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While it’s natural to worry about grades, it’s equally important to focus on supporting your child through the day, whatever the results. 

This guide offers:

• Practical tips during results day
• Emotional support strategies
• Ways to help your teen plan next steps

Breakdown of the day 

Results day is a milestone for both teens and parents, and knowing how it typically unfolds can help everyone feel calmer. 

Schools usually open early, inviting students to collect results in person. Some schools also release grades online, but many teens prefer the shared excitement (and nerves) of being with classmates. 

Expect a mix of emotions, joy, relief, disappointment, or even confusion, and remember that this is normal.

Parents can help by preparing logistics in advance:

• Decide whether you’ll go with your child or give them space.
• Plan a calm breakfast or small treat to start the day positively.
• Agree on a private spot if they want to open results quietly.

Remember, results day is a milestone, not a final judgment. Your presence, reassurance, and calm attitude provide the emotional support your teen will need throughout the day.

The pressure of grade expectation

Leading up to GCSEs, many teens feel immense pressure to achieve certain grades, from themselves, their teachers, or even their parents. This anticipation can be overwhelming and may manifest as irritability, anxiety, or withdrawal. Parents often feel anxious too, worried about what the grades might mean for future options.

It’s essential to acknowledge this pressure without adding to it. Avoid phrases like “You have to get X grade” or comparisons with siblings or friends. Instead, focus on effort: “I’ve seen how hard you’ve worked, and I’m proud of that.”

Encourage open conversation by asking questions like:

• “How are you feeling about tomorrow?”
• “What part of the day do you want me to be there for?”

This validation helps your child feel supported rather than judged, which can reduce stress and build resilience.

How you can support your child

Your role on results day is to be calm, present, and empathetic. Even if their results aren’t what you hoped, your response sets the emotional tone.

Ways to support your teen include:

• Listening first: Ask how they’re feeling before talking about grades.
• Providing comfort: Sometimes a quiet hug or simply being nearby is enough.
• Helping plan next steps: Once emotions settle, help them review options calmly.

Small gestures, favourite snacks, a walk, or a short break, can help diffuse anxiety and make them feel grounded. Remember, your calmness teaches them how to manage big emotions.

Remind them that effort counts too

It’s easy to get caught up in grades, but GCSEs are about more than just numbers on a paper. The dedication, late nights, and resilience your teen showed along the way deserve recognition, regardless of the final outcome. Celebrating effort helps build confidence, reinforces a growth mindset, and reminds your child that hard work matters.

Ways to celebrate:

• Plan a small family treat or favourite meal together.
• Create a “well done” note or personalised card highlighting their perseverance.
• Take a day to do something fun that your teen enjoys, movie night, a walk, or a mini outing.

Even if results aren’t what they hoped for, acknowledging commitment and resilience teaches your teen that success isn’t only defined by grades. It’s about learning, growing, and showing grit, qualities that will carry them far beyond exams.

What next steps might look like

Once results are out, it’s time to think practically. Options vary depending on grades:

• Resits: Some subjects can be retaken for a better outcome.
• Sixth form or college placements: Many institutions are flexible, and there may be alternative courses or pathways.
• Apprenticeships or vocational training: These offer hands-on experience and skills for the future.

Encourage your teen to explore all available paths without feeling rushed. Create a list of options, discuss pros and cons, and check deadlines together.

Tip: Frame any “setback” as a temporary detour rather than a failure. Many students who didn’t meet their first-choice grades go on to succeed in unexpected ways.

Thinking ahead to A-levels 

If your child plans to continue onto A-levels, results day is also a chance to reflect on their subjects and workload. Some students may need to reconsider subject choices if grades limit options, while others might feel ready to tackle more challenging combinations.

• Encourage realistic discussions about strengths, weaknesses, and interests.
• Discuss workload balance: A-levels demand higher independent study, so planning ahead can prevent burnout.
• Explore support systems: tutors, study groups, and teacher guidance can make transitions smoother.

If you’d like to help your child prepare for A-level success, reach out to us, and we’ll connect them to a skilled teacher who’s tailored to their goals. 

