NotaPushyMum.Com

3-4 months of summer schools?
DS gets 6 weeks... How many weeks does your DD get?

Katymac - Maybe your DD could ask one of the summer schools that she has attended in the past if she could go along for work experience this time?

Paulears - your description of conditions at holiday villages made me shudder - but I know exactly what you mean. Thanks for the warning.

Deb x

She will finish GCSEs in late May/early June & (hopefully) start college in September

I run a nursery from home & school holidays are fairly tricky

Good idea about summer schools -- I'll have a think

I would have thought that after a year of auditions, studying and taking GCSE's your dd should use that time to take a well earned rest. Especially if she is successful and taking up a full time place in September!!

I know dd's friends who started full time dance training in September are finding it exhausting.

Yes that sounds like a good idea. Im completely exhausted reading this threat. Phew its time for bed I think

I would advise getting an ordinary job. It would earn useful cash (living in London is very expensive) and also give your DD a taste of non performing employment. Very useful for CV when getting jobs for 'between' jobs

Kitschqueen - A rest is a lovely idea; but unless she is prepared to spend the entire summer in her bedroom it's unlikely to happen. She is too young for me to employ her; there is no-where in the house she can 'be' other than her bedroom (her dad is medically retired & sits in the lounge; the rest of the downstairs space is my work).

Welshmum - the jobs (paid for jobs) round here are few & far between; for adults as well as teenagers. She could maybe see about a job on the sea front at Yarmouth but tbh that would be as bad (if not worse) than a holiday camp. At least with voluntary work it's easier to walk out.

This isn't the thread for it but it is difficult for her because I chose my job & I chose where we live; she just has to live with it. This half-term she only has a day & a half at home; we will both struggle with that & she is looking for somewhere else to be

I sympathise as we also live out in the sticks, buses every 2 hours that take an age to actually get anywhere, and last bus at 5.00, 30 min drive to station......nothing in village except 2 pubs and golf club

However as my DD is currently ding call centre, catering and promo work (and where almost ALL the other employees are out of work actors - those that aren't are from europe) then I am glad she did a few ordinary jobs before. We just about managed it with lifts etc

Could she train as a Lifeguard? My older dd has completed her training and starts work soon. It's a National Qualification and looks good on a CV as it includes First Aid training (including Defib) and is a really responsible job.
Mind you, still stuck with ideas for younger dd (not keen on timed swimming) and she doesn't get Study leave so won't finish school until the end of June. I might ask our local dance schools as they might have work for her in assisting with running Summer Schools Jobs in retail are few and far between where we live with up to 500 applicants for each job

Katymac You could contact the County Council about whether there are any opportunities for Inclusive Dance. Some counties have Youth Dance groups for disabled and non disabled dancers to work together. This is what my DD does and she loves it. It has been an excellent experience and has helped her to think about dance in different ways and to work with young people with Down Syndrome and other disabilities. They are now her close friends too. I highly recommend it. This type of thing might be more valuable than holiday camps. Dance England or some other agency might have useful contacts. DD first got involved in this via a summer school a few years ago which was extremely reasonable in price but not residential though. Other opportunities might be at something like children's holiday clubs which many schools/councils now run or places like PGL activity hols for kids.

The issue might still be transport though Katymac and I know that can be a massive problem if it is not frequent. It really annoys me that 16-18 year olds have to pay adult fares on transport too. My 16 yo isn't earning and is no different to my 14 yo in that way but the fares and fees for loads of things are suddenly adult prices. Anything your DD does locally will mean her getting to and fro from it.

I also think that getting a "normal" paid job is a good idea, shop, café etc My older DD got a temp job doing the NEXT sale when she finished her GCSEs and that was ok - only a weeks work but would take up one of her weeks and get her out of the house and with other young people. A paid job would mean being able to save for college and I think Welsh mum is right - it's good to be able to turn your hand to earning if dance jobs are not flowing.

Ballet Cymru is a very reasonable priced summer school in Newport and accommodation for the older ones is in the local uni (but not sure if might have to be 18 to board) It runs for 2 weeks.

How about NYMT or YMT which is in the summer? (costly I know but you might be able to fund raise for it which is what we will do if DD got in)

Sorry to go a bit off original topic but on that subject the advice is good. Nigelben your DS might just have needed more time to adjust to college being very different to school. It can be a bit odd at first I think. I must say DD on BTEC totally loves it though.