To do my daughters GCSE course work?

[LolaLouise]

My daughter is adhd diagnosed, probable autism which she is still on a waiting list for years after the referral was submitted, she gets frustrated and gives up quickly, she tries, she really does, but sometimes gets overwhelmed and cant continue a task.

Her art GCSE course work is due in this week, she was very behind. I have spent all last weekend and this weekend helping her get it done. Up until now its been sitting and encouraging her, ive done some of the research whilst shes been doing the sketches needed, and then shes re-written it out, suggestions of sketches she could do, and cutting it all out so she can place everything into her book, helping her with layouts and ordering, but mostly just keeping her on track and focussed in 2 hour windows. There was one piece of art required for it to be done, she tried, for hours, yesterday to do it, but she got so frustrated and couldnt do it, its a portrait of a person. She ended up getting quite upset with the drawing and the looming deadline. This isnt the first time she has attempted it, shes been trying to draw it for weeks, but i put it to one side as she was hyperfixated on it, and in order to get everything else done, i took it off the table and said we would do that last. The sketch is needed as her final piece was based around this portrait, though her final piece was just shapes no details. The teacher has told her she absolutly must include this portrait in her project. Her final exam has already been sat so she cant just change the direction of the project now.

So ive drawn it, its not great, i can draw a bit but not even close to being skilled, but its better than what she was able to produce. She doesnt know ive drawn it last night. Ive started the shading to block out the main shadows, but it needs finishing, which she can do in the same way she has shaded all her other work, it looks vaguely like the person its supposed to be if you squint a little bit. We are going to try again today, ive even suggested to her tracing the facial structure today if we can figure a way to do it as we have no thin paper left to trace with, just really thick watercolour paper and card left. But it needs finishing today to hand in tomorrow. Then we can focus on her other much needed revision.

Her college plans do not include something even close to art related, its one drawing in amongst probably 100 others over the 2 years of project work, in the grand scheme of things i dont think it will make a difference to her grade, but her teacher has said it has to be included, so she is building it up to be the most important thing ever. I just want to help her, and ease some of her stress. Would you give her the drawing and help her finish it? Or is it too much help? Ive convinced myself if she does the shading then its no different to having traced the initial drawing, which is perfectly acceptable in her work, we just dont have the access to do that easily today. Do we try the tracing first and it that goes wrong then i just give her this one to shade over? theres a chance she has tried tracing in school on the lightboxes and they have been discarded already, as i know she traced other images.

How much help is too much, considering her SEN, but also that this is GCSE work?

If it was maths and English no I wouldn’t do it as if they can’t t do it they can’t do it and there no point pretending as they will struggle when they need to use this skill

i doubt she’s heading for a career in art so just do it tbh what’s the chance of her needing that skill

I would get a screwed one up out the bin, include it along with some commentary about how frustrating it was and how it represents arts ability for us to reflect emotion, even when the face on the page isn’t what it seems, or some other such waffle. Got me an A back in the day!

This is similar to how im seeing it, me drawing the basic sketch for her to finish is no different to tracing. (Popping out is impossible today, i dont drive and currently have a mobility affecting illness so cant walk anywhere, not even round the supermarket, having to do all shopping online, im hoping we have something i can use to get her to trace some where in amongst the 100s of art supplies we have stashed, but a quick look last night i didnt find anything). There are imbalances in education for everyone, whether sen or not, and shes tried so hard, she just needs to finish it and then we can focus on her other revision.

Feeling your pain. This is a familiar scenario here too! Balls of paper all over the kitchen because ‘it’s not good enough’! (At which point there really is a need to stop and come back another time.) Clearing the space and chunking the task as has been suggested above is helpful!

No don't.
She will always know.
You could, instead, do a graphite transfer (google it..loads of c 2 minute vidoes) of the portrait onto paper and give her that. Or show her how. Then your input is tiny, the work it hers.

It is also entirely possible the art teacher will recognise this as not her work.

Her predicted is a 4/5 yes, not a high grade at all.

To add, students have to sign paperwork that states they have not had any extra help for their work, other than guidance and teacher input. So your daughter would be breaching this if she signed and you have completed work for her. Again, would be seen as malpractice. Helping with research is one thing, doing a sketch for her is more than that. Putting a few guidelines on a page as a starting point - okay. Completing the whole sketch, whether it is good or not, is not allowed.

Iit’s Not ok to submit your work and say it’s your daughter’s. You know this is wrong.
What are you teaching your DD here?
This is the snowflake generation and we will be relying on these people later in our lives.
Hope you don’t end up with a doctor or consultant whose friend took their exams!

