A Parents’ Guide To A Levels

 If your child’s looking to go to university the most common way is studying A Levels either at a Sixth Form College or through the high school they’re currently at. 

It’s a huge change from their GCSEs and they’ll need more of a helping hand as they go through them, which is why parents should be clued in. Here’s a guide to A Levels from this Sixth Form College in Hampshire.

They’re a much bigger jump from GCSEs

While GCSEs are a challenge for young students, there’s a much steeper hill to climb when they reach A Levels. Your children should be prepared for such a big jump when they start the first year and choose subjects that they have a defined interest in that they know they’ll excel in. 

Look at A Level specifications

Take a look at what’s expected of each student when they take a subject at A-Level. This will give your child a gauge of how much they should be prepared for when they begin studying. Past exam papers and subject specifications from exam boards will help with this; there are a few different exam boards that your child may encounter so make sure they’re looking up the correct curriculum.

Don’t completely abandon the work your child did on their GCSEs

In parts, the curriculum for A-Levels will directly lead from what students learn in their GCSEs. It’s tempting to get rid of all the revision work after you’ve finished it and got the grades you wanted, but at least keep the work from the subjects you’re going to continue studying.

Get a headstart - start revising!

Your child will have a big break from their GCSEs before starting A-Levels and they deserve the chance to have time off. However, having 2 weeks head start with a bit of revision of what they learnt for GCSEs will take the load off when they return to school or college, and be a kickstart to their confidence.

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Pretty flowers, swimming and lazy days

School is officially over for the summer and we're still homeless.

We have been staying at Jon's parents whilst the boys were still at school but now we have ventured down to London to stay with my parents until we can move into the new house, which hopefully will be in a couple of weeks.

In the run-up to the holidays, I had to do a bit of running around getting bits of the information to the estate agents and whilst doing so I found the cutest little sweet shop in Downham market called Mabels, so I treated us all to a couple of bags of pick a mix.

Bea also had her first dip in the swimming pool which she really enjoyed, but I couldn't keep her in for too long as the sun was too hot and I didn't have her UV suit as that's packed away, I have since managed to buy one from Sainsbury's, so once we're back at the in-laws ill be able to use it. 

Bea also had a little playdate with my friends and one of their younger sons.

She wasn't too fussed, but it was nice to get out of the in-laws and see some of my friends.

Just before we headed to my mums I went and had my hair cut and coloured.

I can't really rave about my haircut experience as it wasn't all that great, my hair looks nice enough and all the dead ends are gone but just wasn't what I really wanted, but I did get some nice bumble & bumble treats to use.

The boys have all started doing martial arts on a Saturday rather than twice throughout the week due to the move, so Jon and I get two hours with Bea to do as we please, so last week we went for coffee at the Norfolk Deli Cafe and we were really impressed with their new flower wall.

I've been buying some nice little bits for the new house, I really can't wait to do Bea's room!

There are just so many nice bits on Etsy, I've had to put my card away to stop me from buying it all.

We took the boys to Sculthorpe nature reserve last Sunday for a stroll and it was lovely, it was nice getting some fresh air and seeing the boys off their consoles and looking at nature.

Unfortunately we couldn't peel Noah away so he stayed with Jon's parents.

                                                                                                   

I'm hoping to do a few trips into London whilst we're here, it's just a case of planning it and making sure I have someone around to lend a hand as Jon is still in Norfolk working.

 

Tips for Discussing Peer Pressure with Your Child

Your child may be pressured in beneficial ways, like trying a new activity for the first time or joining a club with friends they know. 

But there are also other ways your child can be pressured into doing things that worry parents often - skipping a school lesson, cheating on a school test or even more extreme things such as alcohol or shoplifting. 

The teenage years are turbulent for a lot of parents, but there are healthy ways to approach your child and have conversations with them about things you’re worried about.

 

Here are some ways to talk to your child about peer pressure and strategies to overcome them from this independent school in Hertfordshire.

Talking to your child

There are a few ways to approach this situation. Start by talking calmly to your child about their feelings. When you’re a teenager a lot of emotions can be at play, but allowing your child to be able to express themselves freely will help you understand them too. 

It’s important to acknowledge your child’s feelings regardless of what you may feel about them.

 

Knowing your child’s friends will help you gauge what interests they have and what your child might also sway towards in time. 

Invite them over for a sleepover or for dinner to better understand their relationship with your child and encourage honest but relaxed conversations. 

Your child will also appreciate you taking an interest in their lives.

Strategies

Pay attention to your child’s thoughts and feelings. Sometimes they may come home reserved or upset about something and run-up to their bedroom. 

This is when you should come to their aid and ensure you can identify your child’s feelings.

 

Model conversations that encourage your child to say no. Show that saying no is an acceptable response to a situation that they’re not comfortable with. 

Practice saying no with your child and praise your child for making healthy and responsible choices when they’re identified.

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How to Raise a Resilient Child

With a pandemic, huge changes to normal life and plenty of common struggles in school for your child to tackle - it can admittedly be a lot for them to handle. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a curveball for a lot of children if they’re not able to be resilient and focused, but with that and other stresses in life, it can be difficult without proper direction.

 

In this guide, we look at ways to develop resilience in your child, courtesy of this prep school in Hertfordshire.

