"My high school son, Jack, was overwhelmed with college anxiety - SAT prep, AP classes, acceptance rates, and all the pressure that comes with being a New York student. It was hard to quiet the noise, so I decided to make a radical - and unconventional decision: I pulled him out of school and took him to Antarctica for three weeks over winter break. Everyone told me it was a terrible idea, but I thought it was exactly what he needed."
"I'm a huge traveler, and when I had my first son, I decided to take him along for the ride. In elementary school, I didn't think twice about pulling him out in order to explore the world (Costa Rica, Mexico, Nevis, Finland). Against the judgment of some parents (and some school officials), I thought it was important to expose him to travel - different cultures, different ways of doing things, different ways of thinking."
"It became more difficult to pull him out in middle school (but I still did - he missed eighth-grade graduation - to go on a trip to Sri Lanka). Once he entered high school (where, according to him, grades matter), it became really difficult to make up the work if I pulled him out. Then came junior year and all the stress that comes with college prep settled upon us."
My high school son Jack faced intense college anxiety during junior year, juggling SAT prep, AP classes, and acceptance-rate pressures as a New York student. I withdrew him from school and took him on a three-week Antarctic cruise over winter break despite widespread objections. Travel has been central to our relationship since he was three months old, with trips to Costa Rica, Mexico, Nevis, Finland, and Sri Lanka shaping his outlook. Pulling him out of school became harder in high school, but the Antarctic journey provided perspective, eased his stress, and deepened our bond.
Read at Business Insider
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