I think once the kids are in college, I won't worry as much about them. While they're in high school though, I would worry a lot!
I wouldn't mind moving overseas with the kids when they're in high school, so we're all together... but having them study abroad on their own would cause me a lot of worry. Then again if they were somewhere safe or with family, then I would worry much less!
If your kid studied abroad during high school, do you think you'd worry about them every day?
kiwi / 613 posts
I feel like i would worry a lot, whether they were near or far...But, I am just a worrier by nature, so having one of my LOs study abroad would definitely make me crazy!!
honeydew / 7589 posts
I would worry, yes. I would try really hard to hide it, but it would worry me a lot.
coffee bean / 35 posts
i would worry constantly. just the thought makes my heart hurt. but i would never tell him no either, i wanna raise a little explorer.
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
I would never send them abroad in high school!
We could move to a foreign country as a family though 
Omg I told DH that I wanna move to where ever the kids go to college.. I'm hoping I chills in the next 16 years and stop being so crazy.
nectarine / 2274 posts
Yes I would worry so much, I might just lose my mind. No way I can send him abroad for school.
grapefruit / 4120 posts
Letting me go abroad in hs was probably the best thing my parents ever did for me. I had an amazing experience and managed to avoid jail, addiction and pregnancy! So though I would worry, I probably wouldn't say no (if the circumstances were ok).
ETA I think I'd actually encourage it! Finances permitting of course.
nectarine / 2600 posts
I think every kid is different. We lived overseas growing up and I loved it, but I don't know if I would have liked going away for an extended period of time without my folks. And I know my mom would have hated it!
I don't think I could do it as a mom, but I'm nowhere near there yet...
Also, living in Switzerland, there's a lot of kids from other countries going to school here. Did you know the drinking age here is 16? And they can get into clubs and stuff? There are some really annoying kids here sometimes. I think too much freedom too soon might not be a good thing.
And then I just picture these kids going back home to the US and being all, "Good Looorrd Mothhaaar, just pass the Chianti already..." As their parents sit staring, shocked as they guzzle down wine. (And blocks of cheese of course, Mr. Bee.)
But I digress...like I said every kid is different. But my overall feeling is yes I would worry of course!!
honeydew / 7968 posts
No way alone would I send them. I'd worry even if they graduated college. Especially w movies like taken....I don't think I could find my kid tho....
bananas / 9227 posts
Oh man ... I've never thought about it but if we still live here, then studying abroad would be a real possibility because there isn't a high school in our town, so no matter what, she'd have to travel. We chose to live in a small town, we think it's an awesome place to raise a kid, but I can imagine that a teen would be dying to go elsewhere.
If she studies somewhere else in Europe, in some sort of program for it, I think I'd worry less. If she wants to move with grandma in CA on her own, then I'd freak out! I remember how it was in high school back home!
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
I'll worry wherever she is, home or away.
I studied abroad in hs for a summer and I don't think my mom worried too much. I was with 3 friends, and the teacher would take us around so we were usually supervised.
pomegranate / 3244 posts
I would worry, but I would absolutely encourage it. I went to Honduras for my sophomore year in high school, and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life...even when I was still living with the mean host family who locked the fridge and the phone and gave me a curfew of 3pm 
I know my parents worried, but they tried their best not to show it. I'm glad they did try to hide it a bit, or else I would not have been able to enjoy the experience as fully.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
My kid is a Swiss citizen, so if he wanted to continue his education abroad, I'd support it. Depending upon the age, we'd have to make appropriate adjustments, but I trust that we will raise him to make wise decisions.
hostess / wonderful apple seed / 16729 posts
Yes! All of the abductions and crazy stories I see on the news. High school is a tad early for me. I would be open to a college semester abroad more than a high school one.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
@mrbee: Ummm... have you seen Taken? Yes.. I would worry every minute! That doesn't mean I wouldn't consider it given the right circumstances, but I would worry non stop.
coconut / 8305 posts
I know way too much about the sex slave/human trafficking "industry" to ever condone studying abroad alone.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
I'm going to worry about her every single day of my life. I know it.
honeydew / 7091 posts
For sure - kids can go crazy when they leave their parents! Not speaking from experience or anything... 
persimmon / 1147 posts
I would worry every day! I studied abroad when I was 16 for a summer and I know all the trouble I got into so I would be worried DD would be like me!
(Edit) on second thought maybe I would worry less if it was a more structured supervised program. When I went to france I stayed in college dorms, took college classes and rarely (if ever) saw the adults in charge. We had free reign of any bar, club, or country for that matter (we hopped a train from France to Switzerland for a weekend) so I think that was the biggest issue and what would make me nervous. I would like to think I can raise DD to make good decisions but some situations any teenager would be temped to make bad decisions.
cantaloupe / 6800 posts
Nope because I would never send my high schooler away like that! College, yes and YES i'd worry but I know how kids are in HS and I can assure you, they do not need to be in a foreign county alone haha.
grapefruit / 4671 posts
Well I went to boarding school abroad for 6 years so although I will miss my kid and worry about her, I would definitely encourage it, it was an amazing experience for me.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
Yes but I'd encourage them to do it anyway! I went abroad for 2 summers in high school, 6 weeks at 15 years old and 8 weeks at 16 years old and seriously feel like it shaped who I am.
nectarine / 2085 posts
Based on my experiences studying abroad and some experiences with hosting home-stay students from abroad, I probably would not send my child(ren) on a study-abroad program during high school.
We would consider moving abroad, but would probably do that earlier, because I think it's much harder to master a foreign language and perform well in that language in high school. LO is growing up bilingual, but I would still expect it to be a harder transition than, say, in elementary school.
coconut / 8483 posts
I live a few hours away from my mom and she *still* worries!!! So I will probably be the same way.
GOLD / coconut / 8266 posts
I had a friend who studied aboard for an entire year during our sophomore year of HS and she got into all kinds of wild and crazy things. She didn't really go to class much and just partied so no, I would not allow a HS student to study abroad.
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