Our teachers provide personalised guidance, exam strategies, and ongoing support to help your teen build confidence and achieve their potential. Start the journey today and give your child the tools to succeed.

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In a world where productivity is often glorified, it’s easy to think that filling the summer with tutoring, camps, and enrichment programs is the best way to help students get ahead. But what if the real secret to their growth lies in taking a true break?

Research and real-world classroom observations increasingly show that downtime, especially over summer, is not just a luxury but a necessity. Strategic breaks are essential for children’s mental health, creativity, and long-term academic success.

Here’s why embracing the full value of summer break can be one of the most powerful things parents do to help their children thrive.

The science behind the break

The human brain, especially in developing children, isn’t built for long periods of sustained focus. Just like a muscle, the brain needs periods of rest to function optimally. Studies in neuroscience reveal that after about 45 to 60 minutes of concentration, cognitive performance begins to decline. For younger children, the window is even shorter, often around 15 to 30 minutes.

Breaks give the brain a chance to reset. During this downtime, the brain processes information, consolidates learning, and forms creative connections that aren’t always possible during intense focus. In fact, the default mode network, a set of brain regions that becomes active when we’re not focused on the outside world, is associated with creative thinking and problem-solving.

Creativity: Sparked in the unstructured moments

It’s during these moments of rest that children often come up with their most creative ideas. Whether it’s daydreaming during a walk, drawing during free time, or simply lying in the grass during recess, the unstructured nature of a break allows for cognitive “cross-pollination.” 

Thoughts that seemed unrelated suddenly link together in new ways.

This is especially important in today’s education system, which often emphasises memorisation and standardised testing. Creative thinking, the ability to approach problems in innovative ways, is a vital skill for the future. Giving kids time to explore, imagine, and mentally wander is an investment in their creative development.

Focus: Less is more

Contrary to popular belief, sustained attention isn’t about “powering through.” Instead, peak focus happens when it’s managed in intervals, balanced with short, intentional breaks. Classroom teachers who incorporate short “brain breaks” during lessons often notice improved attention spans and better task performance.

This pattern aligns with techniques used by adults, such as the Pomodoro Technique, where work is broken into intervals with rest periods in between. When students take a short break, whether it’s stretching, walking, doodling, or chatting with a friend, they return to their tasks with renewed energy and sharper focus.

Additionally, for children with attention difficulties, such as ADHD, breaks aren’t just helpful, they’re critical. Studies show that frequent, movement-based breaks can significantly reduce impulsivity and increase on-task behaviour.

Mental health matters

The pressure to perform academically can sometimes lead to burnout, even in young children. Overloaded schedules, minimal downtime, and little opportunity for play can result in:

• Increased stress and anxiety
• Burnout and exhaustion
• Reduced creativity and problem-solving ability
• Poor emotional regulation
• Weakened social skills and relationships
• Lower academic or work performance
• Sleep disturbances

Breaks serve as a buffer, providing space for emotional regulation and mental rejuvenation.

Outdoor breaks, in particular, have been shown to improve mood, reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), and enhance concentration. Nature offers a calming effect that helps students return to the classroom more relaxed and ready to learn.

How parents can support break culture at home and school

As a parent, you play a powerful role in advocating for healthy habits around learning and rest. Here are some actionable ways to support the value of breaks in your child’s life:

1. Encourage brain breaks during homework

Teach your child to study in 25- or 45-minute intervals, followed by a 5- to 10-minute break. Make it fun, get up and dance, play with the dog, or have a quick snack together.

2. Advocate for movement in school

Support policies that protect recess time and promote regular physical activity. If your school is cutting back on break time, speak up, remind administrators that breaks improve both behaviour and academic outcomes.

3. Model healthy break habits

Children mimic what they see. Let your child see you taking breaks, going for walks, or stepping away from screens to recharge. This reinforces the idea that rest is a normal and necessary part of productivity.

4. Prioritise downtime

Not every hour of a child’s day needs to be filled with structured activity. Leave space for free play, daydreaming, and boredom, all of which are surprisingly fertile ground for creative thinking.

