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Original poster

If you have children who've just done GCSEs, what are they doing this summer

50 replies

Daygals · 20/06/2019 09:40

DS2 is in this situation.

Has worked hard and secured himself a very well regarded and really rather well paid apprenticeship for September (fingers crossed for his exam results!)

At the moment he gets £5pw pocket money and doesn't really spend that, so I don't mind that he's not planning to work over the summer. I do mind that he plans to do nothing at all for three months.

He's a quiet boy not very sociable, has a few equally quiet friends but they do most of their "socialising" online. He's never had any interest or aptitude for sport or music. Used to be quite outdoorsy and did some conservation group work as a tween but that doesn't seem to interest him now.

I've been setting him some housework jobs each day and he's getting to grips with his bedroom, which I'd allowed to slide while he was studying but other than that he's either in bed on his phone or sat at the computer all day. I'm not sure when he last left the house - exams finished a week ago.

Apart from seeming a terrible waste of a long lazy summer, I'm concerned that this kind of lifestyle is not good for anyone's mental health.

I've suggested all the usual things, volunteering, NCS, maybe golf with his Grandad if his friends aren't going out and about at all but he's resisting everything. If he wasn't so well set up for September I'd put my foot down and insist he did NCS but he says there's no point as he doesn't need to build his CV, which is hard to argue against.

Would you leave him too it or keep trying to find him something to do?

OP posts:

stephstrops · 20/06/2019 17:12

Getting on my nerves so it seems 🙄

Saucery · 20/06/2019 17:44

Wow, mine is getting a bit bored after only 4 days. I thought it would be at least 4 weeks before unlimited late nights and PS4-feasts would wear thin but he’s making noises about ‘doing some stuff’ and asking my advice on Bedroom Reorganisation
There’s some outdoor volunteering to do, dog walking, meeting equally bored friends when they are all fed up of communication via the medium of some frenetic online shoot-em-up.
I can’t really remember what I did in this long summer. I went camping in the Lakes on my own (friends backed out at last minute) which was terribly brave for little shy me! Read a fuckton of books, dreamed about the future, wrote dreadful poetry.

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 20/06/2019 17:49

saucery

Over the hols ds2 will sort his bedroom and clothes...just getting rid of school stuff basically

I walked in the other day and he was using a dust pan and brush to clean out his desk drawers

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Saucery · 20/06/2019 17:56

I can’t quite get my head round not having uniform to scoop up, Rufus. He was asking me about washing machine settings the other day. It was all very weird. Dustpan and brush is funny - did you let him carry on or silently hand him the vacuum cleaner extension

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 20/06/2019 18:00

I had to toss up between my entertainment and his convenience

Obviously i went with the entertainment factor

Ive got no school uniform to iron 😩

StereophonicallyChallenged · 20/06/2019 18:20

DS has a paid contract starting in October, alongside his college course. As it's well paid he's asked me if I can advance him some funds which he'll pay back.

I'm considering his offer and working out how much interest to charge...payable up front in the form of all the household jobs I've been putting off

He has a holiday coming up, bit apart from that it will be sports training, gym sessions, maybe some trampolining/bowling/cinema/nandos type socialising and that's it really!

Year 11 was pretty tough tbf.

StereophonicallyChallenged · 20/06/2019 18:21

Rufus no more school uniforms is the best bit about the youngest turning 16 🤣

I8toys · 20/06/2019 18:27

My DS isn't 16 until mid August so even harder trying to find some part time work. I am letting him chill for June/July - we have holidays booked and have enquired about NCS but we don't have 3 weeks all together so he can't go. I've organized him 2/3 weeks work experience where I work so that he can understand how a business works but that's it. He's hopefully starting six form and doing a levels in September.

Pipandmum · 20/06/2019 18:27

My son is abroad at the moment with his girlfriend. Before that he hung out with his mates and did sport. He’s 15 and has a part time job and would love another but it’s the ‘you have to be 16’ that’s the issue. He is also doing an apprenticeship course next year and has work experience all lined up. He gets bored though he’s not much for computer games and likes to be active. Think he’ll be hitting the gym a lot when he gets back.

cptartapp · 20/06/2019 18:36

DS1 has spent the first week, sleeping, watching films, lounging in his room, playing football with friends and prom. He has his name down for a possible pt job at the local eatery from July, hoping that comes off and he can continue with it whilst at college. He referees occasionally for the local leagues at weekend, and we are going camping in July and abroad in August. Then results, registration at college and off we go again. I feel he has a good balance.

