<p>Yes, I’ve been struggling with that too. In my S’s case, we don’t know yet if he will be back home next year.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I’ve been “laying the groundwork”. When asked how he likes his school, I can truthfully answer that he likes it a lot, and it seems to be a good choice for him. I then (sometimes) go on to say that he is not doing as well academically as he/we would like. He’s learning the material ok (as evidenced by his tests), but has spotty performance on turning in homework. So we feel like he’s not getting full value for our education dollars. I attribute it to a combination of LD and immaturity, and mention the possibility of a gap year to address both issues. I make it clear that he is still in “good standing”, and would be returning to the same school after the gap.</p>
<p>I find that I feel much better about it if I discuss it truthfully. So far I have found that the other person is quite understanding, and can sometimes offer a useful perspective. Since I have taken this tack, I find myself coming to better terms with the situation.</p>
<p>I don’t want to be in a situation where he (or I) run into someone next year and they say “What are you doing here? I thought everything was great at your school?”</p>