Thread 25 - Covid Cohort - Christmas Trees, No Omicron Please!

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to posts about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this goodwill continues.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided, for anyone interested, they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Orange Cinnamon (Head Monitor )
Previous Thread Found Here

I won't be going anywhere tonight with my ferocious chesty cough (think chest infection rather than Covid but no tests available anywhere so who knows...the last LFT 2 days ago was negative though.)

DH and DD1 are supposed to be going to MIL's for curry and card games.

DD2 has just - just!! - been invited to 2 NYE parties but both are in the neighbouring town so will very much depend on whether she can get a lift home.

Happy New Year to all on the thread - just think, this is the year the dc (not mine though) will be starting university!

One of mine (DD) is horrendously messy, and resists any attempts to help her organise herself a bit better. DS isn't so bad. They both do "downstairs jobs" fairly well and DS actually volunteers sometimes but DD's room is a complete pit and it does annoy me, if she kept it tidier her stuff wouldn't overflow into the rest of the house. She just won't get rid of anything, 16 soon and still got most of her toys in there.

DS is starting to really worry about mocks but this worry comes out in general moodiness and outright anger at times - how does everyone else support/defuse?

An ex colleague of mine whose DD is at DS's school (so mocks mid Jan) has just posted that her DD is going on a 2 week holiday today! (to visit family as it goes). I was a bit .

@Piggywaspushed you can borrow my braces to keep said judgy pants up high! Why would you allow a Yr13 DD/DS to go away just before or even worse during mocks? Were the mocks a late surprise or always planned?

@icanbewhatiwant - thanks for the heads up re Attendborough last night. I have recorded it to watch with DH tonight. That's how we rock and roll ;-)

I can tell how DD is doing MH wise by looking at her bedroom. Most of the time it's really tidy but sometimes when she is feeling overwhelmed etc its gets messy and she she can't seem to cope starting to tidy. I do step in these days and sort it for her as then she keeps it clean for ages after. It's terrible at the moment, and she seems to be on a low. Hasnt done anything for days (although was isolating so very bored). She is off out tonight and staying at friends so I am going to tidy it ready for her return tomorrow.

My dd is the queen of the messy bedroom. We have had 2 infestations of fruit flies thanks to her chucking apple cores and peach stones under the bed. She insists she doesn't want anyone going into her room, but I insist I don't want effing fruit flies all over the house, so that's a deadlock.

(I have tried the 'no food in the bedroom' rule - she sneaks it up when nobody's looking though.)

Going to be a quiet NYE for DH and me. DD has gone away until Monday with her boyfriend and his family to an amazing house - v jealous! DS is I think planning to go to a party at a friend's uni flat up in London. Hoping he'll crash there, but he's saying he'll probably come home which means we'll be woken up in the small hours. Glass of vino and the TV for us oldies.

DD doesn't have mocks until after half term, but has been doing some work over the holidays. Has had no formal tests as yet, so really hoping that they will actually happen then in case a levels don't.

@ZittiEBuoni we have a no food upstairs or in the living room rule. Cups of tea allowed. They do take chocolate up though and in the living room. Since they were small we've had Saturday night sweet night. They used to get a bowl of mixed sweets once a week, like Maltesers, revels etc. We have stuck to it...they still come asking for them now. But that's all they can take upstairs food wise. I think they stick to it.

I'm glad we aren't the only ones with messy bedrooms. Ds3 is quite good, he's got a tiny room though, so needs to be tidy. Ds2 has a double bed but not much room round it, as the floor is covered in clothes, books, paper, plastic wrapping from online deliveries etc. I can't actually walk in his room. I stripped the bed earlier and just crunched stuff under my feet. He said earlier that the only day he gets up early I start nagging him to tidy his room. I didn't nag, I just put 2 plastic bags where he was sitting at the table and suggested one for rubbish, one for recycling.

Just popping in to happy new year and to thank you all for your advice and expertise this year, it’s been invaluable to me and DS.

I got covid for Christmas and am still isolating so no New Years plans for us, annoying as we did actually have plans with friends this year as none of us needs babysitters any more.
DS has asked to go to a friends but I’ve said no as although his lateral flows are negative, I’m concerned he may have covid from me and spread it to his friends before a positive result comes up. I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do but they all have mocks coming up and I’d feel awful if anyone got covid from us because we weren’t being sensible

I find I am less tolerant of that habitual disrespect thing that my dc used to all do.. we have ds 26 home saving for a deposit, and he came over all teenagerish when his sibs were here at Christmas. Among other stuff,I asked him to get something from the top shelf and he said get a chair, and then said he would not be helping when I needed some minor tech support. I am quite pleased that , beyond reminding him that we are doing him a favour, I let it go. But I did speak to him in no uncertain terms the next day, and he apologised and explained he had something going on. I am less likely to shout , get upset and feel properly exploited if I keep a fairly low tolerance threshold for rudeness and entitled behaviour. I draw the line at smells, and I will allow 2 days of unlimited sleep after transitions, before insisting that dd is up by 10. It does her no favours if her sleep pattern is disrupted.

[quote Heifer]@Piggywaspushed you can borrow my braces to keep said judgy pants up high! Why would you allow a Yr13 DD/DS to go away just before or even worse during mocks? Were the mocks a late surprise or always planned?

@icanbewhatiwant - thanks for the heads up re Attendborough last night. I have recorded it to watch with DH tonight. That's how we rock and roll ;-)[/quote]
Mocks always know about. It's a last minute trip, booked three days ago...