5. Reframe breaks as productive

Talk to your child about how breaks help the brain grow and learn. When kids understand why they need to pause, they’re more likely to embrace it rather than see it as a waste of time.

Final thoughts on the benefit of summer breaks

In our fast-paced, achievement-oriented society, it’s easy to overlook the quiet power of taking a break. But when we pause, we give our brains the space to imagine, to reflect, and to grow. By embracing breaks as a necessary part of learning, not a luxury, we set our children up for deeper focus, greater creativity, and lifelong resilience.

So next time your child looks like they’re drifting off mid-homework, or says they need a minute to breathe, take it as a good sign. Their brain is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: getting ready for its next leap forward.

The post How taking breaks boosts creativity and persistency at school appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

I remember a lot of things about being in primary school but one of my fondest memories from the time is the smell of fresh books. I remember the excitement I would get when we’d have to change textbooks once we moved to a higher level and the sheer joy I’d feel when I saw and touched the books. This continued for years and it was one of the most exciting things about advancing from class to class, but maybe I was just a nerd.

Education has evolved since then. Instead of hard-copy books we can touch and smell, many schools now teach pupils and students with e-books using e-lessons on computers and tablets. No doubt, this has made things quicker and more convenient for many teenagers, especially during the pandemic period. It would have been terrible if education had to be put on hold until everyone could attend physical classrooms to hold physical books because there was no other way to learn. Also, from the standpoint of conservatism, it’s more environmentally-friendly, as the less paper is needed for books, the fewer trees will have to be felled to create books.

Clearly, screens have their purpose and sometimes they make learning easier but an abundance of research today shows that just as digital learning has its pros, compared to the traditional method of learning with books, there are just as many cons. For example, when reading on a phone, tablet or computer screen, students have the ability to scroll through information very quickly, word-spot and skim. This helps them to get to the point of the text faster but it also encourages glossing over important pieces of information and this could create gaps in the learning process. It’s not as easy to scroll past important information when you’re reading a printed book. Skimming is still possible but not at the same rate. The truth is that today’s generation of children and teenagers have become experts at scrolling and skimming, not because scrolling takes literally zero effort but because it has become such a routine activity. They scroll when on social media and since they spend a considerable amount of time doing this, it’s practically second-nature to them.

Reduced attention span is also a major factor. Many teenagers have very short attention span and most online content is now geared towards feeding that frenzied consumption of data. Whether it’s the ability to fast-forward video clips or skip ads or simply scroll past information deemed to be irrelevant or boring, teenagers are being taught to be less-focused on the content and more focused on the speed at which they can consume the content so they can move on to the next thing as quickly as possible. This doesn’t help because in most cases, it affects comprehension.

Furthermore, there’s the element of distraction. When reading on a phone or tablet, because there are many other functions of such devices, one could easily get distracted by notifications which may pop-up on the screen. For a teenager already struggling to comprehend a certain text, such a notification will easily steal their attention away from that difficult or boring page and onto something else they may find interesting.

Despite this, it has been argued, that students that use interactive touch screens are more engaged with learning and that this technology improves education. If anything, this proves that the answer to the question of which medium is better for learning is not as clear-cut as we’d like it to be. This means that we cannot simply conclude that print books are better for learning than screens. For certain sets of students, learning with screens that are colourful, stimulating and interesting is more beneficial to them than plain white or brown sheets of papers which they will find boring and hard to concentrate on, let alone learn anything from. Dyslexic children and teenagers usually fall into this category of learners.

At the same time, we cannot cut out all forms of digital learning entirely, it may just be a matter of learning how to read/study with a screen without getting distracted. It may be inevitable especially if their school mandates it. It takes discipline which is a very useful trait for any teenager to have, to succeed in this highly digitalised world.

Here are a few easy steps that can help your teenager overcome the danger of distraction when reading from a screen:

• Don’t Multitask: It’s tempting for a student to think he/she can read a book and browse at the same time. That’s not a good idea. Having multiple tabs open at once that you can easily switch between makes it hard to concentrate while reading.

