We almost entitled this “The Lost Children of 2020”! No one could ever have predicted the unprecedented situation we have found ourselves in this year and one cohort in particular has experienced an especially bumpy ride: students – of all ages.
The parents of younger children would argue that they have suffered more than their children; having to put on their teacher hats, often in addition to working full time. However, there’s no argument that the children have had to adapt and accept a very different approach to their learning. Some children coped well, others not so much. Some have parents that were able to devote all of their time to structured learning, others have parents that simply had to continue to work to put food on the table and just couldn’t afford the hours or resources to give to their children. Sadly, some children were not cared for in any capacity. We are pretty sure that the majority of the nation’s adults are in agreement that:
Within the team we have children of varying ages and our hearts go out to the entire range, from the infants who often had to be patient whilst their parents juggled several balls, right up to the teenagers who had been working incredibly hard preparing for exams that they never got to take! The teens who then had to take on independent learning and be self motivating and disciplined, which if you have humans of a certain age, you’ll know is not always fun!
Not only did A-Level and GCSE students miss out on taking their exams and proving their learned knowledge and hard work, they also missed out on those momentous last days of school and the final exam euphoria that we all remember so well. They didn’t get to write on one another’s shirts and cry with all of the good friends they have spent several years building relationships with. They didn’t get end of year parties, or enrichment activities. They didn’t get to dunk their teacher’s head in a bucket of water at the end of year summer fete, or even tell their teachers how grateful they were for helping to get them through to the end! They missed the entire event that contributes to growing up and evolving from being a child into a young adult. They are the “Lost Children of 2020” in a way. Lost to a pandemic which has changed our world and the way we exist for what is likely to be a very long time, possibly forever.
At time of writing, A-level results are due tomorrow and GCSE results next Thursday. Word on the street is, to say the least, buzzing in all directions! Will the results be marked down as they were recently in Scotland (leading to uproar and a total U-Turn) or will they be fair, taking into consideration the work that the students had already put in? We certainly wish we knew!
What we do know is that parents have their kids’ backs and are, shall we say, a little more laid back about what might be in that email (also lost this year is the big envelope opening ceremony) than they would have been ordinarily. Let’s face it, it’s beyond anyone’s control at this stage!
We have already been taking balloon display orders from parents preparing a celebration for their child, regardless of the results they are awarded, based more on pride and acknowledgement that they have managed to navigate their way through the hardest possible school year in modern history. We will certainly be celebrating our teens’ achievements, whatever those numbers are; something else that we are still getting to grips with, bring back ABC grades!
So what are you planning for yours? We are thinking something along the lines of a small garden gathering with a couple of their friends and a few homemade pizzas. Naturally, balloons will be involved! As far as the Balloonista offerings go, you have options – who doesn’t love options?!
So let’s celebrate our wonderful, patient and above all surviving children! What an ordeal they have endured and whatever the results bring, we will be praising them.
Bring on the celebrations!
The Balloonista Team
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