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

[mmmz]

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

I don't get a lot of info either. In fact, there's a poster over in studentroom who blogs about day to day life in the school and its by reading those posts that i find out what they are doing. Its very kind of them... though I don't think they mean to blog for my benefit!

If left to DS, he may as well disappear into a black hole each morning for all that he reveals to DH and me.

DS did tell me his exam results today though. the days of the constant 100% scores seem to be over but he seems to be doing ok.

(Maybe I can stop worrying for a bit??)

DD has found that if you got a 7 for maths you are probably having to work your socks off to keep up. If you got an 8, you can probably keep pace with some new challenges thrown in for good measure. If you got a 9, you are likely to be suffering a crisis of confidence because there is definitely someone better than you in your class who spent the whole summer at a Harvard summer school or similar and they've stolen your place in the pecking order of geeks!

DS is helping out at the sixth form open evening tonight in the music department. It seems like only yesterday that he was visiting as a Y11!

Time goes quicker and quicker - also seems like only yesterday he was a tiny shy blond mite going into year 7.

I have to laugh when I see DS2's face when he sees a year 7 being dropped off in the morning.
The mother got out of the car in front of us this morning and we had to wait until she was done. She opened the boot, got out the school bag and her (year 7) DS put it on. Then tucked his water bottle into his bag. Then she kissed her Ds on the cheek and they had a hug before she waved him off and got back into her car.
Sitting 10 ft behind them, DS sat beside me watching. He looked slightly appalled that the mother was getting out of the car, but when she kissed her child in public, DS was physically squirming with embarrassment for the boy!
Finally when it was over, and I could roll forward to let DS out, all he said was "Year 7" like that explained it all!

My son would still sometimes hold my hand in public up to the age of 13 - he is NT and well adjusted, just a tactile boy. I was torn between being grateful for it (it stops soon enough) and wondering how it might 'look' to his peers so I started to offer my arm instead

DD comes home in her frees and works at home. She has a good timetable with lessons, when they occur, clustered together - so for example she finishes at 12 on Mondays and doesn't start until 12.30ish (I think) on Fridays. She also finishes by 1.30 ish on a Tuesday

In Year 7 I tried to suggest to ds that giving me a goodbye kiss and hug might not be the done thing. He was horrified and said I will never be too old for a hug from my mum. Now at 15 he is still very tactile.

Its great isn't Alexander - I still get lots of hugs (now 14). Which is good because dd is the least tactile person on the planet and freezes ramrod straight if I try to hug her

Yes. It’s lovely. My dd is also very hands off. Always has been since a baby.

DS2 seems to have decided that being seen with your mother is socially embarrassing. I think the boys tease each other about being out and about with their mum, even when its expected (eg parent's night).
I was hurt and asked him why once and he said being seen with your mum is even worse than being seen with your dad because she's the one who looked after you when you were a baby.
I guess it makes sense if you are 13/14.....

Anyway, I expect him to grow out of it and I'll be glad when he does (I don't like feeling like a source of embarrassment). But for the moment, at DS's school, a teenage boy having to engage with their mother in public is considered socially taboo.

DS has never stopped hugging thank God (I'm a serial hugger ), but would not in front of his mates. He doesn't mind being seen with me though. I think it depends on their friends and the culture of each individual school. limit that's a really cool timetable. DS has less free time as his school have a lot of extra must-do for sixth formers. The couple of days he could come home for lunch he refuses because he wants to do all the afterschool music ensembles, so he's still home at 6pm. Because of this, there's been little change to his and our life.

Its lovely when they get over that and on to the next stage. I remember falling over in shock when DD2 said did I want to go and see a film with her after a couple of years of not wanting to be in the same town !

Yes, she is very lucky brainmelt. I guess with your ds' busy schedule he will be looking forward to half term

On the not being seen with your parent - mine don't mind this, but I am not permitted, on any account to strike up an amiable conversation with a stranger when out and about, because that's just weird and embarrassing apparently

😂😂 I get that ! Even worse crime would be to say anything to their friends.

Timetable are very much the luck of the draw. DD2 is in heaven as she has wednesdays and Fridays completely free at uni with everything loaded on Monday and Tuesday - so Wednesday to catch up on work and washing and Friday to come home or see bf.

I Hope this isn’t insensitive to anyone having a tough time and I’m almost scared to say it in case it all unravels - but after a real roller coaster few years I am sitting in the sun having spoken to all three dc, all doing ok and currently happy with their lot. So I shall sit here a bit longer and enjoy feeling v lucky atm.

(and even better they’ll all be back at the weekend 😀)

Thank you Cherryburn for the info about the Cambridge Subject masterclasses - just checked again and now all of them are available to book. DS is going to book the Physics one. Does anyone know why there isn’t a Maths one?

Just read the FAQ - it says to keep checking back for masterclasses in subjects not listed.

Sounds like you deserve some peace after some rollercoaster years

Aw Oratory that's lovely - it's important to count blessings and give thanks.
Ds is still quite tactile and will hug in private but the Mum thing in public I get!
Limit I rememebr dh talking about his Mum who would talk to anyone ad everyone and how it made him squirm when he was a teenager - he reflects now it was because he had no idea how to talk to people.

@pannetone DS2 has booked to go on the Physics masterclass.

With DS1 I had to walk separately to him if we were in town. He's fine now, has been since 18 yo or so. DS3 is in the midst of finding me embarrassing, especially that 'talking to strangers' thing. That's the absolute worst thing I could do, so I do it all the time, of course.

Oratory great that all is going well for your DC. ‘You’re only as happy as your unhappiest child’ often pops into my head! It’s certainly worth appreciating the moment when things are good.

Glad that the heads up on the Cambridge masterclasses has been useful for some. They can get booked up pretty quickly so it’s good to get in there early. Hope they’re useful for those who have booked...don’t blame me if they’re not ! It’s also worth looking into what individual colleges at both places are putting on, subject wise. DD attended one at Cambridge and one at Oxford. The one at Oxford was particularly good as they ran 3 seminars on 3 different aspects of her course across the day (which they had to do some pre-reading for) as well as an admissions advice session.

Missed your post Oratory - glad you were able to ‘enjoy the moment’ today. Contentment is a real gift.

TheThird DS isn’t even sure he wants to do Physics at uni but this is a tentative start on deciding the route ahead.

Won’t be any complaints about the Masterclasses from me Cherryburn - I’m grateful they’re giving DS a way in to thinking about uni choices. Are you saying we could also investigate what individual Oxbridge colleges are putting on for different subjects? I thought only uni departments would put on subject talks.

We found some of the colleges put on some slightly off beat things, one DD looked at but couldn’t get to for example was ‘women in philosophy’ They also do ‘ outreach’ type things normally for state school or fe college students. So not normally the standard subject things which are in depts and they can be tricky to find - but worth a google every now and again.

pannetone google ‘Oxford college study days’ or similar. Many (but not all) of them are for state school students. It doesn’t look like there’s much up for 2019 yet but the 2018 stuff is still there so you can get an idea of the sort of thing that’s available. Most of the subjects are covered.