• Turn off the Internet Connection: For many teenagers, this is a must-do because as long as they have access to the internet while studying, they are never going to concentrate. The temptation to either check social media or browse using the internet browser will be too strong. But if there is no internet connection, there’s no chance of them getting distracted that way. Even if they don’t intend to browse, internet connection = pop-up notifications and this in itself is already distracting enough. Unless of course, they need the internet connection to study or take online lessons. In that case, they will need to be disciplined enough to focus only on the lesson and nothing else. Turning off these notifications is also a good idea.

• Eliminate Stress, Fatigue and Hunger: Even while reading print materials or hard-copy books, these factors could still distract any student, how much more when they have to focus on reading from a screen. Your teenager should ensure they are not sleep-deprived, stressed, tired or hungry while attempting to study digitally, as these things decrease their chances of assimilating the content they read.

• Take Notes: Writing/jotting things down as you read is one of the best ways to make sure you are actively engaging with the material. Reading can easily become passive, but when a student takes on the additional task of jotting down or summarising the chapter being read, this forces the brain to understand what is being read and studying becomes a less passive activity.

• You can always print anything that needs deeper reading: Aside from all that has already been said about screen learning,prolonged reading on screens may have long-term effects on a person’s vision. So, it is advised that if your teenager has to read long texts or texts that require more than one reading, as most texts do, it is better to print it out and avoid the negative effects of protracted screentime. If your teenager doesn’t get very far while reading/studying on-screen for whatever reason, this will definitely solve that problem.

In conclusion, the reality of the education system today is that screens and digital text are here to stay. As the world becomes more technologically advanced, this isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Still, it is best that children have a solid foundation using the traditional method of learning from books. Then as they grow and develop and become more mature, they can graduate to learning with screens. Research after research has shown that reading from books enables students to read slower and comprehend better. In the end, what is most important is that they are able to strike a balance which helps them to effectively comprehend through either method.

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I’m using the word “tribe” here as I struggle to come up with a better word, despite the risk of this word being open to all sorts of interpretations.

In my three or so decades as a teacher in the English secondary education system, for half of which my role also includes being a parent, I’ve never met a single parent who does not care about their child. Every parent cares about their child, it just we do things in different ways to show how much we care. This is a week in which, globally, so many children have been and are still being killed senselessly. No killing is good but killing of children in particular is difficult to justify under any circumstances.  I’ll leave politics to those who are good at it, as I am not one of those. One thing we must do, however, in this part of the world, is not to take for granted  how fortunate we are to live in a relatively safer part of the planet.

Back to the word tribe, I am using this word to describe those of us, who as parents, place great value on the education of our children, as if it is everything.  It isn’t, of course, but it comes close. After health and food, education comes a close third, and I’m not just speaking about academic qualifications alone. In my categorisation, I put safety and shelter under health.  I will shed more light on certain news items with regard  to education in the next part of this blogpost, and, hopefully, that will help you, as a reader, to try and see how I define this tribe of parents.

As is always the case, there has been so much in the news about education recently. Despite the fact that the adverse effect and legacies of things like COVID and the teachers’ strike linger on, they are not so pronounced at present.

The main items of education news in the media at present are about RAAC, post-sixteen qualifications and school attendance. RAAC affects a tiny number of students and school attendance is not much of an issue for this tribe. This is because they are the type who will make sure their children do not miss school unnecessarily; unless they are in intensive care or something close (an exaggeration!) or unavoidable. The post-sixteen issue is something the tribe keeps a close eye on, and whilst good leadership and direction by politicians are helpful, they’re not absolute, these parents will do their own research and choose the option they consider best for their offspring.

I must say there is not necessarily an ethnic connection to this tribe, as I see people from a diverse ethnic groups subscribing to the values that I am speaking about. The people I put loosely in this so-called tribe are represented disproportionally by those of certain ethnic minorities. In my observation, it is in the order of, first,  East Asians – mainly Chinese people, but others as well, followed by South Asians, Africans, Eastern Europeans, Scottish, Irish and English; however, this is a generalisation and not completely accurate.  This should not be too surprising, as non-native (another colloquial phrase!) or foreigners, tend to be over ambitious in any country in the world you go.

