Crepes and Mulled Whine in your pants

[Auriga]

Somebody had to do it

My very unmechanically minded dd went on a school trip to Brompton bike factory - she was blown away and said if she was any good at DT/engineering/walking across a room without falling over, she would love to work somewhere like that. Nothing like that in our family (teachers, civil servants, editors etc), so the reality was completely unexpected, and inspiring. Made work experience can be a chance to try out an unfamiliar environment?

BTM, she's loving the history and it seems to be really well taught as well - it's just that she doesn't yet see how it can be useful to anyone else. as far as i can gather the history students feel unfocussed compared to lots of the other students, maybe partly because they may all go off in such different subjects next.

Work experience - if you know any lawyers courts can be compelling though my DD disliked the barrister and caught the bus home with the defendant on her first visit to Southwark.

Lalsy, I've always admired engineers of all kinds at the same time as being completely bewildered by anything 3D - a factory like that must be hugely inspiring.

lalsy, that was exactly what I was hoping!

addle, love that your DD hated the barrister and escaped with the defendant! I think it is an analytical subject (like Economics, DH says) and so useful for many careers.

She wants to do something that doesn't involve sitting in an office all day. And she is fantastic with children... Can you see where this is heading?! Although Herbs's interest in SALT has reminded me that that could be a possibility. I did try to interest her in physiotherapy today when we went for her appointment, but despite all the physio's being fantastic, she seems to have some morbid fear/hatred of hospitals (inherited, no doubt, from DH who hates them)

I agree about history too. I think anyone over 14 can go to the Old Bailey to watch cases (they are listed so you can check suitability first). My dd has just done work experience with a tiny organisation - not an area she is particularly interested in, but was great experience because she got given actual jobs to do with deadlines. I think meaningful work experience for under 16s is quite hard to find because of all the safeguarding/safety stuff. BTM, is your dd sporty? Could she help with coaching younger kids - there, being under 16 (is she?) seems to be an advantage!

We appear to have had a major breakthrough: I pointed out to dd that doing a Zoology degree could be an alternative route to vet science (if somewhat long-winded) and now she has looked it up and seen what A levels she would need, she is feeling much, much better than she has done all term so far. She would have a bit more flexibility in her A level choices and a host of career paths to choose from and this has cheered her up no end. So I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a better day and she will feel better if she has a more realistic aim to focus on. And I will eventually be able to get some bloody work done.

The Big Bang Science Fair is a great place for school students to get a taste of all sorts of (non-arts) careers.

Yes, she is sporty! She coaches at gymnastics! I was hoping that we might find something just like what your DD has done, just to widen her horizons a bit. And make her wise up to the demands of a work environment....

Oh and I have a job where I can say I am an X. And then people respond by saying "What's the point of that? Google does that for free." Never fails to lift my spirits, that.

Stropps, that's great! At least she has an idea of something she might like to do

DD has wanted to be a teacher from tiny. DH is desperate for her to do something high-powered

I will google the Big Bang Science Fair!

My dd wants a job that involves driving a quad bike . She is 17.....

Stropps, that's great.

OK, drain engineers, no-one can say they are not needed.

DS wants to be an engineer, having been dazzled by some chap from a local firm at the recent school careers evening. I can just see him doing some sort of apprenticeship (they are quite the thing nowadays, apparently). He would also be brilliant at some sort of sports coaching,

The DDs are still at the stage of wanting to be artists, actresses, or some other such pie-in-the-sky aspirations. Well, I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do, and have rather drifted into my current job. I have faith that they will all find their niches in life at some point.

DD2 has listed my job as her 'fallback'. I have recommended that she aims higher

Am still prickly about yesterday's meeting. Am worried they're trying to make what is supposed to be a small gig into a huge one, without increasing the money. I am standing firm, but am not used to doing so...

Why high powered BTM? ANd that is actually quite depressing that teaching is not seen as high powered.....

I want ds to be happy in what he does, to want to go to work every day, and to not live in penury - that'll be dp then......

I am lucky to live in an area where the majority of people are happy with their lot (aside from me ;) ) and many of them do an amazing patchwork of things!

Happy birthday, Herbs! And many happy returns.

Dd went off to school reasonably sensibly this morning. My crepey friends, I realise I keep blathering on about the teen traumas in this house and I do realise it is a public forum where these blatherings will be preserved for posterity, unfortunately. I have tried to find other places to discuss these things but talking about it to other parents round here is counter-productive for various reasons. I did try out a RL support group for parents (er, mothers) but all the other children had essentially ended up in care and this depressed me dreadfully. And sorry if I'm repeating myself a lot at the moment. My brains appear to be a bit mashed.

