Anyone else not sleeping?

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Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by Amber »

Rob Clark wrote:
We all compare ourselves with our peers and if the peers are only interested in make-up, boys and becoming a pop star then that is what our DC's will want to become. Follow the crowd and all that.
Anyone who thinks this only happens at an upper school or a Comprehensive is, I fear, going to be in for a rude awakening. Following the crowd happens just as much at GSs as it does at any other school. Better to show a child ways of dealing with this than try to avoid the issue.
Well quite. If you had read the article 'Rise of the teenage clone dolls' by Janice Turner in the Times recently, and had sat outside one of our local superselective GSs at tip-out time, you would have thought 'ah yes, there they all go' - same straightened hair, heavy foundation, implausible eyelashes, tiny skirts, giggling round the boys...
Tinkus-Pinkus
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2013 4:22 pm

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by Tinkus-Pinkus »

Amber wrote:
Rob Clark wrote:
We all compare ourselves with our peers and if the peers are only interested in make-up, boys and becoming a pop star then that is what our DC's will want to become. Follow the crowd and all that.
Anyone who thinks this only happens at an upper school or a Comprehensive is, I fear, going to be in for a rude awakening. Following the crowd happens just as much at GSs as it does at any other school. Better to show a child ways of dealing with this than try to avoid the issue.
Well quite. If you had read the article 'Rise of the teenage clone dolls' by Janice Turner in the Times recently, and had sat outside one of our local superselective GSs at tip-out time, you would have thought 'ah yes, there they all go' - same straightened hair, heavy foundation, implausible eyelashes, tiny skirts, giggling round the boys...
Mmmm...home schooling is beginning to sound quite attractive!
poohbear
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 7:56 pm

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by poohbear »

that poppy stuff sounds good, I have been on nytol or sometimes night nurse although that makes you feel drowsy next day. I can get to sleep fine but wake too early :( six more days...... a hot toddy - heavy on the whisky is very good too!

on the subject of comps - they do their best but its just not the same, I speak from experience of both. The whole feel and culture of the two schools is just so different - I felt intimidated at the comp by some of children there and the feeling that it was not cool to work hard. At the grammar the children seem so much nicer and have a much better work ethic, they want to learn. and that is why I can't sleep at the moment......... :?: :shock: :shock: I could not bear to think of ds going to the comp .... so fingers crossed.
Dande
Posts: 58
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:21 am

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by Dande »

I am not having trouble going to sleep (wine assisted!!) - but wake between 3 and 4 - and the first thing I think about is results day... :x
FLG
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:30 pm

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by FLG »

Ha I can vouch for the grammar girls. I went to Burnham grammar and as there were more affluent families it just meant we had more booze, parties etc! The nannies were easily swayed on party nights and the parents particularly naive when the straight a students gave their word! The very clever kids didn't need to try hard while the others were catching up and what did we do, plan parties and sing pop songs ;)
Now this is what scares me!! My DC is so young and innocent and I don't want him to grow up!
FLG
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:30 pm

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by FLG »

Oh and I was in with the computer guys and girls! God knows what the A Groups were up to! That's what we called the popular and athletic ones :/ curse my bad coordination and glasses
scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by scary mum »

FLG wrote:Ha I can vouch for the grammar girls. I went to Burnham grammar and as there were more affluent families it just meant we had more booze, parties etc! The nannies were easily swayed on party nights and the parents particularly naive when the straight a students gave their word! The very clever kids didn't need to try hard while the others were catching up and what did we do, plan parties and sing pop songs ;)
Now this is what scares me!! My DC is so young and innocent and I don't want him to grow up!
Was this a while ago? The vast majority of pupils at Burnham would not count as affluent. There are Bucks grammars with a very affluent catchment, but Burnham isn't one of them - it's one of the things I like about it. Of course there are parties & drinking, but that's not grammar school related.
scary mum
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by southbucks3 »

I felt intimidated at the comp by some of children there and the feeling that it was not cool to work hard. At the grammar the children seem so much nicer and have a much better work ethic, they want to learn.[quote][/quote]


My son steps outside the doors of his gs, into the harsh reality of High WYcombe and my husband and i have often discussed his inability to comprehend how different real life is from the bubble we have created for him.

My closest friends daughter goes to a succesful 95% 5 a-c and 60% a-c core comprehensive kn north bucks, she also does athletics club after school with a whole social mix of children, she does encounter some harsher characters, but she is a well rounded lovely girl, who is far better at communicating with people than many i know who go to gs. I hate the way that the enforced grammar school system in south bucks splits children apart not just on intelligence, but social background. The first time I encountered people who were not educated to within an inch of their lives, was when at uni i got a temporary summer job in a plastics factory. I cringe at what they must have thought of me, wandering around the shop floor and ever so nicely asking for quality control data.

Oh dear, perhaps we should all listen to "common people" by jarvis cocker and pulp for a quick reality check.
Last edited by southbucks3 on Sun Oct 06, 2013 1:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
FLG
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 1:30 pm

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by FLG »

Ah yes quite a while ;) I'm sure with good family structure and love the kids are all sensible.
scary mum
Posts: 8841
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Anyone else not sleeping?

Post by scary mum »

FLG wrote:Ah yes quite a while ;) I'm sure with good family structure and love the kids are all sensible.
I very much doubt it :lol:
scary mum
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