I have a meeting on GCSE results day

I'm a bit taken aback by some of the responses as my daughter says she's going in with her friends, then they'll be trawling around town looking for free/cheap food. O didn't even know restaurants offer such things on results day 🤷🏾‍♀️.

Both her dad and I booked the day off and are now pretty much redundant.

I remember addressing the envelope and putting a first class stamp on it at school to give to the teacher.

I still wish some of the posters on here would stop being so smug. DD didn't need my support, just the means to get to school, but I don't sneer at posters whose children do need parental support.

This! I remember sitting at the front window, waiting for the postie ( knowing I’d fucked up!) 🙈

Blimey, years ago you had to wait for the postman.

My dc got their gcse results last year. Dc went on their own with friends. I wasn't involved at all, (dc didn't want me there cramping their style lol!)
They all then went off that same day to enrol in college together. I received a WhatsApp photo of their results sheet.
No need for you to be there can he meet up with friends as most of them do?

That doesn't make them any "better" than those who wanted or needed parents there. You must live somewhere with excellent public transport.

He should be upset at if anyone his actual parent!! Why is his dad getting off with working and not you? His father should
be taking a half day from work so he can go with him to get his results and then to lunch! Very inappropriate for his dad to leave your father to take him however well they get on!

My two are 18 and 19 and I can confirm there was not one single parent there when either of them went to collect their results. The kids met up and walked together. My son just got his A level results but he waited two days to log on and get them and he told us when he was ready.

Yea it is a huge deal and GCSE results day is always the third Thursday of August, so there has surely been plenty of time to plan for this? I will be booking that day off a year in advance for my DSD.

I know it's daft to say "In my day", but I didn't see a single fellow student accompanied by parents when I was 16 or 18.

Back in the 90's I don't even think my dad knew I was taking the exams, let alone going in for the results.

Talk to him about it.

It's life.

And not all parents have the flexibility to be off work on results day. It doesn’t mean they don’t care.

Agreed!

My DD is very independent generally - great at navigating trains all over the place and generally doing her own thing.

She wants us there for GCSE day and so of course her dad (who is generally massively flakey - my exh) and I arranged in plenty of time to be there.

So many superior posters who don't understand that all 16 year olds are different.

If your child wants you there then there is nothing wrong with that.

Being rural I simply was the taxi service, but if DD had wanted me with her I would have gone in with her.

Certainly, for A levels nearly everyone had parents there. I waited in the car park until DD messaged for me to go in.

My son gets his results on Thursday - he’s going with his friends and he’ll call me after. He’d be mortified if I went with him ! After he gets them he’ll have to go back to work (he is a 1st year football scholar) as will all his team mates - they have been allowed to go in 2 hours late so no celebrating for them until the evening. Good time for them to learn that the world doesn’t revolve around them 😊

its a pity, but from what you’ve said he’ll be fine with your dad there. It’s a pity you hadn’t had the opportunity to tell your DSS about this yourself, but that’s not your fault.
Is your DH feeling guilty? Surely the onus was on him to have booked a half day or day’s annual leave if it was vital for a parent to be there.

My son doesn’t want either of us to go with him - he said none of his friends are going with their parents either. It’s a shame yours actually wants you there and you can’t be but if you can’t move your meeting or take the time off and nor can his dad what can you do?!

This is a bit weird to me. I understand job pressures, but nothing should come ahead of your child in this circumstance, especially not work. Can you take the afternoon off unpaid, pretty sure there are parental leave polices you can utilise. You say your SS is no contact with his bio mum…. I think it is of paramount importance to him and his future relationship with you that you show up for him on this day.

This is a huge deal for him - he’ll remember the day forever.

ONE of you needs to step up and be there with him. You or your DP. NOT your dad.

Dd's school have said they can make arrangements to email/send the results if the child cant make it but that had to be arranged a whole ago before they finished for the summer. Its always been this way and for the high schools around here as well.
Didn't realise some places emailed results.

Parents didn't come back in the 90s..gcse or a level.

I see a range. Fewer parents at A level. Possibly more at gcse if kids are unsure what to do.

Next year will be the first year I haven't been in to my own school for results day, because I'll probably go in with ds. Having said that, he probably won't want me! If he told me he wanted someone though, I'd go.

Surely he will want to go and celebrate with his friends. I would imagine you will make sure he has enough money for lunch and a beer or two .Parents did not go along when I did my exams .You could celebrate all together in the evening.It is a difficult issue if he wants a parent with him.

Exactly this.

GCSEs are a big deal, if you want to continue academic studies. Fair enough if not academic. No way would I miss my son’s - last year took unpaid leave on results day

One of you needs to be there. I’m pretty gobsmacked you are not, frankly