My DD was never interested in school . She’s always been too busy being popular, messing about, playing netball and has said since she was 5 she was joining the army so didn’t need good GCSEs.
Year 10 mocks were abismal and advised by her teachers that if she atleast made an effort with English and maths that would be something as she’s going to struggle to get a pass at this point.
Gradually after the mocks she started not going out with friends every day after school and weekends to the cinema, town etc but just hanging out with two of her friends at our house or at their house.
Both me and my husband were worried she had a falling out with her friendship group but did still go to all their birthday meals/celebrations etc. A part of me was glad as although her friendship group are lovely girls they were pushing boundaries with vaping, drinking and things like that.
We kept asking her if she was ok, she could talk to us but just got the typical teen responses. School said she was at all lessons finally but didn’t really speak out within the lesson but it was good she was there.
This continued all through year 11 and then we fast forward to results day. Thursday she went to get her results and came home an absolute state. She was crying so I started crying because she was so upset with failing. I asked to look at the results and she’s got all 7s, 8s and 9s. She even got a 9 in French. She doesn’t speak FRENCH!!!
I panicked and feel guilty but thought in my mind she’s cheated there’s no way. She’s then explained to me that her and two of her friends have been revising since the year 10 mocks every night after school and on the weekends. They have done countless past paper on all her subjects . Her and her friends have used their pocket money to pay a university student to tutor them in maths once a week at the community hub.
They’ve been watching and listening to all movies, TV series and music in French for the past year. They even text each other in French using apps to start with but now she’s capable to write a lot on her own, she’s spent more of her pocket money on full access to Duolingo and the three of them are on massive winning streaks. She’s been walking around our house constantly with air pods on which isn’t unusual but she’s been listening to educational podcasts, audio books on her subjects etc she’s even recorded herself reading out her notes and has been falling asleep with the air pods in so she can subconsciously learn.
I’m gobsmacked. I haven’t stopped smiling. When I asked her why didn’t she say she said it was because it started off as a bit of a challenge (she loves a challenge) but as time got closer she started to actually care and then didn’t want to tell me incase all her effort came to nothing and she would be embarrassed.
So now here’s the spanner. She has now decided she wants to be… yes you have guessed it…. A doctor. She said she has the buzz now and that it was hard work but she feels amazing. One thing I know about my DD is once she gets something in her mind then that’s it.
Thing is we haven’t saved a penny she was never going to go to university and now it looks like we will need to be funding her through a levels and if she continues the way she’s going then several years in university.
Someone tell me how I can support her best going forward?