Some of the issues that I think are more immediate to people in this tribe, in terms of motivating their teenagers, is getting them to do what I list below.

1. Put sufficient number of hours into their schoolwork – including homework assignments and revision for exams
2. Be better organised
3. Spending less time on their electronic devices – mobile phone; game machines like X-Box, etc.
4. Better sleep – like going to bed earlier…
5. Learning for the joy gaining knowledge, and not just for passing exams
6. Wanting to work, mainly for the purpose of buying more gadgets!
7. Eating healthier

I must stress that I am not speaking here as an expert, as I am not; and I do not have the solution. In my own household, it is an ongoing thing, as we struggle as parents with these matters. We just try to do our best all the time.

I must say that there are other serious matters that are perhaps more important than what I’ve listed above. Things like mental health and other health issues, abuse of drugs or of others or by others and so on. These areas are where I have zero expertise, so I must not try to address them, as this is better left to other people.

Before I conclude this, I’ll quickly mention one main issue which is beyond the control of the teenagers, and, in fact, well beyond the control of we parents. It is that thing which society has not yet decided to address. But, if dealt with, it will not only save money and time, but will make learning and teaching more fun.

I am speaking about the issue of class disruption. The set of behaviours that are acceptable in the classroom vary from school to school. However, in my view the barrier is set pitifully too low. I recently went to cover a sixty-minute lesson at a grammar school, but my reputation in teaching as a disciplinarian teacher did not prepare me for what I experienced in that lesson.

I was utterly appalled and shocked about the behaviour of the teenagers. If this is happening in a grammar school, God, help us. Of course, it is the teacher’s fault that children are badly behaved, as he or she is lacking in classroom behaviour management skills! At least, this is what the people in the profession often say. We like to blame the government on not spending enough and tinkering around the edges on certain issues. Yes, there is some truth in that but until we recognise the adverse effect of classroom disruption, and its impact on better behaved young people, and we are prepared to deal with it, it will only get worse and ruin more lives. This is too big an issue to address here, but I will be doing so in the future.

In the next few blogpost in this series, I will make an  attempt to address each of the seven or so points that I’ve listed above. This is because these are things that we as parents have a chance of perhaps trying to do something about. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not at all an expert and I have no solution to offer as such, I’d just like to highlight and perhaps share some experiences and ideas.

Please do make a comment, as we are trying to share ideas because every parent has something to say about the points I’ve listed above.

The post The Intentional Parent: How to Advocate for Your Child’s Education appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

Following up from my last blogpost…. The notion of fingers not being equal should not be interpreted as some people being inherently better than others as human beings, as that is not only dangerous but untrue. Yes, some of us can do certain things much better than others; each individual has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. The eagle is happier soaring high in the sky whilst looking for its prey. If you want to sit in your lovely garden, around your big pond, and take great pleasure in feeding eagles and watching them waddling about and quacking – like a neighbour of mine used to do with his ducks when I was a child, you will be very frustrated. On the other hand, if you want to get your duck to fly and soar high in the sky so you can watch it in its magnificence like the eagle, you will be extremely disappointed. All the duck wants to do is to quack and waddle, and, in fact, if you push the duck too hard, it may poo on your head!

I do not know if one could apply the analogy of eagle and duck to university students. My recent experience of interviewing and working with young people from Imperial College reminds me of the pleasure I get when I teach Physics to bright seventeen and eighteen year olds, most of whom are much brighter than me. I will restrict myself and not go too much into this, as I may end up overindulging myself. Before I conclude, though, I’d like to explain the second point I made above: nurture and nature, as this leads nicely into it.

Nurture vs Nature

I specifically targeted Imperial College students when I advertised for scholars to do some tutoring over the summer. Not because these are the only bright university students around, as I could have widened the net and targeted students at other institutions. There are young people at less reputable universities who are brighter than many students at Imperial College, but I’m not going to go deeper into this.