I'd do something else with her this morning. Print out a picture of something simple, and turn the page round so the image is upside down, and both hands a go at drawing it (make sure yours isn't too good!!).
See if she'd then have a go at doing the same with the portrait

If you do that then you are teaching her that she can't do it and she can't have a reasonable go at things that are hard. You are also teaching her that cheating is fine. Neither of those are lessons I would want to teach.

This.

Get her to work on your drawing and I agree, it helps become her piece. Life is too short to worry about this, sometimes our kids need a little extra help to get over the line. She isn’t taking a place in an art school from someone else, she isn’t hanging her art in a gallery, just get your daughters “input/shading/touches” and go with it.

Do you have baking paper? You can substitute for tracing paper or WH Smith would prob be open today?
with the baking paper use a pen to get the outline of the drawing - turn over the baking paper and shade area with lead pencil - turn back over and place on white paper and follow pen outline again. By pressing with the pen onto the baking paper a faint pencil mark will be transferred to the white paper -
do two of these and suggest you both sit down together at the same table and do one each as a trial. Make sure she thinks of it as a trial - hopefully the ‘trial’ will turn into something useful for her portfolio

The amount of work involved in the coursework is too much

Regarding thin paper to trace - do you have any baking paper?

No. She needs to learn that there are consequences to her action or inaction. I understand that it's mostly due to her ADHD that she couldn't focus on the portrait, but it's still something she has to learn to develop coping mechanisms for to help her actually get shit done, or coping mechanisms for the fallout if that's what happens.

I say that as someone with health conditions myself, that also impacted me in school. My parents didn't give a damn and did not help me. Yes, would've been "nice" if they did, but it was mkre valuable to me to understand how the world was going to react to me. It's not pleasant, but those are the hands we are dealt. We need to learn to live with them, and your daughter is at an age where learning will benefit.

This is your daughter's reality. She either finds a way to cope and do the portrait, or she doesn't and she has to understand that has consequences - whether her ADHD makes it harder or not. She's going to have to work one day, and you won't be able to be in her workplace for her.

Definitely not. If it’s better than her usual work, her teachers will smell a rat. You’ll also undermine her confidence in herself and the result at the end will feel hollow and empty, and feel like that for her whole life.

The support you’re giving her is plenty and more than most people will get.

Ok its clear i cant give her this drawing. Thank you. I will try and get her a way of tracing and hopefully she wakes up with a clearer head today. For clarity the research i did for her was just timelines, nothing about interpretation or anything, just basic information. The deadline for the project is def this week, we had a meeting about it in December when this project was starting and they were all told that the exam was 2 weeks before the deadline for the project. It was the same for her fist one, they sat the final piece exam just before the christmas break, and the project hand in date was when they went back in Jan.

Then I'd encourage her to have another go today and if she simply can't do it go with yours as a last resort. To be honest if she sees yours it might help her get started. Probably a bit late now but light boards are amazing for tracing, don't know if you'd get one in Argos quickly. amzn.eu/d/9voIOoo

Maybe your DD just isn’t good enough at Art to do the work to a certain standard. That’s ok! Doing it for her is pretty despicable I’m afraid. You’re showing her that what she’s produced herself isn’t good enough, that you’ll happily cheat in order for her to get by. What an awful message to give her. Poor kid.

Sorry if it has been mentioned but y9u can usually trace using normal A4 if you just put both images up on a window - there's usually enough light that you can see the image you're tracing.

You know this is wrong, OP. You're trying to justify it to yourself because it's really hard to watch your child struggle. As an SEN parent myself I totally get that, but you can't just do it for her. If you do, she will always know and whether she shows it or not she will feel some degree of shame around it. Then there's the distinct possibility of her being found out, which is bound to be anxiety provoking. She just needs to do the best she can, and if it's not 'enough' then yes, it might be upsetting for her to fail but it's not the end of the world. She won't gain any sense of achievement or pride from a grade she knows she got by cheating.

I can see why you are temoted, and have huge sympathy, but it’s cheating - nonoyher word for it.

Im going to have to send her to town alone to get something i think, i cant walk at the minute, and the only A4 paper we have left is thick watercolour or card. I dont have a printer or anything, the little local shop may have baking paper so ill get her to stop there first.

Gosh I real feel for both you and your DD OP.

My suggestion would be to use ChatGPT. Explain the context to it fully (GCSE sketch demonstrating X, Y, Z as part of a project on A) and the struggles you DD is having and why. Ask it to break the task down into mirco steps. Like, really, really small steps. Also ask it for some encouraging words for your DD and will help her with the "I just need to get this done" thing and overcome the perfectionism.

Then give your DD these steps ONE AT A TIME. Do not let her see the full list so she doesn't get overwhelmed. Give her breaks when she needs it.

Good luck, its not easy.