As a parent—and especially as a single parent—navigating A-level exam season can feel like you’re carrying the emotional weight of two people. Your child is stressed, uncertain, and under pressure. And you? You’re doing your best to hold it together, offer support, and quietly process the reality that life is about to shift—for both of you.
This time is big. Exams are looming, decisions are being made, and the thought of them heading off to university is both exciting and heart-wrenching. It’s okay if you’re feeling all of it. You’re not alone.
My advice? Be the anchor. Your child doesn’t need you to have all the answers—they just need to know you’re there. Ask how you can support them. Offer practical help when it’s welcome, and step back when it’s not. Create space for them to breathe, and give yourself permission to breathe too.
And here’s something that often gets missed: as one chapter closes for them, a new one quietly opens for you. You’ve spent years showing up, nurturing, guiding. That role never fully goes away—but now, there’s room for you again. Your time, your energy, your dreams.
This isn’t just their new beginning—it’s yours too.
So support them with love, and meet yourself with excitement. There’s more ahead—for both of you.
You’ve got this. And you deserve what’s coming next.