What I discovered in my several interactions with Imperial College students is the amount of work they have to do to keep up with their degree course. Despite the fact that I studied a similar degree course to many of these your people, I was wrong in my assumption that although getting to Imperial is hard, but your life become a little easier once you become an undergraduate there.

Almost all the Imperial scholars I spoke to told me that it is harder work to keep up with the rigour and demand at the university than when they were studying for A-levels. I can see that all these young people are bright, of course, as they’ve got at least two A*s at A-level, with a handful of them having gained five A-level grades that include four A*s and one A. Despite this rather impressive academic achievement, the interaction that I had with them, and my experience of teaching A-level Physics to high achieving teenagers since the early 1990s,  tells me that nurture has a greater role to play in achieving academic excellence than nature. Yes, in most cases, bright students get top grades, and there is nothing necessarily too extraordinary about that. At the same time, I’ve seen young people of just above average academic ability getting the very top grades at GCSE and A-level. Sadly, I’ve also seen very bright teenagers drifting about, doing very little study and ending up with low exam grades, and in some cases failing their exams.

I’d just like to clarify one key point, which is that the norm for Excel in terms of the teachers we’ve been working with in the last 19 years is professional teachers. Those who are either teaching full time in secondary schools and working for us part time on weekends or those who are semi-retired, with a vast knowledge and experience in teaching. At the same time, I’ve employed a handful of undergraduates and graduates who are not professionally qualified teachers, but who are exceptional teachers and who have helped the students they taught to achieve highly.

In concluding, I think every human being has something unique to offer; and in most cases it is something that is useful to the marketplace, i.e. something that other people value highly and are  willing to invest heavily in. That thing that each of us has can be brought out in all sorts of ways. For young people, it can be by the parent’s guidance and direction, the inspiration of a good teacher or by the child themselves being very determined and focused.  Last month, my niece got 12 Grade 9s in her GCSE and she is not even aware of how exceptional this achievement is. She is not aware that, in 2022, only 13 students obtained 12 or more Grade 9s at GCSE in the whole country.

In concluding, one has to commend the young people who are doing well and shining in any field of endeavour, be it academic, sport, music dance, or other areas. There are so many distractions these days and those who do well do so by being better at avoiding distractions and focusing on what they need to do to achieve the results they get.

Yes, there is a lot of optimism in the air; and no, fingers are not equal, but everyone has something great to offer. It is hard work for us parents to convince our teenagers of the potential they have, and it is even harder to motivate them to do what they need to do to achieve their best. Thank you for reading this, and please don’t forget to make a comment. I value what you have to say, and you do not even have to agree with me.

The post Leveling the Playing Field: Personalized Learning Strategies for Teenagers appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

Many parents actually enjoy the relative peace and tranquillity now that the children are back at school, particularly when they are working at home.

It’s not only those who work in a school or college who will understand what I mean by optimism in the air at the beginning of a new academic year, parents do too. As a parent, I usually make the point of going with my son and daughter to school on the first day of the autumn term. I often find an excuse to drive them into school on the first day instead of getting them to take the bus!

I do not always admit to it in the staff room, but I’m one of those teachers who actually look forward to the beginning of the new academic year in September. When you see the young people at the start of Term 1, you realise that half of the Y10 students – particularly the boys – are now taller than the average male teacher, as they’ve grown over the summer. This is the result of the refrigerator constantly getting emptied and the croissant you as the parent left on the kitchen worktop disappearing in nanoseconds. But they not only grow physically, they grow psychologically and emotionally too.

The thing that I like most about the autumn term is the optimism in the air. Parents and teachers begin the process of looking into what can be done to help the young person do better than they did in the previous year.  In many cases, they are usually successful in getting the teenager to buy into the plans they have for him or her, at least at the start of the year anyway. For us parents, it is a struggle to get teenagers to adopt a routine and do their schoolwork in the way we recommend. I do not know of any perfect situation where the teenager is completely on board with what the parents think is the best way. In fact, it would be worrying to have a teenager who is completely obedient, as this is not usually a healthy position. The reality is that some teenagers are more compliant than others. They must be allowed to do some thinking of their own, disagree with us on occasions, and even to make mistakes. All these are a necessary part of the growing up process, and within reason it has to be that way.

