6 month diffidence

[OverEagerDad]

Hey all

Is it normal to start suffering from self doubt on the chances to pass (from a parents pov) with 6 months to go?

OED

[MARC1]

Definitely. I had doubt even 3 months before the test as DS did awful in the online mocks. In the online mocks he was getting around 40% - 55% and this was in the June before the September paper. He was however getting around 70% in his worst subject before the exams when we did the papers you get from CGP or Bond, with c85% to c98% for his better papers. I think the doubt will never go away to be honest. Doing well on the bond papers and cgp papers semi allayed my fears. But you then have the 'joy' of when you get them to retake those you start thinking he only did better as he had done the paper before. From experience I think doing the papers at home and eventually getting consistently over 85% even for retaken papers was a better indicator. In the end for the actual exam he did well in the papers he got high marks in at home and scraped through in the subject which was his worst. Only advice is to persevere and never give up. My DS is intelligent and so thats why we initially went for the 11 plus. Id imagine your child is too. Keep going and theyll be ok in the end. Earlier I said he'd got c85%-98% in his better papers at home. I must add that those similar papers around this time last year ie in March before the September exam, he was getting between 70 - 80%.

[2Socks]

I would say so. Personally, we flitted between 'she'll walk it' and 'why are we putting the family through this?' on a very regular basis!
Treat it as potentially expanding secondary school options rather than being grammar or bust and try to give DC a good amount of practice (seems impossible to judge what is enough but not too much ) and just keep showing DC that you have faith in them.
Also remind them, and yourself, that it's not the end of the world if they don't qualify and that you love them always.

[MARC1]

I would say so. Personally, we flitted between 'she'll walk it' and 'why are we putting the family through this?' on a very regular basis!
Treat it as potentially expanding secondary school options rather than being grammar or bust and try to give DC a good amount of practice (seems impossible to judge what is enough but not too much ) and just keep showing DC that you have faith in them.
Also remind them, and yourself, that it's not the end of the world if they don't qualify and that you love them always.

2 Socks has put it perfectly we too went from 'it'll be ok' to 'why am i putting my son and family through this?' to 'is this for him or is this for me?' to 'the local comprehensive isn't that bad'

[PettswoodFiona]

We always had confidence in our daughter but also knew it would take an ‘off day’ to throw things off course. On the morning of the test of the school she most wanted she woke up with a stinking cold but assured me she was fine to do the test and we ploughed ahead. All turned out fine but even to the last day we had our doubts and always played up the other options in case plan A didn’t work out.

[nyr]

We thought both DC had grammar potential but never assumed it was a done deal. There were backup plans, which included partially selectives, the local academy and, for DD, an indie.

[OverEagerDad]

We are in a lucky position, where the local high school is good, 5 mins walk door to door and DD is more then happy to go (and she is all but guaranteed a place). She is taking it all in her stride, come what may. It’s me that’s turning into a bag of nerves.

OED