To stop GCSE son going out on a Tuesday school night

[Tuxedocatty]

To tell my 15 year old son he can’t go out to an open mic night on a Tuesday night a few weeks before his GCSEs? He only does revision under the most extreme duress anyway and to be honest keeping him here just means he’ll spend an hour going through the motions and sulking. But apart from anything it’s the principle. Apparently I’m the worst parent ever.

I don’t think one night will
make or break his results either way, especially so close to the exams and everyone needs downtime and balance. Of course I’d be encouraging him to revise around his social plans too but you can lock him in the house and it still wouldn’t mean he’ll absorb anything if he’s wishing he was elsewhere.

Of course YANBU. I'm about 9 years older than your DS (GCSEs 2017). He needs to study. He can go to all the open mic nights in the summer once exams are done.

And if he's already a chronic non-reviser this is just enabling him. Does he really want to get 4s and 5s?

Exactly that!! Same as me…. If I had been made to stop going out with friends or my sport or anything, I know for a fact I would have pushed back and probably actively done less 🙈

🙄

He's not someone revising a lot who wants to take one night off. He's a chronic "can't be arsed" and wants to have another jolly.

My parents (Asian, yes) put fear of god in me to revise. I knew I had to get good grades and failure wasn't tolerated.

Well his parents can either become tyrannical bullies or use this as a carrot to induce him to revise

My cousin's had parents like yours (also Asian) and they have all cut them out of their lives as adults.

A wise and valuable contribution to the discussion

I also have a 15 yo dd about to do GCSEs. I think I would use it as a negotiation ploy. I would swap it in exchange for some revision supervised by me/with me. I think revision can be really hard to get motivated for so would try to do some with him.

It wont make any difference to stay in.

My ds is still doing a lot of sport. They need to do something as well as revise!

Let him out! Don’t know about you but we have two months from now before exams are finished - you need to let him out

My DS is also taking GCSEs this year and YABU. One night of enforced revision when he would rather be doing something else is not going to be beneficial in the slightest.

They aren't bullies at all. I ain't cutting mine out. Definitely needed a kick up the backside.