With four children aged between 14 and 21, this month of June has been pretty intense as far as exams go. Each of my crowd has had, or is having important end of year exams to deal with.
You may think that would mean a studious atmosphere, heavy with stress and anxiety, but no matter how hard I try, it would appear that my kids are unflappable! I'm not blowing my own trumpet here, I don't think I have much to do with this; it seems more of a generation thing ... or maybe we were all like that as teenagers?!
But this morning one of my girls took the whole "don't stress mama" bit to a new level ... to hitherto unexplored territory .... let me explain. And before you get worried, I have had her permission to tell you this! ...
But this morning one of my girls took the whole "don't stress mama" bit to a new level ... to hitherto unexplored territory .... let me explain. And before you get worried, I have had her permission to tell you this! ...
Mademoiselle had her first written exam for her French Baccalaureat today. This is a Pretty Big Deal. The French system offers very little opportunity to try your hand out at exams, so it was practically a first. The Baccalaureat are the French end-of-high-school exams and are spread over two years.
We decided last night that we'd be leaving extra early this morning, the exam was at 8.30am, so it would be good to be there at least 20 minutes ahead of time. Sounded good, controlled, planned ... reassuring.
Mademoiselle had a good breakfast, triple checked her ID papers and off we went.
On the way to school in the car she was exchanging text messages with her friends "wow, they're already there! Why do they want to be there before 8, they're mad" ....
Can you see where this is going?
A few minutes later, just before 8, she reads another text ..... "weird ... why are they going into the exam room already?!"
I chime in, a sinking feeling in my stomach "Honey, please don't tell me the exam is at 8 and not 8.30!"
She pulls out the exam register paper from her bag, "wow, that's so weird, it's at 8, why didn't anyone tell me?!!"
pause for a few long deep breaths ......
We cruised into the school car park at 4 minutes past 8, having broken most speed limits en route and taken a bus lane down the last section of the road. She jumped out of the car, blew me a kiss, and said "don't worry mummy, it will be fine, love you!" and off she went.
I watched her speed into school, long blonde hair in the wind, legs up to her armpits, beautiful and happy. Yup, happy and - all things considered - remarkably calm and together. I sat in the car thinking "where did my little girl go, who only five minutes ago was setting off for her first day of kindergarten?!"
Four hours later she emerged smiling and still happy, content with her exam, the lateness put down as something silly but not life-threatening. I guess she's right.
So with all this rambling, I just wanted to say that I think our kids are part of a generation that will deal with pressures we never imagined. They need to be strong, they need to be stress resistant, and they need to know how to stay happy and smiling whatever life throws their way.
I wish the best of luck to all those sitting end of year exams - may you live out your dreams, and look forward to a wonderful life ahead of you, no matter which path you go down. And you know what? turning up five minutes late to an exam - in the grand scheme of things - is really not that dreadful!
photos via Maxppp and google
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