Thread 41 Corona Cohort - Autumn Adventures of our Adult Children

[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 !

previous thread

@heifer DS hadn't been spending anything at all from his £25 lunch card due to being ill. I think he bought some pot noodles from the Spar and then on Tuesday found Subway.
I am getting quite concerned about the number of meals he's missing. He seems clueless about his course requirements or assessments. He didn't go to his lectures or a French workshop yesterday because he was coughing too much. I don't think he's socialised since the first weekend 😢 He's quiet generally but this really isn't like him. We're picking him up for a family wedding tomorrow so hopefully I'll have a chance to have a proper chat (and lots of hugs)

@mummyinbeds sorry to hear he is having such a rubbish start. 🤐

Hmm, thought that was a face with thermometer 🌡️ but think it is a zipped mouth, which I didn't mean! Poor old eyes....

@mummyinbeds So sorry to hear about your son. There does seem to be an awful lot of illness about. DS said it's almost impossible to hear anything in his lectures due to the amount of coughing and on Tuesday he tested positive for covid. Once he is well again if there's anything my son can do please just ask as he is also very quiet and knows very few students in his halls. They could grab lunch together.

@OverlySensitive thank you and sorry to hear your DS has Covid. I have wondered whether mine has Covid but he hasn't tested (adding tests to the weekend packing list) When he did have Covid he didn't have a single symptom and nor did I. I got a flu like thing back in February after a trip to a gig in London which totally floored me for a week. My guess is he has a virus 🤷( I should be a GP - they get paid to say that 🤣(apologies to any GP's reading))

I hadn't noticed the 🤐 @Monkey2001 because I can't see my tiny phone screen either and it also has cracks all over it thanks to the kitchen floor. I think you were looking for 🤒

Hi @crazycrofter could you send me the link for camp America? DS has mentioned it.
Thank you

@mummyinbeds Thank you! It's his first time and so far he's not been too bad. Yes, it could possibly be a virus. I hope he feels more like himself soon. A weekend with the family is just what he needs.

@mummyinbeds oh your poor DS! 😞I think a weekend with his family will really help. If there's a chance to sit down with him away from the wedding and go through timetables etc on Moodle, look up contact details for student mentors or similar and get him back on track, it might make him kickstart again. Sending hugs.

Heifer, I don’t know if lifeguarding rules change by employer but DD is only allowed to take on hours when she’s completed the monthly refresher training (3 hours) to retain her licence each month, or else she goes on non-poolside duties. She’s been LG for 18 months so it’ll lapse whilst away, and renew when back home for longer breaks.

Mummyinbeds, I hope your boy starts to pick up soon, these first few weeks can be so tough for them to break through their comfort zones.

Heifer sorry can't answer most questions because haven't talked to ds1 recently, only a few texts. Re heating he hasn't said anything, but his room was boiling, and that was with the radiator off. The top small window only opens about 5mm if that! But this all could be because on moving in day I was beyond boiling after 2 lunges up those stairs.
He said he lost £16 off his lunches card on Sunday night when it swiped, which I was a bit cross about because I had pre-warned his at least twice.

Hope ds feels better soon ds. Does sound unfair he's been so unwell.

DS finally has his loan, phew. Hopefully the requests for Spoons money will stop now.

@Northumberlandlass re Camp America, it was @heifer who mentioned that.

Re. The part time job talk, my ds isn’t going to work term time but his life guarding job are wanting him back in the holidays. I’m sure he’ll have a lot of uni work to do in the hols but I’m sure he can squeeze in a few shifts…he managed when he was in 6th form all day every day.
@ealingwestmum my son is lucky in that the health club he works for have a branch in his uni city so he can do his monthly training there.
Bank of mum and dad are being very generous in term time but he’ll have to earn his own beer money in the holidays!

I did the BUNAC scheme in university. I would love DS to do it but he is negative about it whenever I bring it up.

I still haven't spoken to Ds properly. Only the odd text. I'm trying to get him to speak to someone to check they've done everything needed to make his loan come through, as it still isn't in and still says 16th sept online. Ds spent the afternoon and eve yesterday with dh's dd. She is hoping Ds will do some babysitting for them now he's local. She says Ds is enjoying his course, gets on well with flatmates, but he's really struggling with cooking and what to cook. Apparently she fed him last night, so he's had a good meal. Anyone without the loan still? I have no idea how his course is going, how many hours work he has etc. because he doesn't tell me. He did tell me off for putting money in his bank account. I am slowly trying to make the loan up to max. loan. But I don't earn a lot so I'm doing it gradually. He says he doesn't need money and will spend his earnings. But I feel I should make it up to the max loan. I told him to save his money as things will be more expensive next year in private accommodation and if he wants a year abroad the year after.

Ds3 (year 9) decided he'd got covid last night. He only had a sore throat, his best friend has been in school all week coughing, he did a test and it was positive. So Ds insisted he shouldn't go to school as he will have it too. He demanded a test last night. I said no not until this morn as we only have 2 tests. Anyway...negative test this morn. much ti ds's fury, so I sent him to school. I am amazed he's come this far without having covid. I still don't want dh to get it, so will keep Ds away from dh until dh has a covid booster next weekend.

That’s nice that he is aware of your financial circumstances ican. Having to meal plan can be a challenge re variety until they get their skills up, so it’s great that your step daughter can look out for him in the early days.

That arrangement works perfectly for an Oxford student ScarlettD, the flexibility of LG shifts when they return in holidays to pick up flexibly with their workload is a godsend.

Sorry for my repetition 🙄

I know dd isn't at Nottingham but her catered meals don't include lunch. She's now making a sandwich most days as she refuses to pay the bought sandwich prices! No idea how much she's spending though.

@icanbewhatiwant have you checked with the bank? I received a text from the loan people telling me when the money should be in by and that if it wasn't there, to check with the bank before ringing them. Worth a shot?
I think it's great that your DS understands that money doesn't grow on trees and that you are doing your best to provide for him. It doesn't hurt for them to earn some money to pay their way a little bit.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn it doesn't say on sfe that the money is paid. It just says ready to be paid on 16th. Sept.

Did you/your DS not get a text from them like the attached?

A sad but important story today on the BBC

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-63075852

I've had about 50 Whatsapp messages, 25 texts and 2 phonecalls from ds in the past week. Mostly just general day to day stuff although there was some student finance and me being available next week when he comes back for a gig.
Such a contrast to dd where radio silence was usual.

Just saw you accidentally posted this on 'the other thread' !