Teach your child to recognise feelings

When children can name and describe their emotions, they’re more likely to connect these feelings towards strategies that will make them become more focused individuals. Speak to them about these feelings and suggest ways that they can combat negative thoughts or emotions. Examples of ways to handle emotions are meditating, doing exercise, going for a walk or helping around the home - activities that distract the mind.

Build a supportive relationship with your child

Promote a positive environment for your child so that they feel comfortable and more likely to open up to you if they feel upset or have a number of conflicting thoughts. Show them that it’s okay to be upset about things but also encourage openness between each other. The more you encourage this, the better your child will be at handling different situations.

Show your child coping strategies

At some point, your child will struggle with something where you’re unable to help. In these situations, it’s wise to practice coping mechanisms. Having a series of strategies in your child’s bank can be used to refer to when they’re handling bouts of stress or feeling overwhelmed will help when you’re not around. Suggest going for walks, take part in regular sports activities and extracurricular activities to help test their social skills and handling areas of conflict. Remind them to access these when they’re in distress, but also show that you’re a phone call away should they need you.

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Helping Your Child Settle Into A New School

A new school awaits your child and so does a whole range of nerves, new students, different subjects and teachers to get used to. 

Whether they’re changing schools in-between years or advancing to high school it can be a daunting prospect that can be made easier if there are a few changes made at home. We’ve teamed up with an institution that specialises in International Education to provide a few ways you can help your child as a parent.

Make the school drop-off easy on them

When they’re younger the school drop-off should be as stress-free as it can be. Arriving 10 minutes early may help your child manage the struggle of dealing with hundreds of other parents and children arriving at the same time. Alternatively, say goodbye to them from home and let them go with a friend or a relative to drop them off if they associate home with being safe and secure. 

Take the pressure off them when they’re at home

With your child being a bit more stressed when they go to a new school, they may be acting differently when they’re at home. This could be because they’re venting out anger or general stress from school - allow this at your own discretion. 

They could be holding in a lot of emotions from their first few weeks at a new school and until they settle in they may be reacting differently. The key is to be a bit more lenient when this happens until they begin to get used to their new routine.

Keep an eye on their routine

There are a few changes to their morning schedule, but the foundations will still be there. Check in to make sure your child’s having enough sleep, going to bed at the right time and is feeling well in the mornings. 

Food is also integral too; you may be worried if your child starts to eat less but try to give them some pick-me-ups throughout the day instead - like adding their favourite snack to their lunchbox.

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5 whole months of Bea

5 months already!!

Where is the time going?

5 whole months of exclusively breastfeeding Bea, the longest I've ever made it with any of the kids!

it's now like second nature, on the odd occasion ill get a sore nipple but otherwise, we are all good.

She has found her voice recently and loves to use it, she will chat away to anyone who will listen and if no one wants to, she'll only get louder. Her little personality is really starting to shine through.

She's very cheeky.

At the moment she loves nibbling away at her toes, and she has nearly mastered sitting up unaided.

She can last a minute before she faceplants the floor.

Bea is a proper little bumblebee and loves being outside and looking at all the flowers and hearing the birds tweet away.

We bought Bea her highchair this week, it was something we were going to do once we'd moved but now that's not happening and we are stuck at Jon's parents for a while we decided we just get it as she is pretty much ready to start her weaning adventure.

I love Cosatto so I went with the Heidi design as it suits her bumblebea (see what I did there?!) nature!

Pretty flowers for my little wildflower.

Along with the fab designs, Cosatto do they also come with a four-year guarantee!!

We had a hand-me-down Cosatto highchair for one of the twins and then that went on to be used with Ru and it never ever broke so I know Bea is in good hands with her own one.

I think Bea is ready for weaning now, so in the next couple of days, I'll be starting her messy journey.

She still isn't the best at sleeping but we are getting there, little achievements of being able to put her down in her crib or on the bed for her naps or at bedtime are getting longer and she seems a bit more content without being in my arms constantly.

Things are at a bit of a stand still as we are crammed into Jon's parents and there isn't much room but I would love to get her a bouncearoo as I'm pretty certain she would love that!

Any recommendations on a good one would be helpful.

xxx

 

Nightmare.

 We were due to move to our forever home last Wednesday.

We exchanged and completed on our home last Tuesday.

Tuesday morning we were informed the seller of our new house killed himself!

We were made homeless.

I'd lost my favourite home, a house I wasn't even keen on selling.

We were only moving to be closer to Jon's work and have an extra room for Bea.

Now we have no rooms for anyone.

We left our beautiful home in a whirlwind of stress and pain, Jon was going to dig up my roses and peonies that I planted after the miscarriages we suffered but he didn't have time and totally forgot.

Now the heartache I have at the thought someone may dig them up and chuck them away slowly kills me inside.

We have been fortunate enough for Jon's parents to squeeze us into their home, helping to keep the boys at school, even though I had arranged brand new schools for them which they should have been starting today.

We have been on a brand new house hunt and luckily had another offer accepted, but they haven't got anywhere to move into yet and it's not a house that I fell in love with when I first saw it, I know it has the potential to be amazing and I am looking forward to doing it up but with the stress haze over my eyes I am finding it difficult to become excited.

We've tried to look for rented accommodation but there's nothing around!

We have only been out of our house for 5 days and I'm missing it terribly.

I hate seeing all our life packed up in boxes that have no date to when they'll be unpacked.

I hate feeling we are getting in the way.

I really hate the fact that someone killed themselves and we're a factor in it!