“My daughter had her heart set on primary teaching, but while at the time of writing we are still waiting to see what she will be offered through the CAO, it’s unlikely she has enough points to get a place,” she writes.
“She did work very hard for her Leaving Cert, but a close friend passed away after a long illness in the run up to the exams and that just threw her completely, as it would any of us, not least a 17-year-old.
“I’m not disappointed in her, but I’m disappointed for her, as college would have been a fresh start. Naturally, she is devastated. Most of her other friends are confident they have the points they need for college, so the likelihood is she will be repeating by herself.”
The writer acknowledges that there is a good chance that her daughter will get her next choice of arts and knows she is now considering taking the place. However, she believes she would be better to repeat to try to get teaching rather than rushing in to anything and regretting it down the line.
“I’ve told her it’s not the end of the world and that she should not be so hard on herself, but at the moment she just does not want to hear it,” she says. “How can I support my daughter at this difficult time and help her see the bigger picture?”
Miriam will offer her advice in the next edition of Irish Country Living, on shelves Thursday 21 August, but what would you do if you were in this position?
SHARING OPTIONS