Thread 35 - Covid Cohort from GCSE 2020 'What They Did on Their Summer Holidays'

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

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

Good luck with the call @Volterra and fingers crossed for a smooth move!

Sorry to hear the sale has fallen through @Volterra but good luck with the move - glad you can do it regardless.

Gosh lots going on. Good luck to all who need a little or a lot.

Thanks @crazycrofter , hope your move going ok. Our new buyers are coming again tomorrow. They are using same solicitor as 1st one which helps.

Called Bath. Accommodation portal reopens after results day but there is an additional requirements form for medical needs that he can complete now and she said make it crystal clear why he needs to be on campus and pointed out the university GP is there if he will need them, he will as needs regular blood tests currently. She is pretty confident he will get something as nearly all their first years do - if he gets the grades that is which is a whole other matter!!

That is good re Bath.

I'm very proactive, almost forceful when it comes to chasing.I don't wait, ever. I phone, email, chase, always. If you don't, these big organisations: HMRC, student finance, NHS, nothing on your case gets actioned, for another 2-3 weeks, until you DO chase.

I'd like to boast. Minor triump. We are in Dorset at caravan. I'm here alone with ds's, as Dh at home post frozen shoulder op. Remember how they have been completely vile to each other and DH for the last 6 months? Well, you wouldn't believe, they're the most beautifully behaved children, getting on fabulously, playing football together 24/7. We all jumped into bed, were asleep within minutes. 10 hours later. Their sudden niceness is un-nerving. Sleeping, plus being nice to eachother, must be the Dorset air.

That’s good news from Bath @Volterra .

Great news re Bath accommodation @Volterra.

@Oblomov22 i hope the ‘sudden niceness’ continues, confusing as it is

Great news @Oblomov22 , enjoy your time away! I’m afraid the Dorset air had the opposite effect on my two last week 😂 They usually get on too! It was mainly having to share a room I think 🤔😂

That’s great @Oblomov22 im pleased you’re getting a break in more ways than one. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
I’m trying to clear our loft. So much clutter, no idea why I hold on to so much stuff! The girls’ soft toys are bagged up. DD1 not interested but I know DD2 will want a rummage when she gets home. I’m going to allow a few special keeps but that’s it. I even had some of mine still!🤦🏼‍♀️

@Benjispruce4 ours is similar and is also on the agenda for summer tasks. I think there are boxes untouched from when DH and I moved in 26 years ago, and so many bags of stuff from when the DCs were small. Dreading it.

I'm on a mission to declutter the loft this summer too but it is a lot easier when everyone else is out of the house which doesn't happen much. I try to never go up there without bring something down to get rid of. I also want to tackle the DCs rooms, they both still have toys and games on top of wardrobes etc.

When ours have had their rooms redecorated they’ve put stuff up there that they’re not quite ready to get rid of but I think now they are older it becomes easier. Found a load of folders and A level text books that DD1 had and could have passed on to DD2 as both did History.🤦🏼‍♀️

I haven’t done as much decluttering as I would like, hence a large removal bill 😀

Mine have never had their rooms redecorated, we did them both in neutral colours before they were born and they've been happy to keep them that way, the house is so tiny it's a major hassle decorating as nowhere to move the furniture to so it is a rare occurrence here. The smallness does mean they have had to move stuff on fairly regularly but there is a lot on the shed and loft (we have a lot of storage for a small house).

@Oblomov22 I hope it continues...I wish my boys would do that. The older 2 will be home alone together when dh, ds3 and myself go on holiday. If anyone on here can remember when we went on holiday last July ds1 and ds2 made such a mess in the kitchen. It took us a good hour or so to tidy up. Both of them blamed the other.

When we moved 4 years ago, there was so much stuff in the loft, it took ages to sort. So Dh said nothing was to go in the loft in the new house, nothing has gone in the house loft, however, there is a sort of loft made in the rafters of our garage, that is absolutely packed with stuff instead. So it's just as bad, I guess at least it's easier to get at. Plus can see what's where.

@icanbewhatiwant what about Christmas decorations? We’ve been here since just before DD1so there is a lot. My wedding dress is there, lots of Christmas decorations, suitcases, the girls’ cot and lmlampshades, pictures, mirrors. There is a whole suitcase of photos but that’s for another day. At least today all the soft toys are bagged up and they’ve decided which school books they want to keep and which can go. I am exhausted and my thighs are aching from the ladder action. Tomorrow I’ll do some charity shop runs.
DD2 got the job from her trial shift so that’s two bar jobs that will hopefully give her enough shifts .

@Benjispruce4 Christmas decs in the garage loft part. The only thing is it's a bit damp. So anything with lights or batteries I put under ds1's bed. He's not noticed since he's been home from uni. But his room is such a tip he's not going to notice anyway. There is still a lot in the garage rafters though. Teddies all went to charity. Ds3 has stuff like Lego in his wardrobe still. We have a stair gate and lots of boxes up in the garage. But I do like to get rid of stuff. After each of the dc's I said no more babies, sold/gave away everything like cot, pram etc. then had another, twice 🤣. It does feel good to have a clear out.

I see. I got rid of all the baby stuff apart from this vintage , wicker cot . It’s bigger than a Moses basket. I thought my girls might want it but they both laughed so I guess that’s going too! 🙄

We’re in our fourth house since getting married 22 years ago and soon to move into our fifth so we’ve had to get rid of stuff over the years! Loft is now empty and garage is part sorted/packed. It’s quite freeing taking stuff to the tip or charity shop. In fact our local charity shop updates us regularly on how much money they’ve made from our donated goods which is nice!

That’s good @crazycrofter . I’m really good at decluttering the house and cupboards regularly. It’s a combination of my sentimentality over the DC’s stuff and not having moved for 23 years plus the difficulty of sorting it out .

I've got all the baby stuff up there, loads of the DCs toys, school work, a load of camping stuff that's never been used (dumped on us from MIL), all the Christmas stuff, suitcases and heaven knows what else. I rarely go up - it's DH and DS territory!

We’re in house number 4 in 25 years but have been in this one for 20 years. The baby stuff is gone and we did do DS’s room the other day but the stuff in car and nit at charity shop. We have a tiny loft but converted garage which has loads of stuff in and no garage in new house but there is a big loft.

Must dig the passports out as don’t want to leave them for the packers to do and not be able to find it for when DS goes to wherever he is going as guess they may well want to see it.

I'm lurking but wanted to send best wishes to everyone. DD has a bad 'crash' in her sport and has ruptured her ACL. Surgery needed. Gap year plans in ruins. She was suppose to be competing in Europeans in a few weeks. We're gutted and keeping heads down.

@Wheresthebeach that doesn't sound good. The very best of luck for the surgery & I guess your Ds will need the Gap year for her recovery 💐

Oh no @Wheresthebeach so sorry, I hope she makes a speedy recovery, that is an awful thing to be dealing with.

We have been in this house 20+ years, the baby stuff is all gone apart from a few sentimental bits but we still have some toys (quite a lot in fact). Our loft is easily accessible with a pull down ladder and is boarded / with lighting so it is a very usable space and it is chock full, I really don't know where it all comes from. Christmas decorations (also Easter and Hallowe'en), DH's hundreds of CDs that he won't get rid of, paperwork, toys, suitcases all sorts of random crap.