The Anti Dementors, danger-buffooning their way through life!

[Drivingdownthe101]

New thread!

I know our nearest secondary is doing one day a week with a teacher. Just supervised study really. Not necessarily a teacher of the pupil or even relevant to their subject. My friend was aware of this plan about 10 days ago.

The school had partial closures on the last week due to staffong shortages. Presumably a mixture of shielding and dodgy symptoms, so staffing should bs more stable at present.

@FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue
Thats where it starts.....consulting with staff. Then before you know it they're lining the kids up to take their temperature at the start of the school day.....

I know I shouldn’t have read BTL on the Guardian. Lots of second wave dementoring.

But what gets my goat is the blind assertions I keep seeing about private schools not opening. Yes they are. All the preps round here are making absolutely sure they are. I had an enquiry in late March about temporary accommodation for reopening for one of them, so it was thinking how to reopen a couple of days after closing.

In fact, and this is a quirk of term dates rather than anything else, our school was back open yesterday and no state primaries in the area will open until at least next week.

The irony of this in the Guardian today

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/01/prevent-chaotic-end-lockdown-true-risks-british-people

The British government is clearly having a nervous breakdown over the escape from lockdown. This was predictable – and is not helped by the media, much of it still wedded to worst-case scenarios and “second spikes”

Um yes that would be you, then!

Snooze button activated for that tsunami meme. I find that one particularly distasteful as it reminds me strongly of the Banda Aceh tsunami in 2004 and the two events are not comparable. An earthquake triggering a wave that decimates coastal and island communities, anihilating everything in its wake, causing 250,000 deaths within days is not the same as the gradual, global spread of a virus which is mainly mild to moderate symptoms and fatalities tending to be amongst the clinically vulnerable anyway.

Just being on a beach is highly unlikely to spread the virus for flip's sake.

To be fair, Simon Jenkins in the Guardian seems to have been the singular voice of reason throughout all of this. Fair play to him for keeping his head when all around him are losing theirs.

The change in DD2 is amazing. Despite the head's complaining that the word bubble "an innocent term associated with childhood which has now taken on a much more sinister meaning"... she's full of who is in her bubble with her and loves the structure of her bubble can go in these bits of the playground (the concept of playground zones is not alien to them as some of the lads in their year have had to be zoned to keep them from just kicking the crap out of each other constantly for a good time now).

DD1 is still just adamant that she's now famous after getting onto the school podcasting station and getting a whole TWO RETWEETS!

Just reading the thread about opening playgrounds, it's largely ok tbf. However got me thinking, if you drew a venn diagram of the people who are saying going back to a "changed school" will be mentally damaging to kids and the people who say it's fine for all activities for children to stop and for children not to see other kids/grandparents for weeks on end, how much overlap do you think you get? I suspect it's almost a perfect circle.

I also have a year 10 and waiting for news on what will happen. DS thinks he's going back the 15th after speaking to friends. School has not confirmed this though. Something about face to face time but not sure what

In the meantime they have scored them on level of engagement in the online learning and called in the ones not engaging enough to sit on computers at school. But the rest are still at home. Quite a lot of work and getting emails to me if not complete.

I'm concerned about secondary as a whole as my youngest starting there too after summer and no idea how it will work. 1200 pupils

We have family in Holland where playgrounds never closed. Schools re-opened similar to our bubble thing. Does not seem to have caused big uprise in cases.

(the concept of playground zones is not alien to them as some of the lads in their year have had to be zoned to keep them from just kicking the crap out of each other constantly for a good time now).

Quite. Getting a bit sick of school being painted as this carefree utopia before the corona, and how cruel it'll be sending them back in.

Oh yeah - DD1's school does have temperature checking each day with one of those Star Trek style infra red ones. Doesn't seem to be working very well since it measured DD at 23 degrees yesterday morning and one of the teachers joked that she must be a zombie... with the result that she spent most of the morning pretending to BE a zombie instead!

Not particularly happy with it - but I bought a thermometer at home (I've never owned one as a parent) just to make sure I can happily say I've checked them at home before we leave on a morning. At the moment I'm picking my battles - and I have the comic sans notices in my sights first!

I have a really awful feeling that we are quickly going to realise Iceland are right and kids don't pass it to adults.

We will have needlessly punished our children for months.

Sorry for being dementory but Christ if this has been all for nothing I think I'll lose my mind.

Phew. A piece in the guardian criticising communist wales! Perhaps things are slightly changing?

My good friend is a teacher in wales. She thinks they'll announce this week all primary classes back on 29 June. She's not been told that but it's what she's planning for. Toilets will be gender neutral to enable this and avoid mixing. Hmmm. DD started her periods just under a year ago so I'm not chuffed but I'd let it slide for a few weeks.

I'm so tired. Exhausted. Saving up all my leave so I can look after the kids over summer as I can't see holiday clubs being open.

