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Secondary education

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Original poster

Support group for GCSE traumatised mothers; how much moodiness are you sucking up right now?

135 replies

Isaidheyhoney · 18/05/2010 22:59

Personally I'm finding it very hard on me. I keep taking an emotional hit every time I ask about revision. What has helped has been to get dh on board, but he is a bit work-obsessed himself at the moment.

Anyone else?

OP posts:
Original poster
Isaidheyhoney · 18/05/2010 23:50

Also, I'm thinking we should have some kind of ceremony when each subject is out of the way, done and dusted - certainly involving getting rid of all the study books - but I think we'll have to retain them somewhere just in case re-sits are necessary!

Maybe I should buy a special dustbin?

OP posts:
bourboncreme · 19/05/2010 13:42

I know what you mean about a hit when you ask about revision ,followed by "can you test me "only an hour later as if nothing has happened .I shall be glad when the sciences are aout of the way(next Friday)as that is where most of the stress is .

marcsalmond · 19/05/2010 13:43

my son is completely calm about the whole think, which is worrying in itself!

GypsyMoth · 19/05/2010 13:52

Dd has stuff pinned up on her Walls. She has her dance gcse today. I have pringles waiting here as it's all she requests she's ok, mega organised and no attitude yet really!

Jopeg · 19/05/2010 17:26

Nightmare actually...apparently I am smothering her!

PositiveAttitude · 19/05/2010 17:50

Definite nightmare. Here DD2 is doing AS levels. Last year she did GCSEs. She began getting mega stressed out about them, so I took her for a coffee and gave her the "we will be proud of you whatever you get" talk. In response she said, "Do you mean you dont care?" then after being reassured, she did very little revision because "We would be proud of her anyway!" When she got her results (very good, by the way) she said "not bad for someone who didnt do any work" Grrrr!!

Anyway, really grumpy teenager now with AS levels. I cant do anything right. I can ask her what she wants for tea, cook it, then she moans about it. I cant get onto my laptop hardly at all - she does not have her own. She mopes around saying she cant settle to revise, but can miraculously settle to it when I need the dishwasher emptied, or some help around the house.

Roll on end of June.

Original poster
Isaidheyhoney · 20/05/2010 09:34

It is just so emotionally taxing, isn't it? And you have to try so hard not to just lose it, because that won't help.

I'm going to try to book a massage for tomorrow (after Biology!) to see if that helps. (Me.)

OP posts:
snorkie · 20/05/2010 10:29

ds very calm & laid back, he only gets grumpy if I nag him about doing some revision. I have gone from worrying he's not doing enough work to being quite more laid back too, but that has been helped by the fact he finally moved into the study & started revising at the weekend.

He had his last ever geography & English lessons yesterday & today is his last day of lessons. Exam leave and exams start tomorrow (gulp!).

Good luck to them all. I like the idea of some ceremony/special celebratory meal to mark the end of each subject - that would make tomorrow the first - as Biology will be finished for ever then - better go shopping...

NoahAndTheWhale · 20/05/2010 10:31

I am invigilating a GCSE Biology paper tomorrow - I hope everyone doing it has an all right paper

sarah293 · 20/05/2010 10:32

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster
Isaidheyhoney · 20/05/2010 12:51

God, Riven, good luck with that!

I have booked my massage. Just as well, since ds seems to be not talking to me today and I had a massive row with dh about it all last night. Am trying NOT to read threads about leaving your dh.

OP posts:
bourboncreme · 20/05/2010 15:53

Dreading biology tomorrow as not his best subject...or at least he doesn't think so.I'm mostly worried about time management and understanding that just because Biology and rs are this week it doesn't mean you shouldn't have a look at next weeks subjects as well.

Start study leave today,can't believe this si happening only seems five minutes since he was in reception and I was worrying about whether he would be able to manage his plimsolls for PE!

sharbie · 20/05/2010 15:55

ARGHHH.Thats all.

mumblechum · 20/05/2010 16:35

DS in yr 10 but doing GCSE exam tomorrow. It's only 40 mins and he got an A in the mock without revising which apparently means that he doesn't have to do any revision.

I do find it hard not to nag but ultimately it's up to him. I won't be there hanging over his shoulder when he's at university so probably best to get them in the habit of being self motivated now (or not ).

Original poster
Isaidheyhoney · 20/05/2010 21:46

I'm trying to count my blessings that at least ds isn't (usually) a worrier. (It just worries me that he doesn't worry enough...) So I can't wait till tomorrow PM when it will be one down. Good luck, everyone . Remember there are re-sits, not like in our day!

OP posts:
bumpsoon · 20/05/2010 22:16

my ds casually dropped in to conversation that he hadnt completed his coursework for one subject !!!!! i am currently working out if the patio would be above the damp proof course if i buried him under it

sharbie · 20/05/2010 23:27

Yeah good luck everyone too!

snorkie · 21/05/2010 01:12

Oh dear bumpsoon, did he hand anything in at all, or just something that wasn't quite finished? Did the school chase him for it at all? I guess it's too late to worry about now, and nothing really to be gained by throttling him ... but teenagers!

bumpsoon · 21/05/2010 08:39

he completed 90% of it ,so has scraped a C on the coursework ,so he is going to have to do really well in the exam if he wants a B . I spoke toi the teacher and she says she must of asked him about 20 times for it , i asked at home all the time and he kept ssaying 'yeah ive done it ,its at school '. He wants to do this subject at A level too

snorkie · 21/05/2010 09:50

Hope he manages it bumpsoon. Hopefully he'll have learnt from his mistake & be better organised for A-level.

Original poster
Isaidheyhoney · 21/05/2010 12:00

Honestly, boys! And why don't they just tell us. I know what you mean about the patio.

Anyway, biology is done without major trauma - altho he got a nosebleed and just carried on, invigilators supplying tissues, apparently!

He's having the rest of today off, then back to revision at the weekend.

OP posts:
Jopeg · 21/05/2010 12:41

It's not just boys, I have a girl who has handed in incomplete coursework, after repeated nagging as well!

NoahAndTheWhale · 21/05/2010 12:56

None of the students doing the paper that I was invigilating looked traumatised which seems good .

There was someone who got given tissues although not by me - you're not in Bedfordshire are you?

snorkie · 21/05/2010 14:24

Hey, this is a support group for traumatised parents, not students! Isaidheyhoney, glad he coped OK - that bodes well for the rest. Enjoy your massage!

ShrinkingViolet · 21/05/2010 14:41

so far (touch wood) we're finding ASes less stressy than GCSEs last year - possibly because now it's subjects DD1 wants to do, and finds easy(ier). Also fewer subjects so not as daunting.

But she's had to take a step back as her revision was seriously mucked up from February onwards as she's got some problems with her eyes, and hasn't been able to focus properly at times. So because there's a good chance she won't do as well as she might have done, that's helped calm her down (weirdly), and actually I reckon she's managed more productive revision than she woudl have done otherwise.

However, I might change my mind depending on how the first exam this afternoon (Chemistry AS) went...