If you would permit me to share my own experience in the last couple of months with you. In August/early September, I organised what is called summer enhancement for GCSE and A-level, and the sessions were taught by young people I call Scholars. They are university students from Imperial College in London. These sessions were free, so parents did not have to pay, but the undergraduate tutors that taught them were paid at least the going rate for tuition by professional teachers, even though they aren’t. The whole experience taught me so many things that I cannot begin to list, as they are vast. Two, however, are:

a. Fingers are not equal, and we will be deceiving ourselves to even try to pretend they are

b. Nurture plays a bigger part in success than nature.

It is vital that I explain each of these points. The first point in particular needs explaining, otherwise one may sound too elitist, out of touch and perhaps abhorrent…

I will do this in the second part of this blogpost, which will be in a couple of days. Watch this space!

The post The September Spark: How to Improve Academic Performance Through Nurture appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

I don’t know if the summer holiday in your household is any similar to mine?  I’m beginning to get that familiar feeling, that “the anticipation of the summer is sometimes better than the reality of the actual summer”. This is not about the weather in the UK at present, so I’ll do my best not to dwell too much on that. Considering June was all very sunny, we should know better not to expect our good fortune to carry onto July and August.  I am an optimist, and one of those people who try to pretend that the weather doesn’t matter. Of course it does, as the weather alters your mood, even when you try to ignore it. Anyway, it’s a green and pleasant land after all, and the rain certainly helps to keep it that way!

Back to the small matter of teenagers at home in the summer. On the one hand you can’t help thinking that the teenagers haven’t got too long now to leave the nest and fly away into the world, so you want to spend some so-called quality time with them – if there is such a thing. On the other hand, the idea of finding the fridge empty and so much mess in the kitchen all the time can be rather irritating and sometimes exhausting. One solution is to try and get them to do the at least some of the food shopping and   even the cooking. My advice on that is “don’t try this at home” and, if you have to, give them a list and do not give them your card.

I’m beginning to regret slightly my opposition to my 17-year-old getting a job. My wife is more sensible, as she had perhaps foreseen that the fact that the teenager is not working does not necessarily mean they will be spending their time in a productive way. Yes, relaxation is important and it’s good for the teenager to relax a bit, as that is the way to refresh and re-energise. I’m struggling to get both my son and daughter to buy into the idea of spending some of their summer on self-development and a little bit of revision in preparation for the next academic year.

My idea of productive use of time by youngsters is not all about doing schoolwork, as there is more to life. But one would have thought that if the teenager is not working or volunteering over the summer, at least he or she could be spending time learning a new skill or sport or getting involved in some sort of adventure. I don’t think we parents will ever win the battle against our teenagers spending too much time on their devices, but with my son and daughter, one slight compromise is see them cycling to the gym despite the weather, as opposed to asking for a lift all the time.

The other is to see my daughter being more creative in cooking basic food or just preparing food for herself, and what she makes usually looks rather sensible. That’s never been an issue with my son. In fact, it’s the other extreme, as he spends endless time cooking, and I can’t begin to comprehend how much time he spends making pizza.

One thing that I am learning fast is that bringing up teenagers is more of an art than science. It is putting my creativity and negotiation skills to test, but I’m someone who relishes a challenge and I’ll keep trying and we’ll see how it all pans out.

Over the years, I’ve written quite a bit on all sorts of things that teenagers could be doing over the summer to keep themselves productively engaged.  Please see below for links to some of my previous blogs on the issue of teenagers and their summer holidays.

The post Beyond the Screen: How to Spend Quality Time with Teenagers appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.

For me, yesterday was one of those days when events turned out differently than I had planned. I won’t say it is a wasted day necessarily, but I had to invest my time differently from the way I had anticipated, as I decided to go to a university open day with my seventeen-year old son. I had discussed the open day with him the previous evening and he assured me that it was all fine, that he could go with his friends from school. I accepted that decision, as I do not want to be too pushy about asking if I should come with him. In the end, my last minute decision to go with him was something that he appreciated.