But surely they have to reopen schools to all in sept! It's inconceivable that don't!! How do people go back to work as furlough stops?!

MagdaS Mon 01-Jun-20 22:25:22
The dementor who told me it was worth me losing my job to save 'thousands of lives' has sent me a message asking how I am. I am ignoring him.
I know how you feel - I have friends that are so over the top with screams of murder when people visit our local beaches I really don't want to associate with them anymore.

How do people go back to work as furlough stops?!

Honestly I have no idea!

Me and dp have discussed this and there's just no good solution (this is assuming Ds won't get to go ft for whatever reason)

We've discussed the following...

I drop off on days he goes to school and dp changes hours by about 15 mins so he can do pick up. (Assuming after school club isn't on)

Days he's not in I've spoken to a childminder who's having him in the hols and she can fit him in. This is obv not cheap so will have to take some A/L as well. This isn't really a long term solution.

We can't afford a nanny.
We can't afford to drop a wage.
We aren't entitled to any UC at all on 1 wage.
We can't wfh.

Only other thing we can think of is do asking if he can temp do nights but tbh this is a total last resort

@trustthegenegenie - it must be so hard. I’m a sahm at the moment with 1 child and I’d happily help a friend with childcare. What I’m finding hard is that you have to text and guess who’s not going to think you want to kill them. I don’t know if you know anyone similar to me, but it might be worth putting feelers out? Although I’ve texted a couple of friends about meeting up and just been ignored. I don’t mind them saying they’re being cautious but ignoring is so rude. Maybe not friends after all!

DS (yr7) has been sent off to school for his vulnerable child place, a little bit of confusion due to breakdown in communication so they weren't expecting him, but all sorted.

My work are being very good at the moment in regards to childcare. I have been asked a few times about any potential issues. Luckily I am fine as DH is a SAHP, I am fortunate that this is one less thing to worry about.

Wales that's a good idea. I don't actually know any SAHMs but when Ds starts school perhaps i will meet some. If I were in that position I would definitely help out a friend!

It is hard to know. People I previously thought were very calm and sensible now are not!

A couple of weeks ago I invited my friends to my reasonably sized garden with side access. They acted like I had suggested drowning some puppies .
Now they all want to come round this weekend and I really cant be bothered.

@MrsArchchancellorRidcully - oh no. Now I’ve got a tiny seed of hope for Kirsty to squish! I’d cry happy tears if she let the schools back but I think wales is too far gone.

I’m so sorry for everyone who is losing jobs, income and security. I’m dreading the next recession and hoping we’re all so keen to spend after this it won’t happen.

I used to do a lot of work around dementia and it scares me far more than COVID although not much you can do to avoid it except maybe delay it through healthy living. My personal opinion based on everything I saw was that it’s a social as well as a brain disease and socialising, particularly with old friends seemed to help reduce anxiety meaning people were more able to cope with symptoms. This disease and lockdown must be awful for people with dementia, although as they are the must at risk I’ve no idea what the answer is. Full PPE must be terrifying too. Maybe they should consult with loved ones honestly about the risks and make decisions based on individuals rather than blanket policies?

We’re off to see my grandma in her garden today. She’s 87 and her husband died 2 weeks before lockdown. She’s been on her own since. Taking our own drinks/snacks and a potty in case the girls need the toilet. Thought it was better to do it now before DD1 is back at school on Thursday.
She’s so excited!

@Weedsnseeds1 My local morrisons had compost in when I went last night. A few different types. Might be worth checking if you have one near you. It's piled up by the door so you could have a peak before joining the queue!

Those with children in year 10. I'd be so cross in your situation. I think year 10 have been completely shafted. If they have to sit exams next summer having been out of education for 6months or so it'll be incredibly unfair.

DS is very emotional today. We had a good weekend. Met up with friends so he got to play with another 5 year old both days. They had such a good time and now we're back to just us trapped in the house. It's utterly depressing. I can't read the news anymore because it's all about schools going back and my child can't attend despite being in the correct year group. I'm so glad the returning children on this thread have enjoyed. They're so lucky they've been allowed to return.

@Jourdain11 I read your shopping thread but didn't comment. Totally bonkers. I've taken DS into the corner shop every week since this started. No real choice as I'm on my own. My dad sits next to him in a different car for the proper shop but I'm not convinced that's exactly ok as he doesn't look 'supervised'. I don't get what people are meant to do. It's all very well saying do it online but the stuff comes with hardly any date left on it or doesn't come at all. Ridiculous. I hope you're treatment goes ok this week.

Driving
Have a lovely time with your grandma.

TrustTheGeneGenie
I am absolutely convinced that many of the measures - or at least the length of time they've been in place - have been unnecessary, and that's one of the most painful things about the whole situation. I don't think it's necessary to keep schools and childcare closed for more than the 10 weeks they've already been closed; I don't think it's necessary to keep playgrounds closed for this long (if at all), it's just so cruel.