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Teenagers

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

Original poster

DS set to fail the lot

130 replies

themoon66 · 04/04/2007 12:24

The school have just rung me to say he hasn't handed in 4 out of his 5 pieces of coursework for English GCSE. English is his favourite subject, so god only knows what the other subjects are going to be like.

I spoke to his head of year who told me all the teachers are worried about him, and have been for a month or more now. They say they talk to him, but it's like there is nothing behind his eyes or any clues that he is even listening.

He is one of the cleverest in the school... predicted A stars all the way. I'm breaking my heart over what to do... sat here crying as I type

What can have happened to my clever, bright, sparky DS? It's like he has given up.

He has been off school all week with 'tummy ache' which he is doubled up with. Am waiting for the GP to ring me back with results of blood tests done on Monday. I am thinking now that its psycho-somatic and he is skivving school because he knows the shit is going to hit the fan this week, with course work being handed in etc.

He missed his Art GCSE exam yesterday and has done no coursework at all for that... so that one's a fail straight off.

What can I do? DH wants to kick him up the arse, but I think he must have depression or something.

Just wanted to type it all out on MN really to get my thoughts in order and try to raise some ideas of what to do next.

Sorry it's long.

OP posts:
Original poster
themoon66 · 19/05/2007 19:27

Sounds a good idea.... but I don't think he would be interested in staying with his big sister as she is a fashion student

When are these open days? Are they going on now?

OP posts:
Lilymaid · 20/05/2007 11:37

Here is a list of University Open Days . They are designed for students at the end of Y12 but it is always possible to tag along in Y11. DS1's school allowed Y12s to have 3 days off in June/September to go to Open Days.
As far as staying with older sister/brother is concerned it is just to give them an idea of the independence they will have as students rather than the academic part of student life. Open Days concentrate on the academic side.

Original poster
themoon66 · 20/05/2007 20:55

Wonderful!! thank you for that link. Am printing it off for DS.

OP posts:
MaryHinge · 20/05/2007 20:57

What's he got next week themoon? ds2 just has English Lit on Tuesday. The week after half term is a shocker though.

Original poster
themoon66 · 20/05/2007 21:00

Hi Mary.... Same here... Eng Lit 9am Tuesday. ICT the same afternoon.

Then he has nothing until he goes back after half-term on Monday 4th June, which is a week with something every day!

OP posts:
Lilymaid · 20/05/2007 22:02

Ditto for English Lit on Tuesday, then Resistant Materials on Thursday - all the others are after half term so the first two weeks of June will be hard.

mumof3teens · 21/05/2007 10:12

DS2 has Maths (mechanics) AS and Spanish Writing and Spanish reading GCSEs today. He has 2 English Lit papers tomorrow and an IT paper. None then until the week after half term. He gives just a little too much information after exams (totally unlike DS1). He insists on telling me exactly what the questions were and how he answered each one
I think it is a good idea to get them to stay with older siblings at Uni like Lilymaid said - more for the social/freedom aspect really.

MaryHinge · 22/05/2007 16:45

Apparently English Lit was just OK. Mutterings about Journey's End and a dodgy poetry paper.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 03/06/2007 16:00

Are we all keyed up for the next two weeks then?

Ds2's hayfever kicked in this morning. Bloody typical.

(It's MaryHinge BTW in my usual guise)

Lilymaid · 03/06/2007 16:04

Yes - we are bing exceptionally nice to DS2 (he has been assured that normal service will resume after the exams). He has an exam every day next week with two on Monday and Friday, then exams on 4 days the following week - then that's it and he can go back to bread and gruel and sweeping the chimneys.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 03/06/2007 16:25

ds2 has them morning and afternoon every day next week and then a couple of tough days the week after.

And I agree the eggshells are becoming quite painful underfoot.

I have a plan for after the exams to teach him some much needed social skills ie the proper way to hoover the stairs & clean the loos. He has to have something to fill those long summer days

Original poster
themoon66 · 03/06/2007 18:02

Tomorrow DS has just Maths in the afternoon. Its a long one... 120 mins.

Then he has 2 every day until Friday.

I do wish he would go to bed earlier and eat the nutritious breakfasts I try to force on him.

OP posts:
mumof3teens · 04/06/2007 16:07

Yep, Hayfever here too. No exams today (and I left him "revising" whilst I worked all day). Exams pretty much every day from now on. I feel as though I have a cloud over me all the time at the mo!

Original poster
themoon66 · 05/06/2007 09:40

Well... maths was ok he said. There was only one question he couldn't answer. Phew.

Today it is English this morning and Electronics this afternoon.

OP posts:
mumof3teens · 05/06/2007 09:43

Think you had better change the name of the thread now - he seems to be doing really well!

DebitheScot · 05/06/2007 11:25

Glad to hear he seems to be back on track now. Hope the rest of them all go ok too.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 05/06/2007 22:19

So how did English go? Ds said he 'did good'. Fingers crossed eh?

Lilymaid · 06/06/2007 11:00

DS also quite happy about the English - his teacher was well known for her ability to predict the questions and she was right.
Double Science today, one exam tomorrow, then two on Friday. I shall treat him to some Krispy Kremes for enduring the sheer tedium of it all.

mumof3teens · 06/06/2007 16:14

Can't we all have some krispy kremes for us enduring THEM?!!!!

Original poster
themoon66 · 06/06/2007 18:56

Apparently science this morning was 'sort of hard, but fun to do.. challenging'.... and ITC this afternoon was 'difficult to sit through coz it was boring'.

Not sure what that means.

OP posts:
Original poster
themoon66 · 29/08/2007 01:00

Got back from holiday yesterday.

DS, after all the stress, has got .....

English - A
Eng Lit - B
Double Science - A, A
History - A
Maths - A star
Functional Maths - A star
IT - B
Electronics - D (he did no coursework)
Art - E (no coursework done)
Citizenship - B
RE - B

So THANK YOU to all MNers who contributed to helping me push him in April and sort the silly little bugger's head out.

THANK YOU ALL

OP posts:
MarsLady · 29/08/2007 01:02

Well done! Let's hope he's learnt his lesson....

unknownrebelbang · 29/08/2007 01:03

I remember lurking on this thread.

Well done Moonman!

Hulababy · 29/08/2007 21:35

They are good results. Glad he pulled himself through.

lilolilmanchester · 29/08/2007 22:35

Fantastic, you must be delighted. Any advice you can share about what did/didn't work in encouraging him to mend his ways? I remember reading your thread and thinking this is going to be me for the next 2 years. My DS sounds very like yours and starts year 10 next week...Congrats to your DS and to you for being so tenacious!