Think I might have done the wrong thing

[Jux]

DD is fascinated with ancient egypt and has been since she was a toddler and saw one of our books on it. As soon as she learnt the word she has wanted to be an egyptologist.

She's 11, started secondary in September. At the moment her homework takes her about 10 minutes. She enjoys school but is utterly frustrated as they don't do ancient history (I supposed they might at A level?), there isn't an ancient history club so she's getting no 'formal' lessons, doesn't have to write essays on ancient egypt etc (she wants to write essays!).

Last week she found a distance learning course on Egyptology. She has begged and pleaded. She sent them an e-mail. They have phoned us. I talked to dh. We decided in the end that we would let her do it. There are no deadlines, she can take as long as she wants over it and she has promised to do her homework first.

I've just enrolled her and paid for it. Now I'm thinking that I'm pushing her and putting her under pressure and heaven knows what else. On the other hand, am I merely facilitating her needs and she will be grateful for life that I'm such a fabby-wabby mum?

I have no idea whether I've just done a good thing or bad thing. What do you think?

TIA

It sounds to me like a good thing and not pushy at all.

The only possible issue for me would be what would happen if she later decided against completing the course? Would it cause bad feeling between you, dh and dd if you've paid for it and it's no longer wanted?

If you've already discussed this and reached an agreement then I wouldn't worry at all. Dd will be grateful - for a little while at least. :o

It sounds like a fabulous course - if she is hungry for knowledge then fantastic!

What a great parent you are and possibly mother of a future Miss Indiana Jones! You could also take her to the British Museum - they have some wonderful artefacts..

If you had decided she ought to study Egyptology and should be working hard in her spare time, then you'd be pushy and applying pressure.

But "She has begged and pleaded" - that means this is something which she has led from the start, and you've let her do because she wants it so much, and has had such a consistent interest in it.

Relax! It's no different from her wanting to play an instrument, or a sport, or anything else she finds interesting.

There are degrees to be taken in Ancient History. If she shows signs of slacking you can point out that she will need good GCSEs and A levels in other subjects in order to get in.

You have done a good thing.

Phew! It felt like that when I booked it this morning, but then it suddenly felt like I was applying pressure etc. and I got slightly panicky.

There is no time limit on the course so she can take 25 years over it if she wants to or drop it for 10 and then pick it up again or... If she enjoys it then fine, if she doesn't I'd rather she dumped it. I've done it because I got some of my inheritance from dear old ma just before Xmas and am able to pay for things like this right now without worrying. I'm not going to mind if she gives up in the way that I might have if we'd been as skint as we usually are. I have money to burn!!!!!

pippop1, I do that lots anyway! It's a great incentive. [mean mummy emoticon]

The little sweetie-pie rang the OU, but they have an age limit! She was so disappointed.

Oooh my posts are green. I'm just posting again to look at it. It's a lovely colour!

there's rather a large chance they won't do Ancient History at all (at least, I went all the way through to A level without doing any) at school so it sounds like a great idea!

I think it's great, with a DD aged 11 who has wanted to be a geologist at age 4, it's nice that you are interested in her future and are happy to support her x