Year 11 - 2024/2025: And relax! Support Thread for the summer holidays.

[QueenMabby]

New thread to carry us all through the summer as we transition from dealing with stressed teens to dealing with bored teens!

I’m keeping quiet with the 3 weeks to go . DS said he would start the a level prep work in August - so that’s today - I figure though he’s had as much time off already as a normal school summer holiday so a little each day shouldn’t be too bad

I had my first results day dream last night!
Except I was picking up my results 😬🤷‍♀️
We know a few kids honwill be picking up a level results on 14th so I must remember to send good luck messages..

@waitingquietly yes my DS would not be best pleased either!

We have just logged onto the a level work for DS to assess what he needs to do - literally in the last month since I checked school now want the cg100 🤷🏻‍♀️ … DS has said not to worry and that all his friends have the old one

Where are people buying women’s suits from that aren’t ridiculously expensive? DD’s sixth form requires suits and specifies that the jacket must match the skirt/trousers so you can’t even do trousers or skirt/dress with a coordinating blazer, which is a pain. I’m finding it very hard to even find women’s suits anywhere. Unlike with DS where we just ordered from M&S and Next, you can’t even see women’s suits as a category and have to look for a blazer and then find the matching items. And most blazers these days are also more relaxed and not really ticking the tailored requirement.
M&S have bugger all, Next was limited and DD tried some on but the fit was awful on her. We did find a nice one in Mango, but they only have trouser suits and although she liked it she would also like a skirt option as that’s what most of the girls seem to wear. Zara also had nothing. I’m not coughing up for Reiss, Hobbs etc so where else should I be looking? Please send help…

@bobbykirby that is why we are happy there is a uniform which is basically black skirt and black blazer with a white blouse because it is easier and cheaper and she is fine with wearing the same everyday. Whereas others are like yours and need a suit
either be uniform or more relaxed wear!

and finding a black skirt for induction was a bloody nightmare we spent the whole morning shopping and found 1

charity shops @bobbykirby - but we are assuming that when they say 'matching' they aren't going to mind that plain black trousers and a plain black blazer are from different places. How will they know! DD has some very nice Reiss blazers now - a fiver.

I was going to suggest vinted

Our school is less prescriptive but we are going with granny’s wardrobe! (Also provider of amazing vintage evening dresses!)

H & M? Anything at Uniqlo?

Thanks for all the suggestions. I’ve checked H&M and Uniqlo already with no success. A lot of high street suits are too fashion-led and not acceptable for the uniform policy. I’ve been looking on Vinted but nothing in the right size/style so far - will keep checking though as it’s easier than trawling charity shops which I do not have time to do!

Dd fits two of my old ones thankfully so we’re starting with those! Have you tried Hobbs or Jigsaw? Bit pricey for a 16 yo though. Has anyone else’s kids reached peak boredom? I’m having to revert to being a tween mum and start creating /facilitating activities - all motivation for anything seems to have gone…

Dd seems ok. She has a few chill says, interspersed with work, doing jobs for pils and art projects.
I think we are both surprised at how quickly its gone.
She has a couple of days out with friends booked in.
Older dd is away with uni friends.
I'm taking the opportunity to deep clean her bedroom!

@Blinkingbother We are trying to avoid boredom by paying them to work for us - £10 to clean the car and the same for the henhouse is today's 'offer'. But we are literally sending dd2 to bootcamp next week - a free residential army music course. Might take her mind off the GCSE results anyway.

Pils pay dds for doing jobs. They don't like to take it, but pils insist.
Dd also gets paid for working every friday.
She wants to go shopping for some new clothes for FE college.

I would search eBay for 'Jigsaw suit' and 'Hobbs suit' and then filter by colour and size.

We’re just back from holiday. Dd has powered through her maths bridging work and has now finished that. Biology still to do. We have two weeks to sort school stuff before she’s off on a residential.
We’re going to try Massimo Dutti for suits and maybe somewhere like Cos before we look at the more ££££ options of Reiss or Hobbs. It’s so hard for girls. No £75 machine washable suits for them from Next or M&S like there are for boys!

I've had lots of hobbs and Reiss from vinted

DD2 made a quick start on some of the eaiser bridging work today.

She a few tasks to get done this week then she's away next week - when DS gets his A-level results - then DD1 back as well so there a trip they do then results - the DGP are then coming up - then there's only a few day before the next term starts. There's not huge amount of time left really.

DS has point blank refused to do any A level work until he gets his results. He maintains that there is no point in putting in a load of time on E.g history only to find out he failed it. I mean there is logic there I guess.

He is bored at work today (behind the till at the local garden centre on a rainy Monday was never going to be terribly interesting) but at least is getting paid for the pleasure. He has three days off then back there on Friday. He’s not loving it but it’s money and a job. We are off then for a week then back for results week. Haven’t really thought about it until now.

My DS is also not motivated to do any bridging work. I have advised him to at least look over it so he has an idea of how much time it will take.
I have checked whether there is any other work for his other subjects, and there isn't yet.

Dd has no bridging work, but is working on some art projects.

Hi @frozendaisy ,
Would you mind letting me know what your DS’s suggested sixth form suggested in terms of movies, suggested days out, the online stuff, websites and social media etc? The reason I ask is that my DD is hopefully taking physics and I would like to keep her brain working a little between now and September. Thank you

Movies
Moon (2009)
the Imitation Game (2014)
Gravity (2013)
Interstellar (2014)
Apollo 13 (1995)

Websites
CERN
physics.org
physicsandmathstutor.com
antonine-education.co.uk

google citizen science project (we haven't done this yet)
MOOC

TED talks
From mach-20 glider to hummingbird drone - Regina Dugan
Is our universe the only universe? - Brian Greene
The fascinating physics of everyday life - Helen Czerski
We need nuclear power to solve climate change - Joe Lassiter

Days out
Northern England and Scotland
Jodrell Bank Observatory
MOSI
Liverpool World Museum / Spaceport
Kielder Observatory
Glasgow Science Centre

Midlands
Electric Mountain
National Space Centre
Alton Towers

Southern England
Royal Observatory
Herschel Museum of Astronomy
@Bristol - 3D Planetarium
The Royal Institution

There's a "fun" book list as well but as Ratty is point blank refusing for some reason to read anything, I am going to nail him back down to the kitchen table (oh god it's GCSE revision deja vu) not sure if you want them!

Thank you @frozendaisy that’s really helpful and hopefully my DD will take a look at some of the suggestions just as a way to get her brain moving again. Thank you for the offer of the suggestion of the fun book list but realistically I don’t stand a chance of persuading her to pick up a book in the summer hols haha.