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.

I'm somewhat concerned about the level of pressure and anxiety some children (or at least their sorbets) are suffering that they cannot contemplate one day out during a 9 day school holiday.

No one should need to revise all day every day. No one should feel they have to either.

Everyone needs a break.

Tbh some of these very anxious children and parents sound like they're need a break way more than anyone else. They're heading for some form of breakdown at this rate!!

@caringcarer Why can't you wait until last exam is over.

Because, as I've already explained several times, the event is not on when the exams are over. I could phone the organisers and explain that it's most inconvenient for them to hold their extremely popular event during half term and please could they delay it but I doubt they'd listen.

I wouldn't even think twice about booking it, but then my kids are young.

I doubt that the GCSE timetable is going to bother them then which is what I was thinking about.

Why not get it for next year? Why this year? If I could help it, I would avoid giving my kids more to think about at a stressful time like that. I would find it a bit stressful weighing up whether I should go or not.

@Namenic

Why not get it for next year? Why this year? If I could help it, I would avoid giving my kids more to think about at a stressful time like that. I would find it a bit stressful weighing up whether I should go or not.

Because her older sister had a special day out for her 16th birthday and we are doing the same for dd#2. Unlike for dd#1 it can't be on her birthday weekend as her interests are more in an area that only tends to have a few events in the summer and only in a few parts of the country. The one we are going to isn't every year.

Well I think it’s a lovely idea.
But I want to know what it is!
You know your kids best and as you can cancel and get a refund if necessary then you’d be mad not to book it!

I wouldn't.

@Fiddlersgreen

Well I think it’s a lovely idea. But I want to know what it is! You know your kids best and as you can cancel and get a refund if necessary then you’d be mad not to book it!

It's to do with engineering which she likes,

DD went to Slam Dunk on the bank holiday Monday of half term during her GCSEs, but that was at the beginning of the week. I think she would have felt too anxious to do a whole day out at the end of half term.

I think you know your child best, but would consider asking first before buying tickets.

I would have felt obliged to go on an expensive day out that's a big enough deal to have been bought as a main present but I would have preferred the full weekend ahead of a heavy schedule to revise or relax and digest ideas and would have been worrying to myself.

It's a nice idea but sometimes the timing sucks. If it was a true one-off then maybe, but an annual or nearly annual event is not a one off. I would be thinking of something else for her present, I'm afraid, OP.

Aragog I think it's the fact that it is the end of half term that is the issue.

Had it been the first weekend or, say, the Monday or Tuesday it might be different (unless the DC really needed that full week to cram).

But it's not really about taking one day out, its that the one day is the weekend immediately before the exams. in my own experience that would have felt like poor timing on the day.

I really think you need to discuss with your DC and not book as a surprise.
My DD is only doing 4 GCSEs, but has an exam in each one the week after half term.
Your DC may be absolutely fine with going, or may say they don't want to commit to something only 2 days before the first 'big week'.

This year really doesn't compare to previous years. The current year 11s have had so much disruption, what worked for previous years isn't really a great guide for this year. Also it is massively child dependent.