Thread 45 GCSE Covid Cohort - Bunnies bouncing into Spring

[OrangeCinnamonLatte]

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 advice to be had

previous thread

DS just bought suit from Burtons : 30% off in sale plus Unidays discount of 10% - 3 piece suit for £70. Hope it blooming well fits!!

I didn't know Burtons was still going!

I hope so!!

My DD has got her invite to Buckingham Palace for her gold D of E presentation - just need to figure out what to wear! Any suggestions gratefully received...

Ohhhh! Exciting !

@Piggywaspushed yes- though not sure how it is going to go given she hates that sort of event - autism and anxiety and public events don't go well together but she is determined to go! It is right in the middle of her exams period - her tutor told her not to worry and to just skip the exam if it is scheduled for that day as she could resit in the summer if needed 😮 ....

I can see it might make her anxious but lots of rules , structures and routines?

@handmademitlove That's sounds very exciting! I hope DD manages to take it all in her stride, lots of prepping beforehand will help.

What do you generally like to wear- Dresses, Trousers or Skirts?

Thanks @Piggywaspushed and @Shimy I'm sure it will be lovely but will require careful planning! Usually wear long skirts but thinking of the weather isn't great I might not want that on the grass! And no idea what "appropriate footwear" to wear - I am definitely more of a boots or flip flops girl 🙂

How exciting Handmade.

Happy Easter everyone. Dh bought a Malteser 17 pack of eggs and small bars. I hid them in the kitchen, hallway and lounge for Ds2, who at nearly 15 still loves a good Easter Egg Hunt.

@handmademitlove Great achievement & very exciting.

It's so nice when they still keep that childish side them aka Easter egg hunts! Love it. I forgot the eggs this yr...yep! but we all exchanged cards and went to Church. We watched the usual cheesy church play..cheesy in a good way . Then off to Prezzo for lunch!

@handmademitlove The clothes will inform the footwear, so what would you wear besides a long skirt? are you a twin set & pearls kind of gal or a flora dress & hat hippy?

Happy Easter!

I told my dc today that they could learn from me. When #2 was about 3yo I set her up an Easter hunt with clues and an egg on the end. 19 years later they all still expect a clue led hunt. never start something you're not happy to do for the next 25 years . I have strong suspicions I might end up doing it for grandchildren...
Ds has inherited dh's observation abilities. He came out of the very small downstairs toilet saying he couldn't see the clue. Right there was a medium sized Malteser egg. If he'd taken half a step into the room he'd have fallen over it.

However it did get all three of them out of bed by midday which is definitely an Easter miracle.

Happy Easter, everyone! No eggs as I'm all alone in the house; heading up to a holiday cottage tomorrow, where first DW and DS will join me (currently at a sports camp, looooong drive for them) and then DD on the train on Tuesday. Can't wait, although the weather forecast isn't great...

Happy Easter everyone, I hope you all had a lovely relaxing day. I seem to have poisoned myself with my roast lamb but everyone else seems OK so maybe it was something else…

DS2 would still love an Easter egg hunt but we didn’t bother this year, I really couldn’t be arsed, is that mean? DS1 came home from gf for lunch then went to another friends house to watch the football. No idea if we’ll see him again today.

@handmademitlove congratulations to your DD, I would be having a nightmare trying to decide what to wear, I’m not very good with dressing up and live most of days in jeans and hoodies.

@Shimy definitely more hippy than twinset! Currently debating with DD whether Mickey mouse vans type shoes count as trainers eg not acceptable or if she can get away with them! They are mostly white fake leather plimsolls..... Not a chance she will wear normal shoes!

At least it is distracting from the run up to the next set of exams. She is still working on exam adjustments as they are obviously different to school and the staff don't really know her. Getting there slowly though.

I would say no to Vans or anything at all trainer like.

Those toms look delicious. Mine have been rubbish lately.

They were ok … looked better than they tasted but that is usually the case until a bit later in the year!

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn Now you can get your Easter eggs for a bargain!

@handmademitlove I'm not sure if you'd class Aspiga as hippyish! but you can certainly find some nice floaty dress ideas there which can be teamed with sandals.

I was talking to someone the other day and hadn't realised that Nottingham accommodation for next year only starts in September. DDs starts in July! Which is the norm- to pay all over summer or only start in the new term?

@NCTDN it varies, but in general private accommodation contracts are for 12 months, you may pay a reduced rate over the summer if you do not have access to it. In Sheffield there is a frustrating thing where there is a changeover week - so one house ends just before the end of June and the next starts just after the start of July. DS1's GF had to put everything in storage, then they camped in the car for a night and picked the stuff up and moved.

That's my experience too, including the couple of days ago in June\July changeover.

Yes think we are paying half rate for July and August but they cannot move in until September

DS is paying full rent from 15 July to 30 June. He has access that whole time.