Waitlist support thread!

[Westlomum09]

To all those of you spending an agonising weekend 'waiting on the waitlist', here is what I have been doing to try to make myself feel better / take my mind off thinking about it:

1. Cooking. And then eating everything

2. Talking to strangers. Especially those who look childless and can't even comprehend the stress of getting your child into a particular school

3. Going for a bike ride with the kids. And taking a massive detour around said first choice school en route

4. Reading old school reports. And reminding myself that I didn't go to such a great school and still ended up 'ok'.

5. Drinking. Starting much earlier in the day than I normally would.

Any other suggestions most welcome!

Really? Is this a joke?

I'm not waiting but I get you westlo. Good luck to you and your boy there are enough multiple offers that there will be some good news by Thursday!

Westlomum09: I would add..

1. Remove all reminders of the first choice school e.g. brochures, letters etc from plain view at home.

1. Highlight the virtues of the current school or the second choice. You will find that though some schools might be seen as 'elite league' there is very little to choose between the schools frankly and the distinction is more in the minds of the parents than the children or the underlying facts. Surely there is more to education than preferring one school over another just because 2% more students got GCSE A grades than the other.

Having been through this experience in the past with our elder son at 7+, you can also reassure yourself with the knowledge that children are surprisingly resilient and adults can learn from how quickly they move on.

For us, we are in a happy place as we got the offer which was secretly our first choice but perhaps not our son's. Within minutes of gently dropping the bad news when the WL on his first choice didn't come through, he had wiped that school off his mind and was excitedly talking about the school he was going to. We found his attitude inspiring and realised that we parents make this a more arduous process than it really should be.

Good luck to you - I am sure everything will work out just fine!

This is hilarious! I'm in!
Do all the 8+ WUS CC dual offer holders live in China where there's no access to mumsnet?
Where are they??
Well done to all of you!

This made me chuckle.

I would add making a secret dartboard with a picture of all the 'smug mums' who hold multiple offers including those to your first choice school and are finding it 'such a trauma choosing'.

Of course there are also plenty of perfectly nice mums with these multiple offers, just saying...

Smilingmum2009 you made me chuckle alright - that was a classic!

I have always been bemused with the mums who are apparently going through the 'agony' of choosing between multiple offers and feel it necessary to share it with all on MN. Surely a decision as monumental as the choice of school for your child is not determined on postings from anonymous users on MN!? I assume mums are not going around saying: 'Oh I chose this school because a random online mum on MN who I don't know told me so'??

Just saying...

S999 how is your search going to track down 8+ CC/WUS applicants? :)

I wonder whether the people with dilemmas put them on MN because writing it down and then seeing others' comments confirms which school they wanted all along.

Also - yes, good luck with the wait list. I know it's random but it's worth writing to them to say how much you like the school and really want a place. On the deadline for people offered places to respond, ring the school to find out whether anyone has pulled out - you need to put across that you are keen as mustard BUT will not be a pain in the arse.

These mums 'agonising' between multiple offers on Mumsnet crack me up.

Seriously. Stop with all the Narcissism. We know your kid is BRILLIANT.

I think someone should start an anti-multiple offer agony thread.

robertfrost thats a great idea!

@robertfrost

These mums 'agonising' between multiple offers on Mumsnet crack me up.

Seriously. Stop with all the Narcissism. We know your kid is BRILLIANT.

I think someone should start an anti-multiple offer agony thread.

Well that wouldn't be in the spirit of the site, really.

A reminder that Mumsnet's raison d'être is to make lives easier.
Thanks

Apologies PresidentOlivia. Message understood.

OP/Westlomum09, I hope over this week you have honed down your cooking skills and maintained your 'waiting routine' successfully.
Curious to know if any news at your end now that the waitlisters have started receiving calls apparently.
Best wishes