Hi Chalke5, Many thanks for sharing your experience! I greatly appreciate it! I think my 16 year old is debating the option that your son has chosen too. He is in year 10 and is looking forward to next year when he can focus on what he is interested in. He has a very high IQ and is very good at filtering out! I presume that makes our boys good at sports. However, education prefers the all rounders and those who comply easily and get on with what the authorities and the curriculum demands. So fingers crossed for next year as it will be the make or break for us too.. I think I have settled now with the thought as I know doesn't matter what career they get into in life! As long as they take it seriously, I'm sure they will excel in that too. ... View more

He is in the national squad and he loves it. He does a variety of exercises that he loves doing. He is in control 100% on what he engages with and what he doesn't. There is no physical burn out at all, it's all psychological with him and lack of motivation at the moment.   Hi Beingme2017,   The issue he is going through is similar to that we have after a holiday when we just can't find our places. He achieved his goal, he's got the reward for it, worked hard for it too, now it's all over and he just finds difficult to get over it. From a really high he is just nowhere at the moment and he just cannot make himself interested on writing an essay on something that is just given to him for a sake of practicing essay writing. I'm trying to motivate him from all directions, then he tries it but soon shifts away and again nothing gets down on the paper. Being 16 doesn't help either, I guess.    To reply your question on his academic results, they were a bit lower in the last term, but he was very ill as well for 6 weeks just before and during the exams. So I expected that. Luckily this year they aren't as important then they will be in the next two years. ... View more

Hi Tom-Ro,   I haven't received any reply to my e-mail. However, my e-mail was a follow up to the one I received from school congratulating him on his recent high level international result. I asked the teacher how the school can help supporting him, but I think this is something that they don't want to hear!  ... View more

Hi, I'm new in this community!   1. We have a 16 year old son and two adult daughters. They do make us laugh when we have a relaxed chat. Just normal jokes or teasing, pointing out bad habits on us sometimes.   2. We have been dealing with stress differently across the ages. When they were younger we explained things a lot to them but also felt sometimes that it was ok to show them that they actually did upset us. When they got older, we tried to be funny about stressy situations until they turned around and told us that we were sarcastic. Can a parent ever win? Now with our son it varies as he learnt from watching us trying to smooth the atmosphere and he knows what to do to spark a telling off to which, he can let out his anger. We try to be assertive and sticking with our values as a family. There is no negotiation on that one. On the rest we try not to say anything just to listen. I also try to tell him as often as possible that being reactive is a learnt behaviour (and not a good one!) from a younger age on both the children and the parents' sides which needs to be adjusted and corrected. It seems to be working for us at the moment.   3. It's nice to be able to share thoughts, experiences and problems with others who are going through similar issues.   4. It's a passing phase! They turn to their opposites for about 5 years but then they come around again! We went through some tough time with the girls and they all turned out absolutely fantastic in every ways by the end! So take a deep breathe and try the go through it by keeping in the mind not to say or do those things that you would regret when they face you with them in their 20s or when they will have kids! Rather bite your lips. :)   5. Lots of sleep and planning our own lives, not theirs.  ... View more