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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Holiday clash with GCSEs. WWYD?

54 replies

Lightshines · 08/03/2014 16:30

I've been offered a fab one-week girlie holiday for just the price of just my flight. It might be difficult for me to keep in touch with home during the week as Wi-Fi is apparently limited, but not impossible.
However, the week on offer is the 3rd week of DDs GCSEs. She has 4 exams that week. DH and DS would be home with her.
Do I stay, or do I go?

OP posts:
Joules68 · 08/03/2014 16:31

Up to you but wi if isn't the only form of communication!

Personally, I'd rather be home

furlinedsheepskinjacket · 08/03/2014 16:32

ask dd

Sirzy · 08/03/2014 16:33

Depends on the child and how much support they are likely to need but I don't think I would go.

NickyNackyNooNoo · 08/03/2014 16:33

Entirely up to you but personally I would stay, entirely to show her how important GCSEs are and that I would forgo a holiday to give her any support she needed.

I think you'll get a 50/50 split but your child your choice...

LynetteScavo · 08/03/2014 16:36

I wouldn't go.

It's not like I would actually be doing anything, apart from providing meals, and ensuring a reasonable bedtime, and actually getting to the exam, and insisting they take a water bottle, but I would still feel the need to be hovering in the back ground.

lljkk · 08/03/2014 16:38

I'd go in a heartbeat.
(Disclaimer: I am foreign so probably can't understand the big deal of GCSEs).
And I'd probably be ruddy useless to DC during exam week, anyway.

The other one that confuses me is people making a big deal of knowing their GCSE results within 5 minutes of them being released. To the point of cancelling holidays or being upset if their kids don't share the need to know asap.

Original poster
Lightshines · 08/03/2014 16:38

I asked DD before starting the thread - she has said she wouldn't mind if I go, as Dad will be here.
I'd rather stay, its just that a couple of the people going on the holiday think she will be fine, and that I am being a bit wet!

OP posts:
lljkk · 08/03/2014 16:39

tbh, this thread re-emphasises everything that I think is horribly WRONG about the final-exam-is-everything approach to awarding qualifications. So very yucky.

anchories · 08/03/2014 16:40

I would stay.
It is the sort of thing that you would kick yourself if one of her exams that week goes wrong. You would always wonder whether it had had something to do with you being on holiday.

Original poster
Lightshines · 08/03/2014 16:47

lljkk - I agree, although she has had quite a lot of assessed work during some of her coursework.
I'm not sure if I would blame myself (or let her blame me!) if something went tits-up with the exams I was away for.
I also don't think I can do much to help at that stage of the game, its up to her by then. Its the preparatory pep-talk and de-brief that she would miss, and DH can do that as well as I.
But she's my girl....!

OP posts:
yourlittlesecret · 08/03/2014 17:06

I would stay, but to be fair I wouldn't want to go on holiday without DH and DC anyway so that my colour my judgement.
You can't help with the exams of course but it's a stressful time for them and you can do lots of tlc to support her at home.

ThreeBeeOneGee · 08/03/2014 20:21

I would prefer to be at home.

SteamboatSprings · 08/03/2014 20:24

I would stay too. I wouldn't be able to relax knowing what DD was going through and not actually being there to offer support.

Annunziata · 08/03/2014 20:24

I would stay.

TheAwfulDaughter · 08/03/2014 20:26

This reply has been deleted

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Picturesinthefirelight · 08/03/2014 20:28

Id go.

Floggingmolly · 08/03/2014 20:29

I wouldn't.

Creamycoolerwithcream · 08/03/2014 20:31

I would stay.

Liara · 08/03/2014 20:32

I'd go. But then I don't believe in piling on the pressure for dc on exams.

And I say this as someone whose parents went so extremely in the other direction that it did impact my exams! (I do suggest you don't have a meeting with 20 people until 2am in the room next door the night before one of her morning exams, though, that was a bit much).

Creamycoolerwithcream · 08/03/2014 21:16

I don't believe in piling on the pressure either but think you can go on holiday literally any week of the year, any year of the decade, so why go for one of the three or four weeks of your child's hopefully once in a lifetime GCSEs.

EdithWeston · 08/03/2014 21:18

If her exams are going well, she won't need you one bit (and won't be remotely bothered about or grateful for you giving up an opportunity).

But if something causes her to wobble, she might really, really need you.

Innogen · 08/03/2014 21:28

I'd go. My dd thrives on her own. She'd prefer to live alone during exams.

Ask her, see how she feels?

Yegodsandlittlefishesargh · 08/03/2014 21:32

Well.... Having been through gcses 2x with the older 2, actually I provably would leave dd2 to it tbh! But she is the one who is more organised than either of her siblings or me!

rightsaidfrederick · 09/03/2014 01:41

So long as you think that your husband is a competent parent, I'd go personally.

ravenAK · 09/03/2014 01:54

I'd go, assuming dd was happy with that/no obvious reason not to.

My dh works away quite a lot, & assuming he's still in that job when ours start doing GCSEs, I cannot imagine that he'll be clearing the diary for 3-4 weeks.

So my dc will in all likelihood be doing theirs with one perfectly capable parent at home, & one on the end of a phone & back at the weekend, which is what OP is proposing.

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