I've just worked it out. We have had a child sit at least one practical exam at every sitting since, and including, Autumn 2006.
Beth did her Grade 3 piano exam today so we are done for this time.
For the first time since then we won't have anyone taking a practical exam in June.
However, I think my son will take his Grade 5 Theory in June.
I am not going to work out what that lot has cost us. Too scary.
I'm sure we will be back on the exam path by the autumn.
After this GCSEs and A levels are going to be a breeze, I hope.
Dora

If you really think that, Dora, I'm afraid you are living in Cloud Cuckoo Land!

Having a child taking exam after exam over a six week period (GCSEs) is far, far worse than grade exams, which are over and done with in half a day.

As for A-levels - don't even go there yet!

My family must be really strange then.

During last Summer's exams my mum wished me good luck in the mornings before exams and asked how it went when I got back, but otherwise everything was completely as normal. My dad didn't even realise I was on study leave for six weeks - about a month into it he announced that how could I compare my 'day at the office' with his as I'd been on my summer holidays for ages already. Then he asked why everyone else was looking at him like .

Sorry Dora, but I have to say that GCSE's and A-levels will probably just increase the exam load - after all there'll probably still be music exams anyways (unless your children either get all their grade 8s and diplomas before they're 14 or quit).

Edit: The relates to the quote and isn't aimed at you, Dora (have realised it could be misinterpreted!)

But your family never notices when you take grade exams either! My parents were like yours. They actually went on a short holiday during my O-levels and left me with my grandparents (who lived about a mile away, so no problems taking the exams).

If you've read Dora's posts, you'll realise how seriously she takes grade exams, so I'm assuming she'll be just as involved with school exams. Parents who post on here aren't the laid back type.

My experience has been similar over the last couple of years, but it was this recent session that we missed. As a working mother who usually doesn't get home from work until 6pm, I find one exam manageable, but having two or more in a session is very stressful. The worst experience was when we had 3 on the same day - my younger daughter took 2. I swore I would never let that happen again and now try to plan well in advance who is going to do what, when. Both my girls are likely to take piano exams in December. The younger one's cello teacher wanted her to do ner next exam in December too, but I have refused and said she'll have to wait until the following Spring. In the meantime, the older one will take a violin exam in June, so that's the next 3 terms already planned. We also ought to fit in a theory exam soon for the yonger one.

On the positive side, I am finding that exams for my elder daughter (11) are easier (for me) now that she takes much more responsibility for her own practising (especially on the piano, which she prefers) and actually practises effectively. Though I still offer constructive (I hope!) criticism and support, I can do less to help now that her piano and violin playing are considerably better than mine and her violin accompaniments are too difficult for me to play. The younger one (9) still needs a lot of encouragement and input from me (though she'd disagree with that) especially in the run up to exams.

GCSEs and A levels are too far away for me to worry about yet. I'm happy to stick my head in the sand for now!

I've just done a quick calculation of when emsoboe's first exam was.... July 05 and she hasn't stopped since then. I've had more than one exam each session to cope with especially when my eldest was doing them too.

To be honest the most stress has been far and away the GCSE Music, for both my daughter and myself.

I hate to say this but...

Do none of you think it might be time to take a break from the treadmill? And maybe skip a few music exams? If you're feeling exhausted, what about the people actually taking the exams?

Of course, you all know your children best. But I wish my flute teacher had been a little less exam orientated now. Dashing from one grade exam to the next isn't much fun.

I suppose it was good practise for when I got to Uni (4 exams every semester) but there was a reason I did the Internation Baccalaureate: No exams until the end of the two years. Of course, if I'd known that I'd end up doing A-level maths anyway, and how horrendous spending 3 weeks doing all the exams for 6 subjects would be, I might have thought again!

I think it's more to do with being multi-instrumentalists rather than working up grades on one instrument. Some teachers are hppy to skip exams but others aren't. In our case daughter actually enjoys all the work. I sometimes wonder why the organising ifeels so exhausting

We have always tried to surround the exam with a bit of a treat - although there is some work up to it, on the day the children tend to get a half day (or at least a couple of hours) off school, and after the exam get taken out for tea or something nice on the way back to school. So exams have become a mixed blessing - the exam itself is a bit stressful, but it is always mediated by a nice little outing that is outside the norm of the school day. I have to say that as a result it hasn't felt too much like a treadmill.

Our children have very different teachers - one skips most exams, but puts quite a lot of pressure on for the few that are taken, the other gets the child to do every exam, but puts absolutely no pressure on. The end result seems to be about the same.

That's rather like our family really.
And I'm a parent (though they are grown now) but didn't make a big deal out of exams.
For me it happens... it's part of what you do at school and sometimes making a big deal out of it can blow it out of proportion. Then again I'm looking from the viewpoint of having had a sister who had a breakdown after A levels and lifelong mental health problems due to doing wall to wall study.