Hopes and Dreams

Do you remember the first time you saw a picture of your `Eleven Plus Child’? Do you remember the excitement and wonder as you looked at the results of the first scan? Can you remember taking photocopies of the of the pictures so you could send them all over the world? Grandparents, best friends, family - in fact any one and every one who may or may not be interested.


This all took place around eleven years ago. In all that time you have hoped that everything would be all right. You will have prayed that there would be no major illness or sickness. You will have worked hard to be able to provide food and shelter as well as a warm and loving environment. As a parent you will have had a wealth of hopes and dreams.


At the time of the first scan you is unlikely that you would have been able to work out your child’s disposition or even ambition to work. Your fierce determination to do as well as possible to educate your child will have sustained you over the years.


You will have winced every time your child has been hurt. You will have taken to heart every single piece of warranted praise - and hated every unsought for comment. You will have repeated the positive comments - and rejected any that were adverse and uncalled for.


You will have agonised over which eleven plus papers to buy. You will have worried about stories about one set of papers being harder than others. You will have done research and investigation into methods of teaching. At times you will have longed to interfere but will have held back for fear of compromising the situation.


In all this time you will have been a parent - just doing the best you can. But, and there is always a but in life, the pleasure and excitement you feel is nothing to the thrill that you will be giving to your parents as they think of a grandchild. You have thrown down a marker with your first scan. And as the eleven plus results come in - for better or for worse - just be thankful that you have been able to have had the roller-coaster ride of being a parent.