need to toughen up a bit and obtain a harder edge. They need to be around a wider cross section of people and backgrounds.
I would have had to work just as hard or harder to pay for the massively increased senior private school fees. We would have to continue to sacrifice all we do and have little or no holidays. I would have the same.or less time for my kids and not more.
We think it is right now that we ease the pressure off a bit. We have some holidays, I work a bit less and can spend more time with the kids while they are still young.
Middle age is a funny time as you need the most money, have the most stress, have the least time and finding balance is the hardest.
Time will tell if our decisions are correct but it was the obvious option in the end. Mainly helped that my son was offered a place at a local decent state school. Also that my daughter will get a place with the sibling rule in a couple of years. If he didn't get a place at this school the decision could easily have been very different.
Who knows....maybe this might mean that the Le Mans trip and others could be options now that they haven't been to date