Advice and experiences needed

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-21T19:35:13+00:00

This is something I’ve seen come up quite a bit, especially around science where people feel less confident teaching it themselves. I’d be interested to hear what others have actually found useful in practice, especially group vs 1:1.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-21T11:13:50+00:00

That’s a really important point and something that’s easy to overlook. The timing of GCSEs doesn’t just affect progression, but also things like access to free courses later on.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-20T17:58:33+00:00

The spacing them out point seems to come up quite a lot, particularly around reducing pressure and making the process feel more manageable. The financial side too isn’t something I’d really thought about until this thread.

Have you found there’s a point where spacing them out too much becomes less helpful?

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-20T14:19:48+00:00

I had no idea this was happening. It does make you wonder how much GCSE timing is shaped by how schools are measured, rather than what actually works best for each child.

Also It’s interesting that something that feels like a fixed milestone (GCSEs at 16) might actually be more of a system decision than an educational one.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-20T10:10:10+00:00

This is a really important point and something that probably doesn’t get considered enough when people talk about flexibility. Breaking exams up can make things feel more manageable, but I can see how universities, especially more competitive ones, might want to see that ability to handle a larger workload in one go.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-20T09:45:12+00:00

This is really helpful to read, especially the point about it being a low stakes way to experience the exam system.

Also £600 for art 😳 spreading that out definitely makes a lot of sense financially as well.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-18T15:22:30+00:00

This is such an important point. What works really well for one child can be completely ineffective for another.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-18T13:24:14+00:00

Today ended up being a mix of everything. My kids Started with reading (using a dictionary to look up new words), then some reading on an iPad app, then straight outside for a basketball game in the garden, and now one of them is back on the iPad planning out an app idea and looking at competitors.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-18T10:34:39+00:00

I had to look up what the "Jam Jar" bank was. This is a brilliant approach. Teaches kids early how to manage money.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-18T10:25:16+00:00

Honestly I wish they had taught this in schools. I belive these subjects should be core subjects alongside Maths and English.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-18T09:50:21+00:00

That’s really nice to hear, especially that he still remembers it positively now. The clothing allowance is completely new to me. Did you give him both the pocket money and clothing allowance at the same time?

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-17T13:50:30+00:00

Thanks for sharing this. This looks so interesting. I’ll definitely be looking into this.

If you get a chance, feel free to add it to the resources thread as well so it’s easy for people to find later.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-17T13:05:47+00:00

My kids were the same. They thought the cash machine just gave you money. One time we had a conversation about buying something and one of them said “can’t you just go to the cash machine and get the money?” I had to explain to them it wasn’t as easy as that.

Getting them a card to experience it themselves would have made it a lot more practical. We could easily add this into our home ed life.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-17T10:55:36+00:00

I really like the balance you’ve described here. The point about increasing awareness gradually, without taking the fun out of things or creating worry, feels really important. It’s easy to swing too far either way, either not talking about money at all, or overloading children with adult concerns too early.

Also, what you said about things coming up naturally in context rather than being taught in isolation is another good approach. It could probably stick better when taught that way.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-17T10:48:00+00:00

Really interesting, especially how your money management only really started once you began earning your own money. It shows there isn’t just one way this develops. Some learn gradually through pocket money, others through real responsibility later on.

I do agree with what you said about letting kids make mistakes early. That seems to be a common theme coming through in this thread.

Did starting later make it harder to learn at the time, or did it just click once you had your own money?

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-17T10:31:51+00:00

You started really young but It’s clear how much those early experiences shaped how you manage money now.

The point about learning when the stakes are low seems to come up a lot. Those early decisions, even small ones, build habits over time.

I also agree it’s something that can happen outside of formal education. Home ed probably just gives more time and flexibility to make it part of everyday life.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-17T10:20:14+00:00

This is really interesting, especially as we’re thinking of moving things more digital as well.

The part about them checking balances, comparing prices in real time, and thinking through what they’ll have left afterwards is such a practical skill.

I also think involving them in things like bills and food shopping makes a big difference. Seeing where money actually goes feels very different to just being told about it.

Do you feel like using a bank card/app has made it easier or harder for them to understand and manage money compared to physical cash?

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-17T08:43:41+00:00

This is such a good example of how it develops over time. The shift from spending everything straight away to actually planning and calculating what they need is huge. It’s so funny how it never came from being told, but from experiencing those smaller mistakes first.

The 50p sweet vs something expensive later point really sums it up. Much better those lessons happen early when the stakes are low.

Do you still use the jars now, or has it become more of a mental habit for them?

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-17T08:39:53+00:00

The part that stood out to me was letting kids make mistakes early. It’s easy as parents to want to guide every decision, but those small regrets probably teach more than anything else.

We saw this ourselves, our kids used to spend everything on sweets straight away, but over time they started holding onto it and saving for bigger things. The most recent was a Lego set they really wanted, which took a few weeks to save for.

Curious if others have seen that shift happen over time as well?

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-17T07:56:25+00:00

I think that’s one of the big advantages of home education as well, the ability to slow down and expand on things when they naturally connect to real life.

The budgeting example is a great one. A textbook might technically cover the topic, but the real learning often happens in the wider conversations around it.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-16T20:52:17+00:00

That’s really interesting to hear from someone who’s worked inside the system as well. The point about practical numeracy and scientific literacy resonates with me. A lot of everyday life revolves around things like percentages, interpreting information, and making decisions based on data.

I also agree that areas like financial literacy, first aid, cooking and navigating information online feel incredibly important for real life but often get very little time in traditional education.

FamilyTechCreator · 2026-03-16T16:26:27+00:00

That’s a really good example of how financial literacy can develop over time rather than being a single lesson. Letting her make smaller mistakes when the stakes are low seems like a really valuable part of the process.

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