Gcse 2018 (10) The one with half term

Peaseblossom22 better this week than next week.
Hope he feels better soon.

I suppose if there is any silver lining it’s that it’s this week when there are no exams.

Well this GCSE season just keeps on giving , Dc woke up at 11.45 and projectile vomited and has been vomiting every 30 mins since .Neither of us can actually remember the last time he was sick , probably when he was about 7 , he's more of a hay fever and chest infection type , this scenario wasn't on my agenda at all.Poor thing he looks ghastly, is fretting that he's not revising and I have put a call out to GP fo r a phone appointment just to get some advice as he is now vomiting dark green bile and is pretty yellow to look at.

Lovely GP just called and said 30mls of water every 10 mins and to call them back at 12 , so lucky to have such a brilliant surgery .

mmzz I've been thinking of your DS since you posted on Friday, as I said in my previous reply, but find the full back story utterly miserable. Your poor DS needs to make that move. I think he'll find people at his new sixth form very welcoming, especially if it's a school that you've mentioned (I could be completely wrong about the school of course). Staying on somewhere to be tolerated is no life at all. Anyhow, adding my best wishes that things turn out right.

No boyfriend here either but I'm glad, some of her friends have far too much drama at this already stressful time. She is talking to someone though. Apparently that is like a courtship ritual in itself but I'm old so don't really understand.

Dgd has got work experience at local hospital in neurology department and doing voluntary work in a dementia unit one day a week where dd works. Also she intends to get a Saturday job. No boyfriend on the horizon though some of her friends have one. She finds boys in her year ' immature and idiotic' in her words. I said maybe its because your so serious! Maybe it will change in 6th form!

I am sure these ncs courses are good for some dcs but my dgd ( or us) would not contemplate it. She would not cope at all and we would worry endlessly. I know we will have to let her go eventually when she goes to uni but not yet! having said that I was off at age if 14 with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain on easter and summer courses all over the world till age of 18 but I didn't have any parents being in care so I had been self proficient all my life and we were supervised very strictly with a huge party of teachers and staff.

mmzz sorry haven't been on much but.my heart goes out to you and your ds i know what it is like to be bullied all through school. I was even bullied by a couple of teachers! It can scar you forever (as it did me) but because your ds has such a loving and supportive family ( something I never had) he will come through this a strong and loving human being I am 100% sure! Please give your brave ds a hug from me!

mmzz all mine have refused to do NCS. It's a big commitment timewise too. I wasn't impressed by some of the people on the phone trying to organise it either, maybe I was just unlucky, they couldn't answer any of my questions on what would happen etc or else relegated ds1 one to the extreme SEN pile when I said he had dyspraxia (oh he will need a 1:1 NOOO he won't), I wasn't able to explain that he needed to know just what was involved (ie the location!!!) before signing up. It really is a no-brainer with a child with ASD/dyspraxia that they need to know what they are being scheduled to participate in [grrrr] Anyway he refused point blank and so has ds2 now, and dd thought she couldn't face it either.

All want to get summer employment though, working for family members so that is a start.

Sixth Form ds1 had team building activities when he started Sixth form - I think they make a big effort to integrate newcomers and emphasise that the sixth form is different from the rest of the school whether it is part of a school or a college in its own right. The academic bit is the most difficult part imho, the social side seems to be so much easier than school, smaller groups, respect for hard work etc, and no cliques.

That sounds like an excellent idea wonder, plus not only would he be working with like minded people but he'd be able to give you the heads up on what to see and what to avoid!!

That would be great wonderwine. Work can be so good for them- money, confidence and meeting new people.

Well DS came back from our local cinema with DH and said he thinks he'd like to get a part time job there! He saw someone one from his school there and apparently they have a roster for casual workers (it's a very small, local cinema - not a multiplex). He's not 16 yet though, so probably couldn't apply until September.
Sounds like a good idea though - he loves films. I'd worry he'd forget he was meant to be working and end up watching the films

I think that volunteering, NCS etc can be very helpful for building confidence after bullying, bereavement, serious illness etc. However, it's most effective if the young person themselves is involved in the process of choosing and planning. So if you can find something they're keen to try, go with that.

DS2 would also hate NCS.

He has signed up to volunteer at the local library,
will be attending a Physics summer school where he knows no one, and will also be going on a tour to Germany with the orchestra he has recently joined. Those three activities are a good equivalent to NCS and will also suit his needs.

@Kingscote - I love sweetpeas - takes me back to my childhood days.

DS cleaned his desk, his room and his ensuite - even the toilet!!

#anythingbutrevision

DS has had highly successful day. Maths and Music revision this morning, 57 not out in club cricket this afternoon. Now watching that rubbish Spiderman with the massive lizard.

I have planted out 48 sweet peas, 36 californian poppies and cut the hedge with the monster hedge trimmers. Onwards, onwards, 2 weeks and 4 days to go.

mmmzz, wonderwine . Totally agree with Oratory1 - volunteering is good!

It's not easy for these DC's whose self-esteem has been diminished through bullying...It is a case of finding a way of rebuilding it ...DD became involved with Brownies has a young leader and this has really bolstered her convenience - having all these younger girls who look up to you. If there is any voluntary work in the area you live for teens I would recommend it...otherwise taking up some form of activity outside of school - Karate, helping out at festivals or local events something that gets them involved with other like-minded KIND individuals. I used to get quite angry about the girls that bullied DD...now I just feel sorry for them and when you look at them a little closer they have their own deeper issues (although there is no reason for them to hit out at others in such unkind ways).

Good day for DD - worked hard - History paper this morning which I thought was fairly good (but I think it probably needs a History teacher to mark the paper). She caught up on Tassomai Chemistry and did quite well in a paper2 (67%) spot A* working on last years boundary (with silly calculation errors that can be addressed).

Actually volunteering isn't a bad idea. DD2 started volunteering at a time when she was having a rough time at school and the adults involved were really appreciative and complimentary and it made her feel valued and useful at a very difficult time. They just need some sense of value and belonging but the trick is knowing how to help them get it. And also how much to push.

DS would hate NCS I'm afraid - not outdoorsy at all and has some sensory issues. He is signed up to do a week's taster course in a subject he might want to pursue in August though. No school friends going, so yes, it's a chance for him to reinvent himself too!

Wonderwine I don't feel so alone now I've heard about your DC outburst too.
mmzz yes, no doubt delayed puberty, no boobs either lol! But she's mega tiny for her age and she dances training lots of hours per week, and like gymnasts, this can delay puberty. She's no remotely bothered and she refuses to see the doctor.
She's gone off to a sleepover. I suppose I should be grateful that its a change from being reclusive. Usually she only leaves the house for school and dance classes.

Could he maybe go on an activity type holiday with his brother so he's not completely on his own or something like a parachute jump or hand gliding?
Agree NCS would of been idea but I can see how that may of been a step too far.....Or even volunteering although I do think extreme experiences are the best......