Thread 34 Covid Cohort - Heat 'Waving' DC to final exams and drinking more

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

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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 threads about grades. It's all relative!

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 will continue.

Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will find a thread within the Further Ed board.

Possibly a move to Parent of Adult Children Board in future? Post Results?

Previous Thread

DD has to go into school today to return all her books, and then we have Graduation Evening tonight. Really has finished then!!

@crazycrofter that could go either way, could be a great opportunity to make new friends because he is not hanging out with existing friends. Hope he finds lots of people on his wavelength.

Thanks @Monkey2001 . It sounds like there are others from his school there. He’s very sociable so I think he’ll be ok. I feel a bit sad for the three of them as they were looking forward to going together but never mind.. He’s also forgotten to take his pillow (it’s camping) and his stash of paracetamol (he gets migraines) 😩

End of an era @Seeline !

@Piggywaspushed & @Benjispruce4 Congratulations on your dc graduating! can't believe they've finished already. Piggy You never know, there's still a chance he might still get a job between now and September, either way an MA on top is pretty sound too. Benji Well done to your DD, that's a fantastic result.
DS1 who is the same cohort has just completed his placement and been offered a job upon graduating, although it's not exactly in the area of tech he wants but at least that option is there. He goes back in September to do his final year.

DS has gone on holiday at the crack of dawn this morning - on my birthday of all days! - he has facetimed me though so all is forgiven. Showed me all around their villa before racing off to get in the pool with everyone else. I hope he has a lovely time and comes back in one piece none the worse for it! 😬

Hi @Shimy I remember your name and thanks. Great that your DS has a job offer.😀DD2 is off for a few days with bf. Anyone else find that their 18 yr old grew up loads in the last year? It seems we went into lockdown and she was just 16 then turned 17, things opened, got a job, got a boyfriend and she’s not my little girl anymore!

Happy birthday @JustHereWithMyPopcorn!

@Heifer exactly! I pretend I'm watching it just to keep her company...

@Benjispruce4 Nice to see you on this thread. I’ve been on the 19/20 intake one too but ds1 is on a placement year (and is doing a 4 year course) so has another 2 years to go.

@shimy Good news about the job offer. Even if it’s not 100% what he wants it must take the pressure off a bit.

Benji & Decorhate thanks. It does take some of the pressure off certainly.
18 yr old DS2 is yet to do those things Benji struggling to get a summer job, initially things looked promising but then fizzled out.

Hi @Decorhate 👋🏻
DD’s job is bar work and zero hrs which can leave her with no shifts occasionally so she’s looking for more guaranteed hours for summer to a get some more money for uni.
@NCTDN DD1 has just given me the Love Island low down. I preferred Married at First Sight Australia which I got far too invested in during lockdown with DD2. 😳

Dd hasn’t felt like my little girl since she was about 7 😢😂 She was really independent and grown up at primary, and always seemed older than her age. She’s a normal 18 year old now though, I think! She’s not had a permanent job yet, just a stint tutoring in year 12 and a Christmas job at Sainsburys. She’s got too much going on this summer, but she told me earlier that she’s got an online interview tomorrow for working at the Wireless festival next weekend. I think she said 3 days at £100 a day.

@crazycrofter i think it’s because she is the youngest and a homebody whereas DD1 was always more outgoing. She likes to spend so needs to earn!

Happy birthday Justhere!

Does anyone else have a situation where the two sets of grandparents have different attitudes to marking birthdays etc? It’s always been the case here but perhaps more noticeable this year when the boys have both had special birthdays in the same year (21 & 18). PIL are not really into sending cards but have usually sent the kids birthday cards. But none this year. It’s such a contrast to how my family celebrate.

I’m a bit sad about the lack of effort. Maybe the boys don’t mind as their generation does not seem to send cards so much.

Just finished watching 'LI' with the DS's to keep them company and promptly fell asleep. It's the most boring pile of rubbish I've seen since DH used to watch Eurotrash (back in the dark ages!).

@Decorhate Unfortunately DS's only have one grandparent to contend with. All the others dead, my DDad used to send cards.

My parents are great at birthdays, DH's parents haven't given DSs birthday or Christmas cards or presents for years. I think his dad would have done if he had not re-married, his step mother is utterly self centred.

@Decorhate yes my parents celebrate a lot more than MIL. They have quite different financial circumstances so my DP would give larger gifts generally and made a significant effort with 18th and 21st a this year. MIL gave them the usual £10. It wasn’t about the volume of money as I know MIL is not at all well off but there wasn’t any ‘extra’ effort in terms of calls/ cards etc this year for either DS which I thought was a bit sad.

I think it’s just the norm in their family though. DH really doesn’t give a toss about cards. After he failed to get me a card on our first wedding anniversary, I sat him down and said they matter to me so he needed to make an effort. Never missed one since,

@Monkey2001 @272Newnames You would think I’d be used to it after 30 years! It’s not the lack of present or card at all, it’s the cba attitude. Even my mother, who is never going to win grandparent of the year, is thoughtful enough to phone or text them on their birthdays.

it just annoyed me yesterday because MIL was insistent that she had actually given me money for DS1’s birthday. His birthday was last weekend. She’s making out she gave me money in December

How frustrating, I assume she didn’t give you money? Or was it all wrapped up in CJ rust as money and you were expected to pan it out for the year of Christmas and birthdays??

CJ rust was meant to be Christmas!

@272Newnames She did give me money - for their Christmas presents & ds2’s birthday in Feb. But why not make the effort to put it in a card, or even an envelope with their name on it. And of course it’s never in sterling so I have to sort that out too. She’s not mean at all and of course she may be getting forgetful. But a tiny amount of effort would make such a difference.

Yes, I fully understand.

We had a lovely time at DDs Graduation Evening last night. Very strange saying goodbye to the school - it was only the second time we'd been there since DD started. It kind of felt as though we were saying goodbye on behalf of DS who had 8 years there but never had the chance to leave properly due to covid. Lots of DDs friends were with covid which was a shame. Last trip for results day....

For anyone interested - UCAS Clearing is now open.

www.ucas.com/advisers/managing-applications/supporting-you-through-confirmation-and-clearing/confirmation-and-clearing-2022-key-dates

Look on 5th July and click on Search Tool.