What is my dd going to do with 11 weeks holiday?

[Tolivebythesea]

GCSE's are finished, back to school in September. What on earth is my dd going to do to fill her time. We don't have any holidays planned due to elderly parents needing daily support. She has a few friends but they are mostly away on holiday. Boyfriend is away for 6 weeks and he is usually quite busy anyway. No job, would quite like one but we live in a rural area and transport is sparse to get into the local town. She is quite independent and likes to be busy so don't know what she is going to do. Was thinking work experience could be a possibility. Or some sort of activity trip but she wouldn't want to go alone. Any suggestions?

Learn to touch type ? Incredibly, I did this back in the 80's right after O levels ( really showing my age ) and it is THE Best Thing I have ever learnt ( little did I know then how useful it would be -). I learnt via a book on a type writer, but of course, there are on line courses now. ( I also grew up in the absolute middle of no where - I just used to walk miles with the dog....and dream of escaping )

The summer after my GCSEs I was getting through about 3 Mills & Boon novels a day (thanks to lovely mobile librarian for our village letting me take extras out each week) and sleeping 12+ hours a day. My sis and I would swap books & then critique the crappy plots. It was great.

Touch typing is still useful and she can temp when she gets older.

When DS1 was 16 he got a weekend job. We had to drop him off and pick him up. During the holidays he worked more hours .

Meant he had his own money to do as he wished over the summer.

Never heard of ncs I've just sent the link to my dd

I spent my gcse summer lying in the sun reading books & listening to radio 1 in the garden, drinking jugs of pimms by my rich friends pool, watching the rugby world cup & the cricket, going to house parties, swimming in the sea at silly o'clock am - 1995 was a fantastic summer! (as we're 1996 & 1997)
I did have a job coz I lived in the town and we were much poorer but none of my friends did. We all made it to adulthood unscathed - although there was a lot of alcohol consumption.
The ncs thing sounds fab. Hope it still exists when my two reach that age.
What does she want to do?

Well, ds is at a huge party tonight,I'm almost envious

Activity leader on English language residential course. Thousands of language schools are crying out for staff this summer. It's a boom summer as the pound is so low.

Volunteer in her old school/after school club till the end of term.

Learn to knit or sew and do some woolly hug or similar things?

Might not be many spaces left but I'd also recommend NCS if there is space.

Any sailing clubs/theatre groups/art/sport camps she's interested in?

If you can afford it, PGL? only for a week.

Possobly voluntary work?

Make her way through some classic books?

Help with housework? Learn what she cab from you and dh about cooking/cleaning/car maintenance/how to change a plug, fuse, lightbulb/gardening.

Learn to knit or cross stitch.

Join a gym or fitness club.

Babysit friends kids for money.

Join a choir.

what about work experience? Could she shadow someone for a week or so. Would others in your hamlet with regular hours be willing to car share with her to a town/city in exchange for some cash?

Get a job?

My DS2 has also just finished GCSES and has the whole summer off. This is the second time I've been here, so I'm ready this time!

Be prepared as they tend to go feral for a few weeks. Exams are finished, they want to let off steam, so it's party, party, party! Which is all fine and dandy for them, however for those of us who have to go to work, it's not so much fun!

My advice is do what you can to help them get a job, as at least they'll have something to do all day other than lie in bed and hang around the house eating you out of house and home.

NCS sounds great, neither of mine would do it, but I've heard really good things about it.

I did a culinary course ( 2 days a week) at the local college and then went swimming or read books, watched to, mum got me a book to practice creative writing and other kits x

Can you pay for her to go on a PGL teenager camp or similar? They do great ones to the south of France.

Seems a shame she can't go away of the only reason is caring for elderly parents (obvs this isn't the case of its money).

Any aunts/uncles/cousins she can stay with?
Foreign friends?

I used to do some time with relatives in Ireland, then my cousin would come and stay with me for a while. I also used to stay with a relative in Londom and mooch around Camden market and topshop.

DS1 finishes school this week, he has had no interest in "getting a job" despite encouragement from me mainly, he stopped telling me a while ago about friends who have Saturday jobs!

However, I am unlikely to see much of him as no doubt he will be playing golf everyday. I thought at the end of last summer I might get a bill from the golf club as he was there more than at home, lol!