Eleven Plus Co-operation

How do you know if you are putting too much pressure on your Eleven Plus child?

You may be given an oblique message that your child no longer enjoys school. This could be a message to you to examine how you work with your child. Lessons and Eleven Plus work should contain elements of fun and happiness.

If your child occasionally appears to be cranky and tired – then it may be time to take a little pressure off. Equally there could be a number of reasons for signs of fatigue – staying up too late, for example, could be a more potent force than a parent nagging over an eleven plus paper.

If you child suddenly loses interest in the creative side of his or her life then he or she may feel that these aspects are not being valued as much. There may not be enough time in the day to engage in music lessons and practice, dance, and ice skating. Introducing a little time table may pay dividends.

If your child stops reading for fun, he or she may have grown out of the present series of books. After all if your child, as a bright, literate 9 year old, read all of the Harry Potter series, then it may be time to try to introduce a new set of literary challenges.

If you start each session with your child feeling ill prepared and unready for the challenge, then you may have a case for being able to share at least part of the burden with another member of the family or even a relative. Some grand parents, for example, still can `do it’ if challenged!

It is probably a little too early to contemplate taking your child out of school for intensive one to one home schooling. You may, however, be able to build an immense store of Eleven Plus information and contacts. You could consider sharing your expertise with other parents.

We are continually reminded that the easiest way out of stress is exercise. It is a pity that it is so difficult to be able to hire a `Eleven Plus Dog’. After all if you and your child could take your eleven plus dog for a walk on a regular basis, all concerned may feel more amenable and a lot more co-operative.