Celebrating GCSE results

[GSCECelebrations]

Dd isn’t sure what she’d like to do to celebrate. She’s expected to get top grades. She’s hoping some family members will give her money as a reward. I’ve bought her some jewellery. I remember from previous years some parents were giving their child x amount for x grade adding up to hundreds of pounds. That’s beyond my budget.
Dd is hopefully going out with her dad and did want me to take her on a shopping spree but we’ve just come back off holiday and I simply can’t, plus, I’ve bought her a gift that she chose, will take her out for dinner, get her a card and possibly a Starbucks if we go out the day after.
Back in the mists of time I got a helium balloon and a rose from my mum. No acknowledgment from anyone else. I was very ill during my high school years so it was a miracle I passed anything but back then I don’t think people really celebrated or maybe my family were just crap. I wouldn’t have wanted a fuss anyway but Dd does.

What are you doing/did you do for your child’s GCSE result?

Who expects gifts/treats for exams? I will probably take my son out for a nice meal if he does well, but I probably wouldn’t if he asked for it.

We went for a fabulous holiday this summer to reward his effort, but also to ‘celebrate’ me getting even older.

I try to support my children all the time and their only obligation is to do their best at school (and a few minor chores at home).

How do people deal with siblings where one is academic and the other isn’t? It must perpetuate resentment where one gets shopping trips and treats and the other gets commiserations.

Reward effort, not results!!

Her sister did not very well at all due to various factors outside my control like going to live with her dad because he let her do whatever she wanted so she was drinking and taking drugs and getting arrested. So today for her will be tough as the Dd of this thread is set to do very well. There’s a lot of jealousy and sibling rivalry at play with their dad. I think it’s her dad that Dd wants the fuss from. He has made bets with her on her grades. I think it’s more acknowledgement from him that she went to school every day and worked hard when with a less determined mindset over her chosen career (medical) she’d have been a school refuser. She was bullied in the early years and has struggled to fit in. Suspected ND but refuses assessment. So how she articulates what she wants for these exams and grades hasn’t been articulated well and comes across as grabby but I know what she means. It will be interesting to see what her dad does today. She had to ask him if they could go out for dinner, he didn’t even suggest seeing her.
I’m going to make her a cake while she’s at school today and hope she lets me know her results.

We are giving ds some money to spend (but not £100s) and will take him out for lunch and to do a bit of shopping over the weekend.
He wants to go out with his mates this evening, but I've made brownies at his request to have when his dad gets home. I'll pay for takeaway of choice with his friends. He's really not into making a big fuss, although I want to because I'm beyond proud of his results!

Her dad took her for a spoons and got her a card and a tiny bottle of Prosecco so he actually managed to do something and she was happy with that. It will have been his girlfriend who got the card and alcohol but at least he took her out and actually let her choose for once so it’s a win for Dd.
I hope everyone receiving their results yesterday had a wonderful day.

I know it's old-fashioned, but I think it can be lovely and meaningful to write your DC a letter, telling them how much you admire their effort, how proud you are of them, and how you love and respect the adult they are growing into. A letter like this can be read and re-read, and in years to come can be a treasured memento of your relationship and a special time in your DC's life. It costs you nothing except your time and attention, but fully acknowledges their effort and commitment. The reward, as other posters have said, is in the grades and the opportunities they open up.