What fresh hell is this

[eggsandsourdough]

High school!!

DD started last year and jesus fucking christ what a rollercoaster.

The transition has been absolutly brutal, not so much for my DD in the sense she made a huge group of friends but the sheer drama, behaviour,shocking stories.

My lovely, kind empathetic grl has turned into a monster.

I was not ready!! What a humbling experience.

Don’t. I’m dreading it.
What’s happening? Tell me everything 😂

Oh, you'll love Year 9, then. That's when the hormones kick in and they all go feral.

You mean it gets worse after y7??? Ds started Y7 this year and his attitude has gone through the roof and who would have thought you learn everything you ever need to know in the first 6 months so he now knows everything!

Year 8 was horrific for us. 😅

Ok wait guys im scottish school so we have S1, S2 and so on...

let me google to translate hahah

Fall outs every day
They "love" each other and only refer to each other as "baby"
They look for issues even when there appears to be none 😂
FULL on teenage angst all day long
Suddenly i have become "weird" and "embarrasing"

Tiktok is the devil and all social media has been banned in this household

Secondary school was hellish for me so since my kids started I’ve always been waiting for … something but nothing yet and both are a good way in already!

You couldn’t fucking pay me to relive the ages 11-14, I was talking with my SIL and sister the other day and they agreed. First half of secondary school was fucking brutal, last two years were alright though but oh my god, I wouldn’t do it again for all the money in the world.

It’s good that she has friends, and I will say I’m still friends with most of my school friends despite all the drama - so there’s that.

whats your secret 👀tell me please!!!

We’re half way through year 9 now and my DS, although already the hairiest creature I have ever seen, is still the same kind, loving and helpful boy he always was! We have two years left after this one and fingers crossed for maintaining this!!

It was hell until around 16, when they became mostly human again.

You have my deepest sympathy OP. Secondary school is awful.

yikes. DS is in Yr 8 and while we have had some huffing and general moodiness, he’s still mostly human. I’m bracing myself for the next few years 😭

Year 9 was hell on earth (girls).

Year 10 wasn’t a whole lot better!

6th form was a slight improvement.

University has been wonderful.

If it's any consolation each of my kids have had a different experience. Ds1..great year 7. Hideous y8-11 where I was in weekly for persistent school refusal. Attendance 60% passed all gcses, A at a levels and now at a great uni.

Ds2 absolute angel throughout

Ds3 angle until now y9

Dd nightmare already so I prepaired for anything in y6

I contemplated running away alot with my first born at secondary. Bless him. Hideous!

I had a terrible time at seniors between ages 12-14, after that it was ok but it left mental scars for years. Luckily my own kids pretty much sailed through seniors without incident.

A friend teaches in an all girl's secondary and concurs. Her dream job would be in a sixth form college.

S1 = Yr7 etc although in Scotland the kids are slightly older so they start S1 when they're all at least 11.5 and some are already 12. In England yr 7 kids will all be 11 turning 12 from 1st September as they enter yr 7 (and some will only just have turned 11 in the August as they go to high school).
GCSEs in Yr 10 & 11
A-levels Yr 12 & 13

That's really helpful thanks. I am in Scotland, but have teenaged family in England and can never get my head round when they are going to be sitting exams. From this it sounds like they sit GSCEs in the academic year that they turn 16 and A-Levels in the academic year that they turn 18?

That’s what happened to me, I was dreading it as I had an awful time but none of that came about for mine, thank god!

Yes exactly that @GlasgowGal2014 ! The age cut offs align with the school year from 1st September to end of August. So most will be 16 or nearly 16 in year 11 went they take GCSEs and likewise 18 doing Alevels at the end of year 13. Biggest difference due to the extra year at high school is that everyone is 18 when they go to uni whereas some Scottish kids are still 17.

I've just had a lightbulb moment too that whilst Scottish kids are older when they go into S1 than English kids are in Y7, England has an extra year of secondary school and that's why Scottish kids starting university are often younger than their English counterparts.

I have heard that it gets better in 5th year and to be honest not sure how it could get any worse than right now!

Had an awful time with both my children going through high school. Some of the kids were just absolutely vile to each other.
Has always been a tough period to get through but I think with the invention of social media and mobile phones, it's got far far worse.
I home schooled my daughter for the final 6 months and she sat her GCSE's as an external candidate....it got that toxic and was affecting her education!!! Good luck and you have my sympathy.

My lovely, sweet, affectionate, articulate DS is now 14 (Y9) and will NOT get up without an hour of battle, grunts, gets detentions and doesn’t se to care, answers back, is defiant, eats and sleep and grunts and not much else.

I am praying this phase doesn’t last too long and he gets his shit together for his GCSEs 😞