Fruit flies. Bleurgh!

DS1 and DS2 will both do things around the house when prompted. They change their own bedding now but only when reminded to do it and the both hoover once a week too.
I want to get DS1 to help more in the kitchen in preparation for moving to uni but he’s just not interested, he can make pasta and spaghetti bolognese but that’s about it. Oh and anything you can just shove in the oven too, chips, pizza etc but even then he asks me to check the timings/temperature for him

DD’s bedroom is increasingly untidy but it’s usually just strewn with clothes that she rejected in the daily fashion parade before going out. She also has a dressing table covered in make up. But every so often if she has a day at home she’ll tidy it and she’s generally organised and doesn’t lose things.

I think we’ve had this conversation before but we’re pretty laid back generally so they can eat in their rooms and get up/go to bed when they like. They can also change their bedding whenever they like which for ds is every few days! Ds keeps his room pretty tidy - and changes the layout of the furniture every few months! It’s weird, given he’s usually out at the gym daily and Thai boxing 3/4 times a week, he’s been a total slob this holiday, on Xbox all night and getting up really late! He says he’s having a rest and the normal regime will recommence next week!

Happy New Year to you all !

We have oldest doing online meet up as friends all over uk for takeaway and drinks s I said no to a big party and 15 to sleep here during a pandemic. Infection risk plus would need to stay upstairs in my own house for two days

DD having a friend round for a movie and catch up.

Middle one at a house party with 6 friends. Chilled out time - with DD to pick him up.

DH & I out to friends for dinner with two other couples both have not mixed over Christmas due to their kids having covid 10 days before Christmas so following a rule of six with LFTs prior to all trips x

Happy New Year everyone.

We're having friends and their daughters over. The kids are close so it should be nice, not too mad, and we'll take the dogs down to the river to watch the fireworks I think.

DD incredibly stressed - says she just wants this year over with. Doing a lot of revision over the holidays, particularly Chemistry which she's struggling with a bit. She has mocks mid Jan so I'm just praying for a good Chemistry mock as the mood in the house will improve. I think we're all stressed by this year.

Does anyone know about how they plan (ha) to make decisions about exams? They seem hell bent on keeping schools open, but a lot of kids have missed school being ill, and I think a lot more will Jan-March time. Initially I was thinking that exams would go ahead if schools stay open, but now I'm wondering if they'd take attendance into account. I rather wish there was a firm - 'go' date and terms and conditions iykwim.

I think they set 7th Feb as the date they’ll announce any more exam modifications/changes so I doubt they’ll do anything before then! Dd was talking about various trips to Cardiff/Bristol/Bath to see friends in half term and I reminded her that she may need to leave time for revision - I think their next mocks are end of Feb but I’m not quite sure.

Anyway, hope everyone has a lovely evening!

@crazycrofter ha ha. If I told ds2 he can change his bedding when he wants, I don't think it would ever be changed. He has put a bit of rubbish in the bags. I shall nag no more. Until tomorrow.

I hope everyone has a great evening. Happy new year to you all. I shall be in bed, asleep at midnight.

DS and I had another chat about his 5th choice (RHU) which is still not submitted yesterday, then I bumped into a friend today whose DC has just graduated from their and spoke very highly of it, so we went on an impromptu roadtrip to Egham this afternoon (its about 45 mins away). Also on to Staines and Windsor to get a feel for where it is relative to other towns, we were driving and chatting for about three hours, it was really nice and has secured itself as 5th choice now.

Got a friend staying tonight now, he, DH and DD have been having a darts tournament, we're about to eat and then watch TV. Ds helped with the cooking in between throwing darts.

DD is pretty stressed about GCSE mocks starting next Weds, we are giving her lots of space but suggesting favourite films, TV etc when we think she needs a break. We are relaxed about bedtimes, eating upstairs etc too and generally they respect that and don't leave food residues up there, but DD does leave empty pringle tubes and dirty mugs.

there not their. I'm always telling DS off for the other way round!

Great news that the fifth place has been decided on @ExquisitelyDecorated. I’ve probably said this before but it was one of my choices. However I went to an open day on my own (scary in itself) and found the architecture really intimidating!

We have around 14k people in hospital today and we are 2 weeks from the peak or perhaps 3-4. I can’t see any gcse or A level exams given the disruption which will be with us this half term.

A quiet NYE at home for us here - my PCR confirmed my LFT positive, but DH negative for now. DD is fed up, as she was meant to be going to her BFF’s house party but BFF suggested it wasn’t a good idea, given I’m ill.
I was feeling ok this morning but have sunk as the day has gone on and can’t stop coughing. With the cold I had prior to getting Covid, I’ve been ill for nearly 3 weeks and am feeling worn out.
We’ve taken the Christmas decs down today, so that tomorrow can at least feel like a bit of a new start, and not Groundhog Day; hopefully both DC will realise that it’s exam year and s**t just got real!!

Thank you to all you amazing mums for your infinite wisdom, cheerleading and wonderful sense of humour - you’ve made a trying year much easier to cope with. Here’s to a happy and successful 2022 for all of our DC and their parents

I can see why that would be @crazycrofter, it is quite something. I still remember the first time I drove past it about 25 years ago (I lived in west London and used to vary my route back to Hampshire to my parents). I couldn't believe my eyes and turned the car round to go back and look again.

Aw, take it easy also and rest. Get well soon.