would you let your children make their own GCSE choices

[zippitippitoes]

...it never occurrred to me to interfere at all with what mine chose but in this article about happiness it makes it sound like it's normal for parents to choose them?

it's actually about children and mental well being..a bit woolly to be honest

helpful if you go to France ?

Know what you mean FloatingontheMed. I got really stressed about my third year school exams because if I didn't pass the right exams I wouldn't be allowed to do the right O-levels and wouldn't get to do A-levels and wouldn't go to uni, and (according to my mum) would end up working in a shoe shop (?!). I did go to uni, but the thing that has influenced my career most was the first job I got after uni which was secretarial and didn't require any more qualifications than a good typing speed. I do speak French, but because I au paired there for a year, not because I have a French O-level.

Definitely let them choose so long they're choosing for the right reasons, not just doing something because their mates/someone they fancy is doing that subject!

My dad refused to let me do drama GCSE or A-level or theatre studies at Degree level. What do I do for a living........?

DRAMA TEACHER!

(with an MA in Drama and Theatre Studies, may I add. At 24 with my own income I really didn't feel I needed to consult him on subject choices any longer!)

i was prevented from making my own choices and to this day it gets up my nose....