in thinking that DD will get nowhere with these GCSE options...

[PosyPanther]

DD is 13, so, in my opinion still a child, she changes her mind about pretty much everything daily, school shoes, whose her best friend, her favourite colour, you get the picture...

She has just had the first leaflet from school about GCSE option next year and want to pick health and social care (double award)human health and physiology instead of additional science, child development, psychology and sociology. She says she wants to do social work or primary teaching (or win the X factor )

I think she's mad. She's in the top set at school, level 5 across the board at primary school and is working at solid level 7s now. I would much prefer her to take at least two science GCSEs, history and geography instead of psych and sociology and a language with one choice left for whatever she fancies (but I'd prefer a second language or triple science.)

I can't see that having History, geography, french, german, separate science would disadvantage her in applying for ANY degree/career pathway? How do I convince her that some subjects actually are better than others? Her teachers are insisting all GCSEs are equal but I can't see that sociology is as hard as German or Physics? I'm worried she's going to close doors at 13...

That really depends on what kind of acting, on what kind of theatre.

Auditioning for jobs.

She is 11, but incredibly tiny, exactly what directors want...someone who can pass for eight or nine, but in fact can learn their lines, take themselves to the loo and, more importantly, are allowed legally to work longer hours.

Her LAMDA teacher, drama coach etc all tell me I am holding her back but but but but...

But but but what? I was where you are, feeling like a ponce or that I was doing mine a disservice. Really - what can it hurt? If she loves it - what can it hurt?
If she is good at school it won't hurt as she will stay good at school. I worked with a very dyslexic girl who came second in the auditions for Golden Compass. Did her ego the world of good.
You will meet some weird parents, and you will feel like you belong in a documentary about US child beauty pageants. But I really believe you will be teaching your child something about resilience and general life skills, even if she never gets a job.
Here endeth the lesson.

D'you think?

I guess I worry about...well I'm sure you know.
I worry about how eleven year olds deal with rejection.
I worry about her being told her eyes are too small/teeth too wonky/voice all wrong.
I worry about her school work.
I worry about her becoming successful and losing her childhood.

Yep. Agreed.
But these are all coming from a position of fear, and your DD wants to run forward and embrace something.
I think 11 year olds cope with rejection better than we do, especially if we are there to contextualise it. That's my experience anyway: and my experience is that teaching them to deal with the fact that they have been rejected for something on a fairly arbitrary basis means they don't define themselves by rejection when it comes.

Do you know, you're one of the few people to view this whole thing positively.

So many folk in RL seem to see doom and disaster around this. Step away, seems to be the advice.

And really, me of all people, in a job where rejection is de rigour, should know it's fine.

Thank you very very much.

Good luck!

It is a complete falsehood to say Russell Group unis do not accept "soft" subjects.

I have posted this before but everyone ignores this fact.

My DD and several of her friends [mixture of state and grammar] are just starting their first year at Russell Gp unis. They all have at leat one soft GCSE. Top unis do accept one so called soft A level and GSCE for many many courses.

My DD did 2 soft subjects at GSCE and 1 at A level. She also did at GSCE the core traditional subjects including triple science, french, history and RE. So yes you need to have a majority of traditional subjects, but you can have a little bit of art/textiles/media if you are that way inclined. Please get the facts right!!

I certainly never said RG univesrities did not accept some subjects. What I did say is that future employers are put off by them so why take the risk? Ensure you have mostly core good subjects and of course add others if you choose. Try to ensure you take what used to be the core subjects to pass your "school certificate" - english lit, lang, maths, a foreign language, 2 or 3 sciences, geography, history and I think it used to be RE but that doesn't matter so much and then add others if you wish. I did music as an extra. And I don't think there's much point in doing huge nubmers of GCSEs either as you want time for your hobbies as well.

On child acting they can act and still do well at school. There are an awful lot of children whose childhood though is "lost" in a sense and not all appreciate that and some wish it hadn't happened but it depends on the child. A girl at ballet school or Chetham's music might be very happy with that and if they also do well in exams if they decide as one my daughter's friends (greay young gym nast) at 13 or 14 that's enough I now hate it, Olympic hopeful couldn't care less etc etc then they need not to have nothing else in their life I suppos and they need a paernt who doesn't say - I've wasted 4 years driving you to XYZ and now you're giving it up.

Litchick - my youngest son was an incredibly beautiful baby, toddler and small child. He's grown out of it now and just looks like any other 11 year old, but I literally lost count of the number of people who approached me and said he should go into modelling or acting. Also his personality was such that he loved the attention of strangers and a camera. But I didn't pursue it because it just goes against the grain for me to 'push' for things, or draw attention to myself or my children like that, and I worried about all the things you mention for your daughter.

Now, I can see that he has potential in acting or comedy - he is a good mimic, very funny, still cute, and has a presence that the camera would love - but typically, because he's my child, he's inherited an unassuming persona, and a lack of self belief that he is anything special or different. I can't even persuade him to audition for the school play, yet he does great accents and little 'scenes' at home all the time. He has a beautiful singing voice but wouldn't DREAM of letting anyone hear it.

I feel I am an under-achiever of epic proportions, and I wish I'd encouraged my kids to have more self-belief and drive to be honest. And he's not academic, so he needs to focus on those skills!