A strict dad has revealed he will be forcing his son to revise for his GCSE exams on Christmas Day - and he is not alone. Matt Privet, 38, from Devon, argues that while it might seem harsh to other parents, it's his responsibility to make sure his 14-year-old is as prepared as he can be for achieving good grades in the New Year.
Matt, who wished not to be pictured, told the Mirror that his teenager will be set to work after opening presents on Christmas Day morning. They've also scheduled an hour each day for revision over the festive holiday.
But his son won't be sent to his bedroom alone to get on with it and instead, it will be a family affair. "I will be helping my son revise over the Christmas period," Matt, a building surveyor, said.
"With exams just around the corner, I want to make sure he uses the time he has to prepare as best as possible."
He continues: "It's important to note that it's all about balance - we'll do everything as we normally would do at Christmas but with roughly an hour each day for school work to be ready for January and exam season.
"On Christmas Day, I expect we'll carve out some time as a family to read and revise likely before lunch after the excitement of the presents first thing."
Matt appreciates that some parents won't agree with his decision, but says he is being cruel to be kind and has his son's best interests at heart.
The dad-of-one adds: "It's important for my son to keep his eye on his schoolwork as it's very easy for kids to switch off for weeks at a time over the holidays, meaning they go back having to relearn everything from before the break.
"I'm sure some parents won't agree with me but it's my job to make sure he's prepared for his first major exams and a little work over the coming weeks will make a big difference in the New Year."
Matt's comments come as a third of parents (32 per cent) are planning to make their children revise during the Christmas period with 1 in 10 forcing them to revise on Christmas Day, according to research.
The survey of 1,000 parents, commissioned by Save My Exams, revealed that parents are expecting their children to revise for up to six hours on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, rather than letting them enjoy the festive break.
According to the findings, dads are the stricter parent with almost half (44 per cent) making their children revise as opposed to only 23 per cent of mums.
The analysis also showed that children in Truro, Cornwall, and London are more likely to be studying over the holiday with 85 per cent and 55 per cent of parents in these areas scheduling revision days.
However, kids in Plymouth and Cambridge can breathe a sigh of relief as only 6pc and 15pc of parents are making their kids work during the festivities.
Jenna Quinn, head of revision resources at Save My Exams, said: "We were surprised by the number of parents who are looking to make their children revise on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
"It's understandable that parents might want to encourage their children to revise over the Christmas holidays, however there is a fine line between quantity and quality of revision.
"The Christmas holidays are a time for seeing family and friends, relaxing and enjoying yourself. Children have more than enough on their plate and a three-day break from their revision on Christmas Eve, Day and Boxing Day won't do any harm.
"In fact, making children revise excessively may do more harm than good and may well cause friction between families.
"Our advice is to sit down with your children and work out a revision plan where you can agree on time off for them to enjoy themselves but also decide on set dates and times where they can get stuck into their revision."
How much revision will your children be doing over Christmas? Let us know in the comments.
