To book a family day out during GCSEs

[sophandbridge]

It'd just be for me and the dc doing GCSEs and would be their Xmas present but is a fixed day two weeks into the exams. My view is book it as a day to relax would do them good but would you ? I can't decide, they may say they want to stay home and revise.

@MrsMariaReynolds

Can you not book the date for after the exam period? Or is it a one-off kind of thing?

Love the username

It would have to be pretty exceptional for me to do that, especially since almost all of their exams will now be after half term. Is it impossible to do afterwards? I think if it had been me during exams (and now DD who will be taking them in the summer), I'd have been happier with a couple of hours away, but not a whole day out.

I would discuss with DC before booking. And not do it if I wasn't okay with the idea of them choosing not to do it last minute.

@Comefromaway

I would definately book the Saturday if its the start of half term. Be a welcome break after the first two weeks of exams.

But it won't be the first 2 weeks of exams under her belt unfortunately - they've been pushed back 3 weeks, so the most they'll have sat will be 1 English and 1 Maths paper.

I would book a Saturday or a half term day. Just because it’s GCSE season doesn’t mean a child doesn’t deserve time away from the books.

As someone who had a kid miss their exam because their mum let them have the morning off for their birthday I agree it wasn’t clear you meant a weekend 😂

I think the exams will end up cancelled! Our year 11s have missed 4 weeks so far this year so it isn’t fair for them all to do the same exam as other schools that have missed none - surely?

Nope. An evening out during half-term then yes but a full day out absolutely not. Your child will probably want to revise for a few hours each day and I think not having the flexibility to do that would put pressure on them.

I found my DD was irritable before GCSE's started but once she had her first exam was focused and we as a family worked round her schedule as we wanted a calm environment at home.

There are only 2 GCSE exams scheduled before half term. 1 English and 1 Maths paper. All the rest are crammed in to 3 weeks, perhaps 4 depending on what subjects you do, after half term. So it won't really be 2 weeks in to their exams. It will be right before they start an exhausting few weeks with exams most days.

All the exam boards have their timetables published on their websites so you can look up what that 1st week after half term will look like in terms of exams.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised at all if it all changes again between now and May.

It is a kind thought, but I would have absolutely hated it if my parents had done that. Your child needs to be able to focus on exams and studying in a way that works for them. An enforced day out is likely to lead to much more stress and anxiety and you’ll all probably have a miserable day as a result. Also a risk that you’ll be blamed if they do badly in an exam! Time out is important, but as a teenager I’d have wanted to spend it doing my own thing, in bed, chilling out etc.

Honestly, it is really good to relax while studying for GCSEs, but I would do things like going for walks in your local area rather than a full day out. When I'm studying for exams I would just be worried about how much I was missing out on if I went out, and that would spoil the day anyway.

Hold on before you make the decision (assuming it's not something that will sell out), because I think it's fairly probable that GCSEs will be cancelled anyway.

I wouldn’t, for all the reasons stated above.

But... I also wouldn’t ask MN, I’d ask your children. If they’re old enough to do GCSEs, they’re old enough not to need a Xmas surprise on this. What do they think?

If they say they love the idea of a blow out, and they trust that you genuinely wouldn’t mind if they pulled out because they changed their minds, and you know they wouldn’t genuinely feel OK to tell you that - go for it.

God no. That's madness.

Do it, give the poor kid a break from the stress! Some of us had Saturday jobs during our GCSEs!

I was a last minute crammer, so that would not have worked for me at all, I relied on every second of the exam weeks to stuff my short term memory with information!

@BullshitVivienne

Do it, give the poor kid a break from the stress! Some of us had Saturday jobs during our GCSEs!

I had a Saturday job during my GCSEs but it was in a very quiet shop/cafe and I used to stick facts and quotes around the till/ sink/microwave so I could learn while I worked! I had a very accomodating boss who wasn't there most of the time anyway...

I'm usually in the camp of keep up hobbies/part time jobs etc as they need a release from it all, however, my two had to be in school for revision sessions during half term and occasional weekends …. and this was 3 years ago so with this year's covid issues there may well be a lot more holiday/weekend revision.

The timetables are all published online now so as long as you know which exam boards each subject is, you can work out your child's timetable

I can't see the issue if it's in half term. Are people suggestions their children revised/will revise every day of half term?

It depends on your children really though, OP. I was always very much a "do an hour's reading the night before an exam" sort of reviser. If they're not big on revising then I really can't see it as an issue.

"Yes, a Saturday. No way would they be having it in a weekday, I hoped that was obvious as I'm not stupid "

You'd be amazed what some people do - I know of a kid whose mum had booked a family holiday which overlapped her GCSEs. Mum's response, when she realised was that it was a real pity, because her daughter had wanted to do a particular college course and now she wouldn't be able to get the grades for it!

No. If they don't do well in something subsequently, you or they will only end up thinking, "What if?"

If it's booked they'll feel under pressure to go too.

I wouldn't.

Going slightly against most opinions on here but I think it's fine if it's the Saturday before half term. They've got the rest of half term to revise if there are exams.

However, are you sure the event will go ahead?

I only wouldn’t because of how far away it is and how we don’t know where we’ll be at or whether exams will be moved/cancelled etc etc.

But I don’t see anything wrong with having a day out during exams in half term. FWIW my DS went and stayed with his grandparents for half term during his GCSE’s. He took his books with him, but how much studying he did I don’t know as I was in hospital.

I in fact went into hospital on the day he started his exams, visit to grandparents was arranged as a way for DS to get some time out, and I went into cardiac arrest the night before he was meant to go, but he went anyway as I was stable again by then.

It’s an extreme example but I think it got him out for a bit. And he still had very good GCSE results.

I've had a think and I'm going to book it, there is cancellation insurance available for £3 and if it doesn't happen the T&C say I can get my money back because of Covid or unforeseen circumstances. It's the kind of event that you can leave when you've had enough so it doesn't commit them to a whole day and it's not far from home. It's a one off event that only happens once a year so I can't book it for another day.

Thanks for the input. If they decide they don't want to go because of the exams then that's going to be their choice and I won't have a problem with it but we can just go for the length of time they are comfortable with, it doesn't have to be a full day.

I need to book it now as it's discounted heavily but only before Xmas so I can't wait and see, the full price would be unaffordable and you have to book early to guarantee car parking. No tickets are available on the day either.

Get them proper Christmas presents and book a fun day out for when their exams are over (whenever that may be, given the current situation).

@borntobequiet

Get them proper Christmas presents and book a fun day out for when their exams are over (whenever that may be, given the current situation).

It is a proper Xmas present! It's something they'll love to do and not something we'd normally do. I don't know why you think it's not proper present.