When you are urging your child to try to solve a problem you
will, naturally, suggest that he or she should evaluate all the options. It
will be a remarkably rare eleven plus problem where there is one viable
solution.
You may try to explain this to your child in a practical
way. You know that your child needs a new computer to cope with all the eleven
plus work. There is also the problem that `best friend’ has just been given a
new computer ostensibly for eleven plus work – but really to be able to take
full advantage of all the new games and apps.
Option One
You buy a cheap and cheerful system. This will do the eleven
plus job but lacks the bells and whistles.
Option Two
You buy a simple and ordinary system. It will do all the eleven
plus work and more. It costs a bit more – but your child only has one eleven
plus year so you can rationalise anything.
Option Three
You buy the best. It is far more than your child needs but
`he or she will grow into it’. Naturally the price is £300.00 more than you
want to pay. (Your brain emits a little murmur: “If you want the best – pay the
best!”)
Now you ask your child to filter out the less suitable
options. Which one would your child like, which one can the family afford? If
you buy Option One – and it does not seem to work to your satisfaction - then
it would be expensive to try to upgrade. Option Two may be the most sensible. Does your
eleven plus child think, however, with the head or with the heart? Option Three
– this will meet all your child’s needs – but is there a real need?
You could then explain to your child that looking at all the
options and rejecting the unlikely ones will certainly give the right solution.
(Please let me know your solution to this problem.)