I suppose one of the prices we have to pay as a parent is the vulnerability to getting our plans disrupted. I’m not just talking about the teenager eating the last chocolate éclair that I was looking forward to demolishing in my late evening raid!

One of the popular phrases these days when speaking about young people is “follow your passion” and this is often applied to subject choices at GCSE, A-level and all the way to university degree courses. I must say that I agree with that phrase to some extent, but largely, when I hear it, it makes me a little nervous and I’ll explain. Before I explain my scepticism about the notion of following your passion, I must say that I do not think anyone can call themselves successful if they are doing something they hate passionately or have near interest or zero enthusiasm for. No matter how much money or fame they may have doing that thing, doing anything just for the money or just to please other people is the ultimate definition of failure, as life is so short.

Now, let me explain why I think following your passion can sometimes be dangerous and may lead to profound unhappiness later down the line. If you follow your passion and you are not successful in what you do. As for the word success, each person has their own definition of what success means for them. But earning a lot of money or being in the very top bracket of people in your field of work or whatever you do should not be the only thing that constitutes success.

In the week or two leading to the visit to the university open day we attended yesterday, my son had been wrestling with the issue of which degree course he should apply for at university. He has always been leaning on the side of studying something relating to physical sciences and that largely reflects    his subject choice of Physics, Maths and Further Maths. His fourth subject has changed twice since he started A-level last September. He started with History, changed to Economics and he’s now back to History. Three days ago, he was seriously considering going to university to study Economics and he came to me late in the evening to tell me about his decision. Now, while I personally like Economics very much and consider it to be one of the more useful of degree courses, and, depending on the young person’s talent and position and other factors, it may be a good idea to study Economics as a first degree, I am likely to discourage some students from  doing so. Let’s put professional courses such as Law, Medicine and Engineering aside for a moment. I would recommend Maths, Physics, Chemistry and History before Economics as a first degree. After studying any of these seven subjects courses I just listed here, as being above Economics, and even others that I have not mentioned here. One can still go on to do a postgraduate degree in Economics or Business or Management. Yes, even without having studied Economics or business at any level ever before. I must also quickly point out that I also would not usually recommend Law as a first degree, as I am of the view that one is better off studying something else before Law, as it is the university where one obtains the first degree that matters more than the actual degree course, for most courses anyway.

Getting back to where I started, after the open day at Imperial College yesterday, my son is now less sceptical about a Physics degree than he was before going. He was relieved to learn that most people do not go straight from a university degree to get a job in what they have studied. The conversation for the last six or so months has revolved around him not knowing what he wants to do in life, for which I constantly reassure him that it is perfectly normal at this age. The key thing is to develop your talent well and try to study something that gives you more options, especially when you do not know what you want to do. The good thing is that he has a list of about three or four professions that we all know that he is decidedly unsuited to – Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science and Accountancy. The problem is that he likes Economics, Physics and History – in that order – at the moment! The reason why that is a problems is that if you are applying to a competitive university, Physics is on one side, and Economics/History on the other. These are at two opposite ends, and writing a good personal statement that will persuade the admission officer of a good university will be tricky.

Just to conclude on the notion of following your passion, what I say to young people is that it’s good to follow your passion as you are extremely unlikely to succeed in doing something you utterly dislike. However, before you go for your passion, also try to think about   where you want to be in say 10 years’  time. Not only in terms of the job you want to be doing but where you want to be living and perhaps what money you’d like to be earning. No, money is not everything; however, it is more dignifying to earn a decent wage and have more options in life. The other point, which I believe applies to most people, is that not many are so passionate about one particular thing for a long time. For my son, his passion has fluctuated between Maths, History, Politics, Physics and Economics in the last few years. We all go through phases, and what we are passionate about today may not be what we are passionate about tomorrow or in a few years’ time.

Links to related blog posts are below :

The post The Great Debate: Choosing a University Degree: Passion vs Career Prospects appeared first on Excel in Key Subjects.