Thread 49 - Covid GCSE Cohort - The nights are drawing in...

[OrangeSpicedBun]

Autumn 🍂 well and truly underway, has been chilly this week !

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). 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 :

www.mumsnet.com/talk/parents_of_adult_children/4880640-thread-48-covid-gcse-cohort-summer-before-year-2-uni?latest=1

Oh @Oblomov23 what a difficult time you are having. I am very sure we will all be here through 2024 for letting off steam / moral support whenever you need it. How do you feel about possible redundancy given the recent events? Have you worked for them a long time?

Oh @Oblomov23 you poor thing, sending unmumsnetty hugs.

Sorry you're having such a horribly tough time, Oblomov23. Too much for one person to have to deal with. Sounds like you are due a break - 2024 HAS to be kinder to you.

Lovely news about the new spaniel, Cantonet. What colour?
Ours is a chocolate roan and my surrogate toddler, now the kids live away. He's very spoilt and very vocal!

Both DCs came home at the end of last week. Re-entry, as DH describes it, was tricky initially - both seem to have forgotten that we're their parents, not housemates, and DH and I are finding their "work hours" ( 1pm. - 2am) tricky.
However, they are knocking along together pretty well, which is great.

After all the horrible stress around his Conservatoire applications, DS managed to nail the auditions and has 3/3 offers, 2 of which are with scholarships, so he's going to be moving to London next Autumn.

Wow @Alsoplayspiccolo that's amazing news about your ds! He's shown such resilience; he will love London I'm sure and it will be a great new start for him.

Re-entry is a bit tricky isn't it, although dd seems to have been back and forth so much this term that it's not been such a shock to the system! We met her boyfriend for the first time at the weekend. He seems very nice - and a lot more 'sensible' than her, not into drinking/partying/clubbing/festivals at all. Hopefully he will balance her out a bit!

She tried the HANDLE exercises and eye mask last night and went to sleep much earlier than usual, so that's positive. Long may it continue!

Ds didn't.... after the second morning of his controlled assessment, he came home for a nap, and refused to wake up until 6. He was then doing work until nearly 1 and couldn't sleep. I've tried so hard to get him into a good routine, but when he's napping he's so resistant to waking up and gets quite angry. I guess it has to be his decision .... I think when he's in a 9-5 job, he'll realise he needs to sort his sleep out.

Well done to him Piccolo, I echo he will absolutely love London. Don't answer if too nosey, is he going to be Cityside near Barbican, West London near Regents Park or Greenwich?

New BF sounds nice Crazy, hope her sleep improves over time.

Mine is also home. I gave her a week to decompress, and now I will be relinquishing clothes washing duties :)

That's a good idea @ealingwestmum ! Not sure my dd would appreciate that though, as she said she was looking forward to coming home and not doing laundry 😂She's actually going to be very busy, working in the warehouse and revising/doing her next lab report, so I think as long as she's applying herself elsewhere I might continue with the laundry! She does tend to make most of her own food though..

@Alsoplayspiccolo that's fantastic news about the offers, well done to your DS.

DS1 has just gone to an interview at a Michelin starred restaurant in a faded hoodie with writing on (not rude but odd question), a denim jacket, the cargo's he wore out to the pub last night and his absolutely filthy Nike Airs. He scoffed at me when I expressed my horror. I think they are desperate for holiday staff so who knows, he might be alright. I wouldn't employ him looking like that though...

Well, apparently they are very short staffed so he starts tomorrow. Clearly I know nothing. 🤐

😂😂 *JustHere

we are all so old fashioned in today’s modern world :)

@Alsoplayspiccolo 3/3 he must be thrilled and you very proud.

@JustHereWithMyPumpkin I'd have been the same as but but great news he landed the job. Good tips hopefully.

Good question!
His London choices are GSMD and RCM; the third is RNCM.
His initial preference is GSMD (my alma mater!) but the RCM scholarship is very appealing. He's hoping to go to the offer holders days and get a real feel for potential professors etc.

What fabulous choices for him Piccolo. RCM’s halls are very close to DD’s old school, where there were a fair few beneficiaries of scholarships to there. All reports very positive; including BBC YM finalists.

It’s so lovely to see him move forward with a bright future after such challenging experiences of this year.

@Alsoplayspiccolo That is amazing! 🎶

Very mellow break here, up in the Trossachs. Have had some thoughtful conversations with DD about future plans. Parents-in-law have taught DS how to play bridge and we've just spent an evening doing so, accompanied by a lot of whisky for the three adults.

