Anyone else on the edge of a nervous breakdown?! ;-)

[Maddiebean]

My daughter who has previously been aceing practice papers has completely lost the plot. Low scores, confidence gone, tears and self doubt. I don't know what to do.
I veer from confidence boosting speeches about her ability and my absolute surety she can pass to being cross and saying stop being so silly and get on with it <bad parenting I'm sure but sometimes sympathy seems to inspire more tears where no nonsense stops them>

I have kept a light touch this summer (one of each paper per week, no tutor, no mock tests, no courses) compared to what I know other people are doing, to avoid exactly this situation. Total failure! So what now?

I hate this system.

Any advice welcome.

Thanks.

[doodles]

My honest advice is to either have a complete day off and go and do something fun or do a really easy paper so she does well and then go and do something fun for the rest of the day. It really sounds as if you need to go and do something together that isn't 11+ just for a few hours.

[Dande]

Hiya

My child seems to have gone off the boil a bit too. Apparently it's quite common, because they get bored of the same sort of questions again and again.

Being told that didn't help my stress levels at all - but I've stopped testing. Working through 10 minute tests together is making it more fun.

My child has proved she's got what it takes, I don't want to overdo it and make her concentrate less during the test.

I can't wait for this all to be over!

[mystery]

Are the tests she is finding hard much harder perhaps? Or covering topics she hasn't much experience of? They are not all the same by any means, even in a book like Bond where you expect them to just get gradually harder as the book continues and introducing new topics little by little. And GL practice papers pack 2 are in general harder than GL practice papers pack 1.

[Maddiebean]

She's doing Susan Daughtrey verbal, first past the post non-verbal and whatever I can find for maths.
FPTP ones seem really hard but then I'm useless at non-verbal.

We are doing lots of nice non-11+ things in between and not doing it every day. I don't really think we can do less unless we just stop altogether!

It's just misery all round. She's doing Newstead too so it won't even be over when the 11+ is done, another 2 weeks after that. Ruddy Newstead

Thanks for the advice all.

<Supportive group hug>

[mystery]

If you are doing the kent test why aren't you doing gl assessment practice papers?

[Maddiebean]

She's done all the GL assessment ones. We'll revisit them next week or two. The one's I've mentioned on here are ones this forum have recommended as suitable additional material for the Kent test.

She's historically done well on the GL ones so hopefully they will be a confidence boost next week if we get over this bump in the road.

[mystery]

Maybe just concentrate on the weak topics that you identify from the gl assessment papers as these represent the real stuff in kent this time round, probably for the last time.

[NicJAcorn]

Can sympathise with you Maddiebean, and I wonder if maybe focus has been lost by being on summer break ? My DD was focused earlier in the year and seemed to concentrate well, but during the summer holidays has been stuggling a bit. She will be keen to work, but within a small amount of time she is distracted and looking out of the window. I am hoping that going back to school will now help to re-focus.

Will be so relieved when the tests are done, we are planning a ceremony of burning papers on the bonfire !

[Ladymuck]

Now they're back at school there is too much other stuff getting in the way! Not sure that DS is having any last minute wobbles, but I might be!