Thread 39 - Covid Cohort - Our Adult Children Now Post 18

[CinnamonOrangeCremeBrulee]

This is a support thread for our young adults post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting, and their results ( or life updates for those who went into work or have had results earlier). 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, uni vs employment please don't within this thread.

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. We were previously on the secondary board and then further education, now we shall be here in 'Parents of Adult Children' gulp

Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed). Be warned there might be lots of 'Uni Freshers' chat this time of year. My experience is that everyone is welcomed wherever, whatever their child is doing we have some in work, gap years , apprenticeships etc too. Lots of contributors with different experiences and always sympathy and support to be had !

Just read the first few pages of the backpack thread, wow.

I know it was Covid times and thus not much else to do, but back in 2020, the 2 lads on DS's staircase who arrived with their gaming PCs (and special gaming chairs) disappeared into their rooms and were hardly seen. Both really struggled to make friends and one dropped out at the end of Year 1 and the other couldn't find friends to share with in Year 2.

Maybe push back on having Gaming PC for first term just to encourage making real life connections when no one else knows anyone?

Yes, that is a concern. DS found the switch was quite sociable in boarding as you can take it into the common room and play together, so I'm hoping he won't shut himself away too much. He is fairly sociable generally.

Speaking of AIBU, I read today that Daisy May Cooper (from This Country) has a new show called just that, inspired by the MN board!

DS has decided not to take his Xbox, much to my surprise. I don't think you need a tv licence just for having a tv though, only for watching live stuff or iPlayer on it.

Re gaming PCs, we persuaded ds1 not to take his for the first term, as I was also worried he would stay in his room and not interact. He decided against taking it altogether in the end. During Covid they all brought along old Wiis etc & played together in the living room.

Both mine took gaming PCs and both had Switches for Christmas while they were at uni. The Switches are super interactive with others so they plug it into a TV in shared houses and had loads of competitions when locked down during covid. Also animal crossing is a super relaxing thing for them to unwind when using as a handheld.

Both socialised a lot and partied plus loads of societies and friends.

Oldest kept in touch with mates at other unis he knew from home while chatting while playing group quest style games with them online.

So I think gaming computers not bad but depends on the kids.

The Backpack thread is unbelievably compelling 😂🤣😂 - love the whole bullying nature of the ‘if you do anything other than ignore your child you should be shamed’ troll MN poster.

I have two people who I know in wider friendship groups who have been like this about uni visiting, prep etc in RL ……😳

Mine will have Football Manager on his laptop but I don't think he'll miss FIFA.

Competitive neglect !!! 😂😂 love this phrase @Piggywaspushed

One of them was really very nice on other threads and had given and received lots of helpful advice on quite big issues. That was especially bizarre.

@Piggywaspushed really weird behaviour then ?!

Got all my 3 together today and sitting quietly in the other room so i can listen to their lively chat, nerdy banter and happy laughing verbal natter - one of my happiest moments in my life is this … simple but lovely

We're going to finish, as a family, a long "legacy" style boardgame which we've been playing over the summer today! It's a hobby which we all share to different extents.

FIFA is the only reason DS wants to take his Xbox @Piggywaspushed

just been looking at that backpack thread, unbelievable! Poor @Shimy !!

@Fruitygal that sounds lovely. I can imagine how nice it must be when you get them all together again, I will look forward to that for sure.
then probably wonder why I missed it as soon as they start bickering again!

They get on much better when they don’t live on top of each other at home.

DS1 and DS2 are very close in age and were closer with each other than with DD and then when DS1 went to uni DS2 and DD became very close for a year.

She has spent several years with them away but we got the bonus of covid when I got them both back from March to September which was such a bonus for me and DD.

Now they are in the world of work for a year and she is off but DS1 lives at home as saving for deposit and DS2 lives away to me near to work ….we are close so I do see DS2 at least once per month …. or more

Shimy I say this every couple of years when your batshit thread pops back up - You are one classy OP for handling yourself so well with those odd few bonkers posters!

I have a guy I used to work with on my FB friends (unfortunately) who has turned into one of those smug parents that can't help telling everyone what good parenting looks like. His eldest has just started Y7. I have popcorn ready in the cupboard for when it turns ugly

But, for now, I try not to gag when he responds to his friendship group with lines such as I teach my girls how to fish, not just give them fish. Such a nonce.

I had forgotten just how nasty that backpack thread was! I think that we are all on a thread of this nature means we are the type of parents who want to help our DDs/Ds so feel at home here. Have to admit I added condoms to the Amazon order and DD shook her head but smirked when I told her. She hasn't had a boyfriend yet but who knows, better safe than sorry. She has actually just started seeing a lad here (crap timing really) but it's nice she has found someone she wants to hang out with (she is VERY fussy).

Just read the backpack thread - just wow….

DS taking laptop and small Surface with him. He plays Championship Manager but that seems to be about it now. He used to game much more until recently.

Ds isn't taking Xbox or ps5 He wanted a laptop that could play football manager. So he will play that still. There was a lad in ds1's flat, first year that has an Xbox, he didn't join in anything freshers, they rarely saw him. Ds did knock a few times and he'd come out but soon went back to gaming.

Ds3 had a switch but sold it recently as apparently he's too old for it. But I think Nintendo do great family games.

@Fruitygal that must be lovely listening to ds's getting on well and chatting. Mine continue to hate each other, well..ds2 and ds3 are ok together.

@Heifer I'm putting a box of things together for dd and that includes condoms. She'll be horrifiedi've put them in. I had no idea how much they cost!!!

@icanbewhatiwant the oldest two used to fight as teens

Where is the backpack thread?!

I have Dora the Explorer in my head now....

My DD has just got a new MacBook for Uni as her last one gave up the ghost after 5 years of daily use. She has just come into the lounge to tell me that she thinks she needs a new backpack for Uni, with padding to protect the computer, so can I get her one... and she wondered why I laughed.