Happy birthday Herbissima!

Oh Stropps, please don't feel you're imposing! Blather away!

I have had a run-in with the client I was whingeing about yesterday and feel pretty mashed up myself.

Stropps - don't worry about blathering, I'm glad your dd has been encouraged by an alternative plan. They do zoology at the Uni where BIL teaches, although I don't think he teaches those students. And thank you for the Big Bang Fair tip - I have just registered as dcs will love it and it's conveniently close to ILs house.

Lalsy - I think Brompton is a particularly nice place to work - great company ethic and creating something high quality that people love (although mine decided to do a lot of gear clunking this morning, which was a PITA). And there are jobs for those kind of companies that don't require being able to assemble a bicycle from scratch.

Herbs - Happy Birthday...

Stropps, Carry on - I sometimes forget this is an 'open' forum as I blather away! I jsut wish I was closer to at least one of you!! (envies London crowd...)

Job decision still not made - head about to explode...

Bon Anniversaire herbalicious

Can I waaaah for a minute?

It’s that quarterly charity mag I’ve taken on. They’re paying me £2,500 an issue INCLUDING COMMISSIONING: so there are about six features and a fair bit of news to edit and some listings and other stuff and a letters page. There is a lot, really. It is all a bit vague, not least because bloke from the the ad/publications agency producing it who used to do it, has now gone to work for the charity. So there are lots of blurred bits round the edges. And I’m increasingly worried that it is too much work for the money. Sort of said so in a meeting with the client yesterday. Shouldn’t have. Starting to want to backtrack totally – when there was a reproving email from the publishers yesterday I nearly told them. IT’s not helped by the fact that when they took me on they made a big song and dance about how this was ‘long term for many years’…ffs it is a TINY mag from a TINY charity.

BD, high-powered - who knows why Like you, I want her to find a job she enjoys and wants to do every day that pays enough to live comfortably. I am always quick to put my twopennoth in on this matter

Happy birthday Herbs!

Stropps, as you know, I totally identify with all your teen blatherings. Please blather away - I will chip in from time to time!

MI, I'm afraid I have no idea about how much you should charge/be paid, or what you should do... But feel free to rant

MI, I sympathise completely. It is very hard these days to not feel like one is being taken advantage of left, right and centre.

Wilbur, would it be ok to PM you sometime soon for a leetle bit of info??

Thanks for your support and sympathy, crepeys. It makes all the difference, it really does.

I live in hope that dd will find something to aim for study/jobwise that really lights her fire and gives her a focus. It's what she needs. I think that she would be a rather good research scientist or could find a niche in some sciencey area of conservation work. She writes very well and is good at languages but has always excelled in maths and biology. She has A or A* potential in just about everything, believe it or not, but is currently predicted mainly As and Bs in all areas because of a) lack of concerted effort and b) the anxiety hoo-hah. Wish us luck with today's appmt - which is where I'm off to now.

Good luck, Stropps!

MI - is that fee including the money you have to pay out to writers? I suppose whether it's a good deal depends on how much rewriting those features will take.

I happen to know an excellent freelancer whose work you won't need to rewrite at all!

Not a good birthday so far. PTA meeting, then had to take cat to vet as he's got an abscess in his mouth. He's got to go back tomorrow to have teeth out. It's going to set us back £600-700, not much of which will be covered by insurance as cat had a dental check TWO YEARS AGO (gulp) that I didn't act on. The insurance company can (rightly) claim that such slackness led to this problem. Poor cat - he's just sitting looking lopsided, drooling, and facing the wall.

Had a minor revelation in the middle of the night. I always feel that to improve my life I have to dramatically alter it - such as the SALT course. In fact, I can make baby steps towards it, by doing smaller qualifications that enable me to keep doing what I'm doing, which I love, but add lecturing and tutoring into my portfolio career.

Right. I'm off now for birthday lunch at Wahaca on the South Bank. I may have a margarita.

Oh dear, this is truly the Toothy Thread, innit.

It is, indeed, the whole sum per mag including every single bit of commissioning.

It's the 'other stuff' that is worrying me. I very nearly had to retype handwritten letters to the editor. That was where I became, apparently, 'embarrassing' in the meeting.

Oh yes, Good Luck Stropps!

DD is similarly down on herself - also prdicted A/A*'s, but constantly says she is rubbish at things despite loads of praise/encouragement from us and all her teachers I think she feels under a lot of pressure at school (with their expectations and number of GCSE's...)

Herbs, Wahaca and margarita's for lunch sounds fab!

And I still need to ring the dentist....