GCSEs 2018 (18) Well that's all over, let's get the party started

[Stickerrocks]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/3341060-GCSEs-2018-17-What-will-be-in-your-coffee-cup-on-Thursday

Is he going by train whistl? I know what you mean about unstreetwise, my ds lost his passport on the way home from a school trip and swore blind he put it in his bag. We never got it back. I paid over £600 for a bus pass and will have the same talk with him!

@GettinTrimmer and @whistl - dealing with public transport for the first time can be a challenge. As we're London based all 3DC have used it from quite a young age and are quite savvy. The things which are useful to remember...

• don't miss your stop! Reading and/or headphones are a contributory factor to this!
• things go wrong. You'll miss your train and / or bus. Or there is an incident of some kind. Don't panic - there is another train / bus or a work around.
• go in the right direction!
• you can choose where to sit. If nervous sit by a middle aged woman. She's probably a Mumsnetter and knows your Mum 😏

whistl he’ll get used to it in no time. Like Sandy we’re London based too. DS has been making his own way to school since the 3rd day of Y7 (train and tube or bus) having never travelled on his own before that. He’s been absolutely fine. Sandy’s tips are spot on.

Not sure where you are but I’m sure your DS will be a seasoned commuter before you know it.

Yes, he's going by train.

I'm not that worried about the train (unless there's a strike - and there's a lot of strikes!), its more DS's lack of awareness that its not a good idea to put stick an expensive ticket into a hoodie pocket and think it will stay there, or walk through a station/ down a busy street with his wallet in his hand. We had a chat about having a bit of awareness about who is watching when he's typing in his debit card pin number too.
I'd swear everything we said went in one ear and out the other.

It's extremelymely uncool, but my nephew keeps his season ticket on one of those stretchy coiled spring things in his picket but attached to his belt loop.

DD keeps her bus pass on a lanyard she keeps in her inside blazer pocket. For extra security the lanyard is clipped to the zip on the pocket. This would also work any coat or bag with a zipped pocket.

It might seem overzealous but the bus pass costs over £300. Also, if she lost it, she wouldn't be able to get home.

A tip for when they get their provisional driving licence:

Do NOT keep your provisional licence in the same wallet or purse as your house key.

DS1 learned this from experience when he was mugged. We had to change the locks at 2 am.

DS has just bought his monthly train passes. He did a dummy run a few days ago but like everyone else, we have briefed him on what to happen if he misses his connection or the trains are cancelled. He has emergency cash to get a taxi if he needs to.

Farang - just got home. Dd felt a lot better today so we left at 8am & got back 10pm. She was determined she wasn’t missing it.

Wasn’t he amazing? The change if date was very awkward for us - no trains to Euston meant I had to drive which wasn’t ideal the day after ds’s show but it was so worth it. What a voice!

Good Luck to those starting this week!

DS has just finished one lot of his holiday homework, he starts on Tuesday so the rest has to be done tomorrow, why he has to leave everything to the last minute I don't know, he was also buying clothes for 6th form this evening

gettingTrimmer love how your DS is still smiling at his results, a friend of DS's was so chuffed with his he put them up on his bedroom wall

Alexander he was INCREDIBLE! Effortless vocals, fabulously professional yet relaxed (and humourous!) stage persona. DH and both DDs now equally mad fans (having not heard of him until I booked us tickets, if you can believe that).
Thought the date change situation was well handled (but no trains must have been a pest! Mind you, our trains were SLOOOOOOOW tonight so I kind of envy you driving..)
Going to be hard to get up for work tomorrow! Wish I'd known what you and your DD look like so we could have had a drink!

Good luck to those starting today! One last day of holiday here and I'm off work too. I've definitely got the bittersweet emotions of watching a ds turn into a young man....but until he gets into that suit I've got another 24hrs to pretend he's a little lad. He's planning to go and buy stationary today (he really is growing up, he has never shown the slightest interest hefore).

Bluebelle123 DD has lost her homework that is due when she starts Sixth form. Not a great start. I did mention that this could be due to the pit that is her bedroom but you can guess how that was received!!

Went clothes shopping at the weekend, that was 4 hours of pain I do not want to repeat. After all that she bought one pair of smart trousers and 6 men’s t-shirts .

Twinplusone I share your pain on the shopping front. After two shopping trips with friends and one with me, DD1 is now the proud owner of three virtually identical pairs of trousers and five checked shirts. So basically the same as he previous school uniform, but with a pattern on the shirts!

She does like the furry ankle boots I made her buy though.

If anyone turning out bedrooms today finds the copy of the book with DD MUST read but can't find, please let me know. Our entire house has been turned upside down looking for it. It's in the pit of doom somewhere.

Not in DS's room, he tidied his at the weekend, did find an item of my clothing though

twinplusone DD bought a jumper at the weekend and it was a man's one.....hoping its for a small man as she is only small, its going to look ridiculous otherwise not that I'm brave enough to say so.

Korma the t-shirts my DD are plain t-shirts, identical with the exception of the colour still in the bag they came home in dumped on the floor that is her bedroom......

Sorry no tidying here stickerrocks

Bluebelle that takes me back! I used to ‘borrow’ my dad’s jumpers all the time when I was at sixth form. He used to go mad when he came back from golf and say he’d been out there smelling of perfume (probably Anais Anais, or Miss Dior if it was just post-Christmas!)

DS is meant to be sorting out his room this week. Goodness knows what we'll find. He goes to enrol this afternoon. I have not got a pupil number he needs so will have to chase his old school this morning.
I'm not too worried about his clothes at the moment as long as he has something clean to wear next week!

I've got to go back to work! Wah! Leaving DS2 and 3 in bed. At least DS1 is still working. Their room seems to be full of DS1's university junk spill over.

DS3 starts tomorrow...

We were at the matinee farangatang. It was so funny though. We all kept bumping into people we knew including a few people we hadn’t seen for years from previous cities we’d lived in.

Loose Are you sure the relevant number isn't on his results summary slip?

Quick question. Where to buy combination padlocks? Robert Dyas? Can't risk key ones as both DS1 and DS2 can't be trusted with another key.

He's gone.
For this morning only, I dropped him at the train station and watched him walk away.

sandybayley I think Robert Dyas, TK Maxx, wilko etc tend to have them, but I got one for Ds2's gym locker from ebay. It felt a bit plastic-y but there's nothing valuable secured behind it.
Get a brass one if you want it to be sturdy. Screwfix have a good range.