Lovely @PhotoDad , I have family in The Trossachs and always enjoy visiting.

Well done to DS @Alsoplayspiccolo and also yours on the job @JustHereWithMyPumpkin

Hi everyone. @Oblomov23you have had such a tough time recently and I'm so sorry that things are not getting better. Lets hope that early 2024 is better for you than late 2023 has been. @Zebracat I hope the covid hasn't laid you too low and that you are recovered for christmas.
@ealingwestmum thank you for the thoughts for DD but she got about 50m down the road heading towards her test in deepest darkest wiltshire when something went CLUNK and SCREECH in the engine of the 13yo high-mileage car she was driving and DH very sensibly called the expedition off, fearful it would never make it down the M4, or not safely anyway. So we are £65 down on a missed test, the car is coasting down the hill to WeBuyAnyCar.com tomorrow (fingers crossed they hand over the pittance they say they will pay for it without noticing any screeching) and I have just panic-purchased a used Ford Puma for the kids' use which gets picked up on Friday. I have to say you get incredibly good deals a few days before Christmas, I almost felt sorry for the Ford Garage as they hacked their price down to seal the deal. So who knows when she will get another test, haven't sorted that yet. Sigh.

Well done to your DS @Alsoplayspiccolo . @PhotoDad sounds like a lovely time away.

@Oblomov23 am sorry you are having such a tough time. I hope 2024 brings better things.

So busy at work but am finished tonight until next Wednesday so roll on this evening. Will be a mulled wine to celebrate!

A very good call by your DH Delphi, gives her a breather to get used to new car. It’ll happen for her 🤞

That's bad luck @Delphigirl but definitely for the best. Hope she gets through the test with no issues next time!

Ds has his test on 28th Dec, but we've done no real practice. I also need to get all the sticky stuff off the insides of the front windows, where there was (illegal) tinting. I must remember to do that after Christmas!

Have just got another test for her 23 Jan. let’s hope she passes it as a nice present for her 18th a few days later!!

Oh what crap luck @Delphigirl dinfers crossed for next time.

Driving lessons and tests are definitely a thing I’m glad to have in the past - but DD has declared that this Christmas she’s going to drive on the motorway. She passed nearly two years ago so it’s MORE than time, just not happened yet. I’m afraid I may chicken out and leave it to DH to accompany her (assuming she wants accompanying) as I can be a bit of a twitchy passenger 😬

Great news @Alsoplayspiccolo . I hear Guildhall is now the top rated music college. One of my best friends was there 1987 to 1990 - was that before your time?

@Delphigirl can't believe your DD has managed to fit in so much driving test drama before her 18th birthday!

We just got a Nissan Micra for DS1 as he wants to drive to placements next year. I managed to get insurance in his name for £450, which I was pretty pleased with. He has driven off to Sheffield to spend a few days with GF and told me that he hates driving and won't go to Costco for fuel because he can't control a car well enough to queue. Wishes he had got the train and it is all my fault as I told him he should try out the new car! Sigh.....

@Delphigirl good luck with we buy any car. They offered DS £1,200 for his car online when he had answered all questions honestly. 10yr old corsa. When he met them they then took it down to £250!! Highest he could get them to was £450. He told them to leave it and sold it on autotrader for £1,200 to another dealer.

It's crazy how different the driving eras were from our days to today. My DD calls or relays EVERY driving drama each time she goes out. Still no multi storey car park attempted, or silently curses us if we didn't pre-empt a traffic incident ahead of her travels from our desks.

After buying my first mini at 18 I was soon after thrown into the world of company cars. A 2.0L sierra felt like a rocket in those days, especially with zero 20mph zones to contend with.

I know, I sound like our parents, I must stop this back in the day ramble.

Yes they have just knocked it back from £4100 to £2750, so I haven’t sold it to them. The place I’m getting the newer car will PX it for £3k. TBH the kids have managed to dent scuff or ding almost every bloody body panel in the last 8 years

@ealingwestmum i never had a company car but after some time in Hong Kong where they THREW money at me as a young trainee I came back and bought a brand new silver MX5 with pop up headlights… god I thought I was the bees knees as a 25yo girl about town… I remember whipping over the westway into town at night about 80mph with the roof down. No cameras no traffic. Sigh. What a great car.