I went on a post-Leaving Cert holiday with my son, here's how we got on

After the Leaving Cert, teenagers traditionally go on sun holidays with peers to unwind, but some are opting to go with family, instead, to eschew the partying and to ease in to adulthood, says Arlene Harris

While parents are preparing themselves for a week (or two) of wondering what their young adults are up to abroad, some are bucking the trend and arranging a trip en-famille, so they can enjoy the freedom of having left school without the pressure of drinking too much and possibly getting in to some sticky situations.

For months, even years, tens of thousands of students across the country have been counting down to the end of the Leaving Certificate. 

And now, exams finished, the hated uniform can be ditched and the books finally closed for good.

We all remember that heady feeling, the worry lifted, and the rest of the summer stretching out ahead. 

Many teenagers will be undertaking summer jobs, others will be content to hang around their locality with friends, while another, increasingly large group will be packing their bags to head off for the Leaving Cert holiday, their first independent foray in to the world.

The post-exam trip has become extremely popular, a rite of passage. 

But while parents are preparing themselves for a week (or two) of wondering what their young adults are up to abroad, some are bucking the trend and arranging a trip en-famille, so they can enjoy the freedom of having left school without the pressure of drinking too much and possibly getting in to some sticky situations.

When Claire O’Brien’s son Conor did his Leaving Cert five years ago, not only was she enthused about him having a trip away, she actually went with him.

But it wasn’t your traditional trip, with hordes of teens heading off together to a party resort in Spain or Greece.

Instead, the pair went to Italy, to celebrate the end of exams.

“When Conor was born, I was in my early 20s and started working in tech and marketing, but I knew that wasn’t the sort of career I was after, so when he started secondary school, I enrolled in an evening and weekend course on nutritional therapy,” Claire says.

“I had planned for it to coincide with when he finished school and was in college, as by then I would be embarking on a new career, while he began the next phase of his life.

“So it happened that I finished my exams two days before his and a couple of days later the two of us headed off for a nine-day trip to southern Italy.”

The Cork woman says that the decision to go on holiday together was mutual, as Conor, now 23, “wasn’t in to the idea of drinking for a week”, and many of his friends had also gone away with their families.

“A lot of Conor’s friends at the time were from Eastern Europe and after the Leaving Cert they went back to their home countries to visit family,” Claire says.

“Also, he wasn’t in to the idea of going on a typical post-Leaving Cert holiday, as he isn’t a drinker and knew that if he was away with a group of lads who were drinking and he was sober, that it would be quite boring for him. So we decided that we would head off together, as we’d both had a tense few weeks with exams, so it would be nice to get away from it all.

“We decided to go somewhere a little different and do a bit of travelling by train, so we headed to Naples and spent some time exploring that region.

Claire O'Brien and her son Conor on post Leaving Cert holiday

“We stayed in a medieval castle, where there was a view of a volcano out the window, and there was a lift down to the beach.

“The train station was also close by, so, when we weren’t at the beach, we would take the train on short, local trips, such as Pompeii and Sorrento, where we did a bit of exploring and hiking.

“It was a really lovely holiday and one of the highlights was the fact that because it was such a beautiful venue, there were a number of weddings on while we were there and I remember one night, while we were getting ready to go out, there was a violin concert taking place outside and later a fireworks display, so that was really lovely. For Conor, I think the highlight was Pompeii, which he really enjoyed.”

Claire, 45, who runs www.honestgoodness.ie, says that her husband doesn’t like the heat, so her son was happy to accompany.

And Claire and Conor’s post-Leaving Cert trip wasn’t an isolated one. They are currently on holiday together in Croatia.

“My husband doesn’t like the weather when it’s too hot: 26Cis the maximum he can tolerate,” she says. “So it is great that Conor is happy to go away with me and we both enjoy just hanging out and exploring new places.

“It’s really nice to be able to make these memories together as, before you know it, your kids are fully grown up and doing their own thing. He is 23 now and has finished college, so it’s really nice to get to spend this time with him.

“I think more young people are happy to do trips like this, rather than ones that are all about drinking and going to party islands,” Claire says.

“My niece was just saying that she went on holiday with her female friends and they chose somewhere there was lots to see and explore, as they had no interest in just drinking for a week, so it seems that this is becoming more and more common.

“And, to be honest, I don’t think Conor felt like he missed out on anything by going away with me, because when he was talking to friends afterwards, there was nothing that he felt like he had missed out on and he was just as happy to have done his own thing.”

But there are thousands of teenagers who will be eschewing the family holiday for a trip with their friends, and Claire, a mother of one, says that it’s important for parents to let them off and try not to worry too much.

“Once the parents have given permission and if their child is over 18, they have to just trust them to make their own decisions and to stay safe with their friends,” Claire says. 

“I know it’s a rite of passage and some kids will be quite wild, but most will be sensible and after the stress of the exams, they will just want to have a bit of fun.

“But it all depends on their personality.

“They may not want to go, but may feel under pressure, and they could always say they aren’t allowed, if parents feel that their child isn’t up for it and maybe the parent can plan a trip with them, instead,” Claire says.

“Everyone is different and we don’t all like the same thing. Parents know what their own kid is like, so if they feel that they’d like the option of doing something different, either as a family or with one parent, then make that suggestion and give them the option of having a different type of adventure.

“I’m so glad we decided to go on our post-exam trip together. We had a great time and have been on others since and, hopefully, will do many more in the future.”