For those who have kids doing GCSEs, are you giving them a gift when they finish?

[JenniferEckles]

Festival ticket, bag of sweets, holiday in the sun, family dinner out, new Range Rover, kick up the arse to get a job...

My first of three kids is just about to finish and I wanted to do something for/with him to celebrate but I'm not sure where to pitch it (it won't be a RR, that's for sure 🤣).

What's everyone planning?

Cash for grades - I’m not ashamed!

Dd has done 2 of her GCSE's this year in Yr 10. She doesn't know but I have bought her a White Fox Hoodie and tickets to see Hadestown to reward her hard work. Will give these to her on her last day.

I had not yet thought about cash for grades. I do give cash for housepoints though (a pound for a housepoint). It has certainly been a motivation and my reasoning is that I need to be bribed financially to go to work so it's fair enough! (I don't work much nowadays though, but the point still stands).

My DS is also finishing year 12 and has managed to get his level 1 functional skills in Maths so I have booked a day out indoor go-karting which I think he will love!

I'm also doing a 1:1 trip to Paris with dd2, I did it with dd1 and will do it for dd3 as well.

I took my DD for a lunch in town and she chose a pandora ring. She really did well going the distance through some unhappy times.
We had a take away and bottle of fizz in the evening which family had sent round with a card.

I couldn’t help but cheer for you loudly 🥳

Another one here with DD1 just finished A levels and DD2 finishing GCSES on Friday. No gifts planned but going for a meal at the weekend. The whole year 11 go to the beach on Friday evening so God help the tourists 😄.

Not too worried about not giving gifts or money as I am currently untouchable as a mother having achieved the unattainable and got them Taylor Swift tickets 😇!

DD finishes on Friday and has a ticket to go to the Capital Summertime Ball on Sunday. She's going into London for dinner on Friday night so I will give her money for that.

We take ours away for a short break abroad in the sun. Their choice of destination (no further than Europe though!). 2 down, 1 to go.

I remember my mum surprisingly me with a gift when I finished my exams. I still have the necklace and plan to give it to my DD when she finishes hers. It’s very special to me, particularly as we weren’t really a gift giving family, so it meant even more.

Awww that's really special. I love the necklace idea.

If I recall I bought DD1 a Glastonbury ticket and DD2 a Leeds ticket!

We gave DS a set amount of money in premium bonds on results day. Didn't want to pay by results as his younger sister is doing two additional GCSEs to him (12 to his 10) so would get more even if the results are the same.

We did a meal out at the end of exams too. DS currently doing A-levels and we have a meal out at his choice of place at the end of next week to celebrate him finishing those.

Dd has actually done one of her 12 GCSEs a year early this year. DS didn't do this so we won't give her a monetary gift but we'll get her a small item of jewellery (not expensive but a step or two up from Lovisa! 🤣) and will give her the premium bonds (same amount as DS) next year.

No clue what (if anything!) we'll do for DS's A level results.

Junior cert here in Ireland. I bought her a good luck charm for her Pandora bracelet. I bought her ticket for the end of exams disco on Friday. That’s her lot!

No! And I had no idea this was a thing. We are going on a fab holiday in July.

I might see if he wants to go out for dinner or get a take away!

We're going out on Friday to celebrate with a friend. I will probably give him some money for a holiday he's going on just after.

This thread is making me emotional! Dd is only in primary but so many lovely ideas here. I think I’ll do something lovely for her when she has yr6 SATs

Eldest wasn’t in a fit state to do anything after hers, but we had a takeaway of her choice and chilled.

Middle chose dinner out after his.

Youngest isn’t anywhere near there yet, but will offer him similar treat when it’s all over.

I don’t incentivise the results themselves, they’re all ND so it wouldn’t really work for them. Getting through the exam period itself is the major achievement.

We have a fab holiday booked for the end of exams. Something to look forward to and to fill the time between exams and results. We have GCSE's and A levels going on.

I like to reward effort rather than just results and tbh there has been so lack of effort so it is well deserved.

Lovely idea @Cadela but make sure you don't peak too soon 😂!

Yes no Paris trips yet! I’ll end up having to do two weeks in New York by A levels 😂

Not GCSE years, but we've always done family take-away of DC's choice for any exams they have put some work into eg 11+, end of years. As pps have said, this is for effort not results and so happens after exams rather than after results.