Year 12 #2: Carols, commutes & a few stocking fillers

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www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3410431-year-12-1-gcses-are-sooo-last-year

Hi 242Mummy I also have a DS who is mathematical and musical, although Physics is his main passion (and spending too much time on Discord).

Onesie is a good idea. And books. Mainly she just wants money which is fine. The hardest people to buy for are my parents and aunt.

But the theatre trip idea is a pretty good one!

What I have bought DS2 for Christmas (so far):

Dungeons & Dragons t-shirt
Book about Particle Physics
Nuclear Physics socks

His Christmas wish-list is just a list of Kindle books, which aren't really wrappable uppable.

For his birthday, I've pre-ordered a copy of Humble Pi by Matt Parker.

Nightmare! Have been without any connection today!
Peggy your message was textbook calm assertiveness hence a good result. However, I have to say if there weren't mitigating circumstances asking for a deadline on the hand-in date is a complete no-no. For student with anxiety or any other issues it is absolutely fine. So either the teacher sent a generic email or didn't check their records - and neither is acceptable.
But at this stage it's been a very long,hard term and sometimes people get it wrong.
Having said that, I'm now working with a lot of students with a very bad experience of school so I am all for quiet assertiveness!

TheFirstOHN Yes - I noticed how similar our DSs were when I was lurking! It's Chemistry that mine loves though. Has yours played with NCO or NCCO? I wonder if they know each other ... that would be weird.

bpisok We went to see 'Wicked' last year - bought tickets online at officiallondontheatre.com as they were doing a New Year Sale. Tickets were between £10-£40. We had fantastic seats and are going again this year to see 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time'. DS2 has just read it.

242Mummy he doesn't do NCO. His school is strong on music so there are plenty of opportunities there. He's playing in three orchestras/ensembles at school (two of which are for Grade 7+) which is enough to be going on with. He went on tour with the school orchestra to Germany last summer, which he loved.

Found you!

Peggy - glad you were able to advocate effectively for dd.
I'm shocked by the pressure so many of our dc are under. Mine is at a bog standard, but high achieving comp. She has a 10 minute commute, and perhaps 2 hours homework a night, perhaps a little more, do plenty of opportunity for extra curricular, including 7 hours a week of dance, 4 of volunteering and explorer scouts, and time to socialise too. She works hard, but has enough down time. I'm hoping she will drop to 3 A levels and no epq, as frankly that will be plenty to open the doors for post 18 for her, and I'm more concerned about her mental health.

It must be very difficult when schools are pushing so much extra curricular.

Pandag I agree - I don't think schools should be loading on extracurricular, it's just too much. Some students will get very anxious about trying to fit everything in - especially with the travel. You can see from experiences on these threads why students are exhausted - and the sort of bullying email Peggy's dd got is another factor. I really hope all the dcs get a restful Christmas break - even though mine will have to do revision I'm pretty sure he'll get a lot more sleep!

Thanks everyone. Theatre tickets it is for m&d 😀
We normally do a Xmas stocking for each other too (full of pointless - but funny - tat).
Now just need to start googling

We normally do London theatre at Xmas too but been rejected this year (they want to work, sleep, eat and game in varying degrees depending on the child but mostly sleep). They’ve had successful and busy terms though so I can’t complain.

We ve discovered escape rooms as an alternative ‘active’ present.

And yes lots of amusing tat for sticking fillers and to prolong the family present opening - one of the few times I can get them in the room together

We do the stocking fillers too - I usually get something musical-themed (usually T-shirts) among other things, but need to start googling as I've done nothing for Christmas yet!

Welcome 242 I'm another one with a Maths/Music ds!

Christmas is always a bit of a struggle in our house - ds never really wants anything. I suggested some theatre tickets and got the fantastic teenage response 'what's the point of the Theatre' (let it go!). In the end I have just bought some books he wanted, a sweatshirt and some music., plus a stocking with a few daft bits in (somethimes I think the stocking is the best bit anyway!). He hss vetoed driving lessons ('what's the point?') - are we seeing a theme...).

Other good news is that ds has a trial shift for a job as a kitchen porter in a local restaurant. He has applied for literally hundreds of jobs, many of which never even bother to get back to him, so I'm really pleased something has come up.

I also have an interview for a new job next week . Not saying too much as I don't want to jinx it, but the stress in my current job is unbearable and I'm really hoping this will be an improvement.

good luck to both you and ds kilash

How exciting Kilash. I have been in the same company for over 20 years and am far too frightened to leave - not sure I would be much use to anyone other than my existing company. I have a large network of people that will do things for me so that's probably my only 'skill'.
Sometimes love it and sometimes I hate it - mainly hating at the moment though.

