GCSE '18s (20) - half term beckons!

[mmmz]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3355907-gcse-18s-19-new-beginnings

Oh yes, one Tyrwhitt and one Ben Sherman shirt are on their way to me for 99p each!!!! And I only had to take 5 minutes out of my Sunday afternoon marking!

Hoorah for non-shopping shopping!

(And no one is to bid on the other 3...)

I was still getting over the £8 primark shirts........we have got some pretty savvy shoppers on here, I have a lot to learn

Another vote for Primark hear. Just got casual shirts, tracksuit bottoms and PJs we had been searching all over for - and decent quality and price !!

Can i assume that you are all getting in the Men's department rather than children's? I find for DS13 that boys clothes are too smal and men's smallest sizes are too big.

My DS2 and 3 are chunky. I'm just glad DS3 is tall enough to fit the 30" leg jeans without them being too, too long. DS1 on the other hand is skinny as anything.

Eaglefly when DS1 and DS2 were that size, I was buying XS man and XL boys sizes from H&M and (the now closed) BHS. Mandmdirect are really good for cheap, stylish, casual men's clothes sizes in size small (and medium and large too).

Unfortunately, I'm also in shopping mode, but it's for large size man, even though both are slim. Both boys take a 34in leg and their bodies are just too long for most medium size men tops. I spent yesterday bagging up barely worn clothes and donating them to a charity shop.

Annoyingly, I had to throw away all DS1's DofE clothes as none will fit DS2 when he does the expedition next Spring. They were only worn for two days and now I have to buy them all again.

That time before they get big enough for men/woman's clothes is tricky as the kids clothes don't suit or fit them any more but adult sizes are too big. I'm sure there's a gap in the market there for someone to fill.

I think they grow so quickly at that age that the market is so small the shops don't bother catering for it. You can get Next stuff online for teenagers but they don't have any of it in the shops. My DSs are all in adult clothes now. It was everything being too long that was a pain for a while, even the teenager stuff. My boys are fairly short with long bodies and short legs, poor buggers!

I think one of the stumbling blocks from that phase is getting used to paying for adult clothes (with VAT) and the grown-upness of the styles. DS2 was only 11. He's 14 now and it seems like a lifetime ago. But there definitely was a period when it was difficult to find clothes that fitted him.

BHS were brilliant that year the boys went through that stage. It is a shame BHS is gone. DS2 only reluctantly gave up the last pair of (far too small) shorts from there this summer when he realised he just couldn't wear them again!

Thanks whistl, oratory, Ellen yes it's true this phase won't last long. DS has very long legs but is skinny so things are constantly getting shorter but the longer stuff doesn't fit the the waists. DD no such problem and has stayed the same size for a couple of years now.

eaglefly I had the same problem with DS1 (long legs, small waist). I had to learn to sew so i could put in elastic into waist bands etc.

I was a young professional woman once. I thought it was my grandmother's generation who cooked, sewed and cleaned and my life would be about "important" things, but here I am replicating my granny! Now, I have opinions on everything from the best fabric conditioner, to how to season food properly and how Hobbycraft is way overpriced for haberdashery!

Went to see dd at the weekend. She seemed fairly upbeat although school are a bit worried she's lost some confidence. She had been eating badly at lunch (think a while packet of supernoodles and lots of supposedly healthy fruit bars instead of more filling chicken salads, wraps and proper fruit) but we've had a chat.

And the latest hot off the press news from dh who went to see a private consultant this morning is that he has Menieres Disease. Not a brilliant diagnoses for someone in his proffesion but he has now been given medication to hopefully try and get it under control.

AH I'm sorry about your DH's diagnosis. Sending you my best wishes that it can be controlled and that the impact on your lives is not as great as you fear.

Alexander at least you have a diagnosis to work from, that must be some kind of relief.
DD seems to be having very small lunches at Sixth Form - not so small I worry but definitely smaller than in Year 11. And healthy - for instance today's was a chopped apple, some green salad leaves, celery and red peppers with grilled chicken (no dressing), and a box of raisins. I wish I had her resilience.

DS is going the opposite way with three cooked meals on tap including his favourite cooked breakfast !! Hoping being busy and forced to do some exercise three times a week will counter any impact :)

I had bene encouraging dd to save money as when we went on the parents tour a soup and sandwich deal was someting like £2.80 and I thought she could make her own sandwich and take in a cup a soup much cheaper.

But it turns out the've had a re-design of the menu and given the students a discount so now they can get a wrap or meat/fish salad for £1.70.

The supernoodles were over 500 calories of fat and simple carbs (have you ever seen the grease floating in the water when you heat them?) We do have them at home but half a packet each mixed with fresh chicken and peas/sweetcorn not just a whole pack on their own!

Also breakfast she was having sugary granola with yoghurt and fruit bars. I have encouraged her to switch back to what she hd at hmoe which was either egg on toast or porridge with real fruit.

Could she be comfort eating, AH? She's had to deal with a lot of change. Nothing compared to your DH, but DC can be a bit self-centered sometimes.
You might not think a packet of supernoodles is comforting but carbs like that can be.

Yes, we definately think comfort eating a bit.

Probably a time thing too - when your so busy and taking in all sorts of new things it must be so tempting to grab the quickest thing.

Oh no! Geoffrey (as in Bungo and Geoffrey /Rainbow) has died! All the TV and pop icons of my childhood are dying off. It implies that I'm getting old, which is obviously a completely unacceptable suggestion!

Oh no. That makes 3 with Chas or Dave and which ever Chuckle Brother it was.

DD's lunchtime wrap today was filled with carrot & cucumber. Nothing else whatsoever. Weird.

Was it meant to have hummus in perhaps?
(typical vegan combination)

Dd has now started to have the veggie falafel wrap (no mayo as she doesn’t like it?

DS is making his own lunches. He asked me if this year he could have the weekly ammount I used to put on his smart card for lunch added to his allowance and he would sort his lunches out. I thought this was quite reasonable. He's turned into a canny shopper (always did love money!) and buys sandwich stuff and takes 4 sandwiches and some friut plus tortilla chips into school - and eneds up saving himself about £5 per week . lets hope he keeps it up when he goes to uni.

We have booked our first Open day at Warwick in a couple of weeks (eek!). The other Uni's he wants to apply to don't have 2019 Open days advertised yet except Oxford, so to avoid a hectic summer it makes sense to get at least one out of the way. It's a bit too real though.

DS (History essay due Wed, English presentation due Fri, Philosophy essay due Tues) has admitted that being taught at school seems nice and relaxing compared to working on his own at home!