What are your 15/16 year olds doing?

[bobisbored]

My boys are both year 11. They have no exams now and therefore no school work to do. One of them knows what he wants to do next year and I've ordered some books for him that aren't here yet. The other has no clue. They are so unmotivated and fed up. I feel fit them but I'm really worried that 6 months of doing nothing will have a really bad effect. Today they've mowed the lawn and walked the dog but other than that they've been in their rooms on their Xbox. What are your kids doing?

Most of our year 11s are working on what they've been set online.

Some have probably returned to their home countries before borders closed.

The rest seem to be either in their rural holiday homes or lying to their parents that there's no work set/that they've never been given the codes for Google Classroom.

DD is 16. Y11.

She's mainly on group chats with her friends or singing very loud to her favourite musicals. She has a gorgeous voice but I swear to god, I am going insane with it when it's all I can fucking here - especially when DS turns the volume on the TV up so I also have Teen Titans to contend with (I also have a 7 yo to entertain).

She was taking the dog out of an eve and prep for that involved full face of make up, including false lashes, and hair curled. She has an unconditional offer to her chosen college and they've set some A level stuff on their website, which she assure me she's doing but I need to check really. I don't see the point of her revising for GCSEs she won't be sitting. One of her chosen A Levels is Politics so I've told her to see what books she needs for y12 and I'll buy them now.

I've tried to get her involved in family stuff with me and her brother but she point blank refuses. The only time I get any interaction is when I've taken her phone off her, but then that causes a huge row. All of which upsets 7yo who is really struggling with the new way of life and is very unsettled.

So I've been leaving her to her own devices in an attempt at reverse psychology. I want her to get so bored that she will eventually come down and get involved in something. If that doesn't work I will be getting strict with her in the next couple of weeks.

My OH has been making his DD (also 16) do housework! Unheard of for her but she's so bored she's doing it. She's not decided which college she's going to or what she's studying so it's housework or nothing.

Every day I'm relieved that my DC are grown up now. DD1, at 15/16, would have abseiled out of an upstairs window to make sure she saw her (then) BFF!

...though we didn't have any social media then, she just racked up a fortune on phone bills.

DD is pretty much just lounging in bed watching Disney +. She proudly informed me she had watched High School Musicals 1-3 in one sitting the other day 🙄 she does walk the dog every other day or so and I’ve informed her from tomorrow she needs to start reading a book. I got this look 🤨.

Her school have not set any work although I hear there are plans to send stuff out after Easter for A-Level related subjects. As I understand it (and certainly DD’s schools understanding is) work done after 20th March should have no bearing on outcomes. I really hope that is A) True and B) enforced as there seems to be such disparity across the country.

Wrong completely agree with you regarding the home gcse work having no bearing on outcomes. I have read plenty of threads on here about year 11's being set work since the 20th March, submitting it and being told that it will help make decisions about their grades. Yet some schools have set zero work.

Ds's last lessons and last 'proper' learning for his gcses was the 18th March. He went into school the next day and spent most of it going to assemblies or with teachers not actually teaching as there was no point. At 3pm that day the head told them that he didn't want them in for the Friday, that they were leaving year 11 in half an hours time and to not continue with revision. Ds has not touched any gcse work since as its unlikely he will want to retake and he also struggles hugely with home study.

My eldest dd is 15. She's cracking on with the home learning that school have set, she loves school though so I hadn't expected an issue with that.
She's also working her way through all the content on disney plus, eating all the snacks and having two showers most days 🤷‍♀️. It's been lovely to see her spending more time with her little sister, they've laughed and actually played together without bickering so I'm loving that.

She's so far been very motivated. Mix of studying/instruments/exercise/cooking/doing things with her sister.

My DS’s school has given Y11 pupils work saying it could be used towards teacher assessment. However, it is a private school so maybe it is trying to justify its fees for next term. I suppose it will also help students who want the option of sitting GCSEs in the winter term. I would imagine that would be very difficult if you have had 6 months off from school work.

Ofqual and JCQ haven't told schools yet what they're going to use to work out grades, so those schools that are getting your Yr 11/ U6 DC to continue with work on this basis are doing it based on a "just in case" scenario. As teachers, we've just been told to ensure that all non-examined assessment components are completed but not to set work above and beyond what we'd normally give as revision, etc.

Yr 12 DS is continuing working hard on his A Level subjects and online teaching is happening, but he's pretty despondent about his curtailed social life. Never thought I'd be so grateful for technology!

No work set for my year 11 DD. She is mainly " self isolating" in bed watching films , you tube , social media etc. Occasionally comes out for food, persuaded her to walk dogs, play with younger siblings a couple of times. And shes dyed her hair purple!

Would love some advice with my 15 year old boy. He has a girlfriend who they broke up about 4 months ago. Phew that was a sigh of relief we thought as this girl plays massive minds games with him. Threaten to cut herself if he broke up with her. Once when she knew he had had enough she told him one of his friend had raped her. Then in January even though they had been spilt up for 3 months she told his mates she was pregnant.
Biut now they are back together and her mother told them that he could move in there so they could see each other during lockdown. This was after her mother and I had been texting and agreed that they could go for walks together once a day keeping to social distancing. She didn't tell me just told them and she is now telling them that he is welcome to stay permanently which of course he wants to. There are no boundaries there or rules whereas here there are. It's breaking my heart as he has said why would he want to come back here. What can I do I'm so worried about him and what seeds are being planted in his head. Thank you