Good luck Kilash!

Thank you! The odd thing is I do like my current job but I have been there nearly 5 years and it's frontline urgent NHS, working 12 hour shifts and I'm just so tired and stressed by the workload. So it's not a disaster if I'm not sucessful but it would be a very welcome change, developing a new service

Good luck Kilash! It's always good to know that you have an alternative if you don't wish to continue with stress and exhaustion in current job. Well done for being invited to interview - you'll nail it! Sounds like an exciting opportunity to develop a new service. Is it also for the NHS?

DS1 volunteers at Children's A&E at our local hospital and loves spending time there. He did a week's work experience in various departments over half term and couldn't speak highly enough of the doctors and nurses.

Good luck to your son too - fingers crossed! DS1 walked up and down the High Street with his CV after GCSEs and was offered a Saturday job at his third stop. He has been working since August - wage is a pittance and he hates it (on his first day, he gave his employer a death stare when asked to mop the floor ) but I'm making him persevere!

Best of luck Kilash for the two interviews. I am sure you will nail it. I am dithering about changing jobs currently having been at current job for over a decade. Will see what next year brings.

Dd has already been to her early Christmas present tickets event (Christmas Queens!!!) We already have several shows booked for next year as a family Kinky Boots, Come From Away & Book of Mormon).

She hasn't asked for much else for Christmas. She wanted a Morphe eye shadow palette but its been sold out for months but she has asked for an alternative one. Other than that just money.

She sounds very tired. She has dropped a couple of early morning 8am classes but is still doing a couple of early gym sessions and a late 7-8pm class. She's also been singing at the local arts centre one night with week with the college auditioned choir.

They don't really have free periods apart from her self study A level. I think she gets to go early on Fridays (3-4pm) but apart from that she's in there every day 9am-6pm.

On the Christmas present topic, below I have copied and pasted just one page of Dd's Christmas list which comprises 126 hyperlinked items:

11. Rebook trainers www.asos.com/reebok/reebok-club-c-95-chalk-trainers/prd/9378053?clr=white&SearchQuery=&cid=27108&gridcolumn=4&gridrow=8&gridsize=4&pge=5&pgesize=72&totalstyles=2958
12. Colourful shoe laces www.amazon.co.uk/OULII-Shoelaces-Sports-Assorted-Colors/dp/B06XK2G3JG/ref=sr_1_19?keywords=shoe+laces&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1527805776&sr=8-19
13. Hair slides www.asos.com/designb-london/designb-diamante-hair-slide-4-pack/prd/10650183?CTARef=Saved%20Items%20Image
14. Resin burgundy earrings www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-hoop-earrings-in-resin-hexagon-shape/prd/10591135?CTARef=Saved%20Items%20Image
15. Tortoise shell hoop earrings www.asos.com/warehouse/warehouse-tortoise-shell-hoop-earrings-in-green/prd/10855512?CTARef=Saved%20Items%20Image
16. Key earrings www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-earrings-with-key-charm-and-crystal-detail-in-silver/prd/10379899?CTARef=Saved%20Items%20Image
17. Converse one star trainers www.asos.com/converse/converse-one-star-platform-ox-black-trainers/prd/10268523?CTARef=Saved%20Items%20Image
18. Converse x gontex trainers www.asos.com/converse/converse-x-gore-tex-chuck-70-hi-black-waterproof-trainers/prd/10268052?CTARef=Saved%20Items%20Image
19. Red boots www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-attitude-chunky-canvas-lace-up-boots/prd/10564079?CTARef=Saved%20Items%20Image
20. Tailored shirt in checked www.asos.com/sacred-hawk/sacred-hawk-tailored-shirt-in-check/prd/10365025?CTARef=Saved%20Items%20Image
21. Polo shirt www.asos.com/the-ragged-priest/the-ragged-priest-x-betsy-johnson-embroidered-polo-shirt/prd/10364141?CTARef=Saved%20Items%20Image
22. V neck long sleeved shirt

Not that I have raised a rampant materialist or anything

Sorry to hear that things aren't going as well as they should be Twinplusone

Oh my Limit!

Good news on next week's job interview Kilash - I hope it goes well

Alexander - ds has given me a list with 3 items on it!

I just get, ‘surprise me!’ But I have bought some power banks after yesterday’s suggestion from 242.