DeeCeeCherry · 20/06/2019 19:01

At that age & stage I left mine to it. They'd worked really hard during GCSEs + exam stress. They were going to college in September so a Summer off not having to be 'doing' seemed fine to me

Celeriacacaca · 20/06/2019 19:11

If you've got a branch of The Gym near you, they're doing a special for 16-18 year olds. Free membership for six weeks! DD joined a few weeks ago and has been every day since. She's met loads of friends she hasn't seen for a while there too so it's a good social activity. In fact, she's going out with some of the friends from primary school that she's reconnected with tonight.

SeaGlassHunter · 20/06/2019 19:18

DS1 is going back to school to do A levels in September. He has 6 weeks FT work over the summer, he wants to save for a car (he turns 17 in September). He's also coming on our family holiday. Other than that he will go out on his bike, go to the gym, see his girlfriend.

IGottaSeeJane · 20/06/2019 19:50

Somewhere between bugger all and nothing. They've done GCSEs. A-levels loom. Let 'em have a break.

Inforthelonghaul · 20/06/2019 19:54

Chilling out and relaxing. Sixth form college is going to mean a longer day and further to travel so keeping a part time job will be tricky. He has regular commitments at weekends already so I’m not fussed about him getting a summer job. You’re a long time working and I want him to enjoy this bit before the grind starts.

EdWinchester · 20/06/2019 19:57

This time last year my son did NCS after his GCSEs.

4 weeks, fantastic fun, he made great friends and had the time of his life.

BeeLaidee · 20/06/2019 19:58

Everyone who hasn’t already looked into this, please, please look into getting your kids into NCS. All three of mine (different personalities), have done this and have really benefitted from it. Even DS2, who is borderline aspergers, really enjoyed it and is keen to leave home to go to uni because of his positive experience.

OnMyWhistle · 20/06/2019 20:05

DD is currently messing about in the kitchen with her friend being v loud and making shopkins cupcakes 🙄

She has plans to go to prom next week plus a week in Spain with her cousin and a few days at Boardmasters with her friends in August.

She’ll do the very occasional shift cleaning at the local holiday park, other than that she’ll hang out at the beach a lot with her friends and bother me for money probably.

Undies1990 · 20/06/2019 20:58

As he's got his apprenticeship lined up, I'd cut him some slack and let him be. If you think about it, he'll be working from September (presumably full time with a day at college) until he retires! This might be his last bit of freedom before being trust into an adult world - let him chill out before taking this big leap in September.

I am speaking from experience; my DS went straight from school to an engineering apprenticeship. He really, really appreciated the down time of his final summer of freedom!

Fibbke · 20/06/2019 21:01

Volunteering for a week, working in a cafe one day a week, visiting friends, learning to cook, reading in prep for A levels.

Nousernameforme · 20/06/2019 21:13

Ds refused the ncs and just wants to sit in the dark on the ps4 all day. I keep dragging him out on the school run with me to get him out.

He starts A levels in September but he can still do a small part time job. We wrote up his c.v today and he is off out to job hunt tomorrow.

lakeswimmer · 20/06/2019 22:47

OP you could have described my DS1. He's currently away with DH but will be back at the weekend and has no plans at all. We've tried to get him to sign up for NCS because I think it'd be good for his confidence but he's point-blank refused and I've given up. He's not showing any interest in getting a job either even though we live in a tourist area and he could probably get part-time work fairly easily.

AquaPris · 20/06/2019 22:55

Let him enjoy it. He's got an apprenticeship so doesn't need extra curricular - it'll be the last time he ever gets 3 months of doing fuck all in his life. I'd kill for it now.

When I was 16 I had a Saturday job and then just hung out with friends and went on holiday. I read books and went online. Was great.

haveuheard · 20/06/2019 22:56

They are currently not past school leaving age so can only work part time. After the last Friday in June they can work full time but with some additional restrictions compared to adults. The over 16 thing may be about insurance, or may be the employer not knowing the law.

www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school
www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work/young-workers
www.gov.uk/child-employment

I worked the summer after GCSEs, didn't the following summer but then worked every summer after that through uni etc doing 6 days a week in a supermarket and a theme park. I agree with letting them have a break if they are going back to full time work or college in September.

Original poster

Daygals · 21/06/2019 07:37

Thank you, yes I'm perfectly happy to allow him the freedom, I just wish he'd make better use of it

OP posts:

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