Attending A&E when no one to look after child after school

I don’t think you need A&E x

I agree with you about some of these responses.

Worsening chest pains are absolutely A&E worthy.

I'm sorry to hear about your mum.

Sounds like you need to reassure yourself the kids have someone who'd take care of them if there was something wrong with you. Appointment a guardian to them for long term security. Short term make some school mum friends and do regular playdates. Once a week is plenty with kids your son likes. When you need a helping hand you have a community. Focus on building that to support being a single parent. You will feel less stressed.

Does he have any friends you could text the mum of and ask to have him after school? Obv you'll need to ring the school to make it official. I would absolutely do this even if they weren't great pals, they can sit in front of the TV for a couple of hours or whatever.

Perhaps time to join the WA group? Don't isolate yourself if you need local support.

Do you not have any local friends? I would help out a friend in this situation

Sorry but my mum was under a cardiologist after experiencing chest pains for a year. One day she dropped down dead while cooking dinner at 48.

Don't listen to these people saying it’s not an emergency. Unless they are a medical professional then they can not advise. Symptoms of heart attacks occur differently in woman compared to men.

Could you get a taxi to the school and make your way to A&E from there? Take your son with you until your daughter can pick him up.

They won’t turn you down at A&E. I’m a single mum and ds2 got blue lighted to hospital from the GP. I had ds1 with me. He was there around an hour until his dad came to collect him with us. Nobody said a thing.

In the situation you describe, I think the options are (in order of easiest)

1. Spot at after school club. Teen collects
2. spot at afternoon clubs- relative collects
3. friend from school collects. Teen collects on way home
4. you get a cab and collect child on was to hospital. Teen collects him from hospital

I’m sorry you aren’t feeling great but ad it’s not an emergency just wait for everyone to get home and head in?

I think appealing to school mums is your only option. If I knew you I would happily have your DS if they were in school with my DC.

you have my upmost sympathy, I get heart/chest pains and it’s scary. Have you got meds? When I had an ambulance out they told me take a mini aspirin

I'm not sure you need to go to A and E @worrierd

Have you got health anxiety? You're already under the cardiac team. What's the reason for your proposed visit today?

Without being rude, if you are well to be on MN about it, youre well enough to wait until both kids are home and then still go AE if needed.

I once took my DC to a and e so couldn't pick up my other DC from school. I phoned the school and they let them go to after school club until I could get a relative to pick them up.

School is finished soon. Can’t you go and collect them early and then take them?

I’ve had to go to A&E in an emergency with a severe asthma attack before and my husband travels for work. My family aren’t local. If it ever happened when my kids were at school I would imagine I’d be unable to call school so I’d email the office what was happening. I have a couple of friends down as emergency contacts as well which I would recommend you consider as an action. If you ever had to go to A&E, school can keep your child for a certain period of time, then your friends can get their own kids from other schools and then go and get yours. If you literally don’t know anyone and school has no one to contact except you and you aren’t answering your phone for an extended period and they have made all efforts to get hold of you and any other contacts they hold, they will follow their uncollected child policy, which probably ends up with temporary foster care. So even if your friends or daughter would be able to say to school hey I can be there in two hours, the teacher would likely wait that long which would be better for your son in an emergency. Anyone can be run over by a bus.

Explain the situation to one of his friend's parents and I'm sure they'd have him. I would.

I had a similar dilemma a few years back - 10 is a bit of an odd age as they can be left for a short while but only you really know how long depending on their maturity.

Do you know your neighbours well enough to have him over there, or at least let him know they know he is alone so if he needs help to go over? Any friends of yours who could pop in to be with him? Any of his school friends who could have him for dinner?

It's these things that make being a single parent with no family a minefield to be honest!

But calling your doctor and asking for an emergency call back is probably best before you do anything. They can advise if you actually need A&E.

Can you get another mum to pick him up and keep him until your daughter gets home? Or call the school and ask if he can go to after school club as an emergency and your daughter can get him from there?

Your 16 year old will be fine to stay with him and it’s ok to ask him to leave college early to do it.

I am really unclear as to why this needs A&E - you are already under investigation (or have been) so at most you need to call your GP and see if they will see you or what they advise knowing your history.

In this situation I would put a message on the class whatapp group asking for help. In our class there would be loads of offers.

Or ring your daughter and tell her to finish early and collect him.

Even if you decide not to attend A&E today, you need to get a plan in place for future emergencies. Discuss it with your daughter and when you've come up with a plan talk to your son about it so everyone understands what will happen. It must be a real worry for you, but having a plan will help.

Is there an after school club at school? Fridays tend to be a quiwter day at these. Could phone and see if can get him jn and sibling can collect? Might need to get sibling to leave early