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Original poster

Any 'keyworkers' not sending their children to school on Monday?

77 replies

Lottiethelemming · 02/01/2021 17:12

DP and I are working from home.

We put the kids on the list last time just in case.

We're stressed about trying to homeschooling around working full-time with 2 very active young children.

More importantly, we don't want to put the school staff under any more pressure/risk than they are already.

I'm going to have to speak to my manager about shifting things around a bit which shouldn't be a problem but it's still going to be difficult.

Are there any other 'keyworkers' who are in a similar position? Is it expected that you will still send your children to school just because you can?

OP posts:
MrsDeadlock · 02/01/2021 19:31

[quote Goatscheesewithhoney]@MotherExtraordinaire - so, if your job consisted with telephone/video with people who were imminently suicidal, do you think it would be safe to do that with young children in the background? For the person having the apt, if the conversation is cut off at a key moment ? Or safe for the children themselves? as a parent who is shut in another room (so the children do not hear traumatic content, as well as for confidentially) cannot supervise children too.

Do you parents who are doing that work from home should just “manage”?

Imagine trying to relay information to a 999 call handler, quite quickly, and having to stop as your child has just hurt themselves/had a tantrum and needs attention...[/quote]
Came on here to say exactly the same thing. Just because we may be wfh doesn't mean we can ethically or maybe even legally do our jobs with kids around.

Lots of dual NHS keyworker households have two parents running virtual clinics/ therapy in different rooms of the house. Homes that weren't set up for this. It's a nightmare. Thankfully our school/LA have some common sense

TrySarahTops · 02/01/2021 19:32

I'm a teacher, so I'll be working from home the first week, but will be expected to be in the second week.

My daughter is in secondary at a different school. She's clinically vulnerable so I'll be keeping her home as much as possible, even though I'll be in work.

scrivette · 02/01/2021 19:40

I will be working from home but sending children in. I can not let them overhear my four hour meetings describing safeguarding of children etc.

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Goatscheesewithhoney · 02/01/2021 19:43

@MrsDeadlock - Our school was lovely last time. The head made a point of asking how work was going and how I was, when I saw her, which meant a lot when she was dealing with a lot herself. Also told me not to feel guilty about sending me DC in (which I did!)

Goatscheesewithhoney · 02/01/2021 19:43

*my

RosesinGranGransgarden · 02/01/2021 19:44

Both keyworkers and I’ll be sending mine in if our schools close. I can only work from home one day per week as I need to be in the hospital for the other parts.
Also I just don’t feel working from home is appropriate with my children (primary school and nursery) at home. The other day I had a patients relative call me for an update and I had my Ds shouting at me to find a velociraptor in the background! I don’t think it’s in my children’s best interest to be constantly told to be quiet and shut up. Last time my dd was in a group of 7 pupils in the whole school so threat of contagion was quite low.
In all this talk of saving the NHS, I feel we have missed the massive impact that working from home is having on other services. I can’t get hold of a social worker, benefits advisor, mental health act admin etc. Fed up of being told that things are going to take much longer as ‘they are working from home.’ Why does it take so much longer? If they can’t do their jobs from home they should be sorting this out.

KMBM107 · 02/01/2021 19:48

I’m a teacher - FE college. We are teaching online for this initial 2 weeks. I have a primary aged child and a child at nursery. I could send older daughter to school and younger to nursery but have decided to keep them home. Have a childcare bubble with my parents and they have agreed to help out and have kids part of the week. They would only be willing to do that really as the kids are not in school and not mixing.

User0ne · 02/01/2021 19:50

2 and 4yo DS's here who go to the preschool at the local primary. Me and DH are key workers; we'll be trying to keep them at home if the primary closes as the alternative provision will mean them mixing with children from about 10 other schools (we live rurally and the schools are tiny)

Sparklehead · 02/01/2021 19:51

I work in a hospital 4 days a week, my DH works full-time but can work from home. Our Y7 child will be at home with him for the next 2 weeks. Currently school is open for our Y3 and Y4 children, but we are tier 4 and I anticipate this may change very soon. I’m not sure what we will do if all 3 are at home. My DH homeschooled last time round but it meant he was unable to work unless it was my day off. So he worked every weekend and also when I got home from work every evening. It was awful, but my gut feeling is that we’ll have to do this again.

PicsInRed · 02/01/2021 19:55

I value being able keep a roof over my child's head so they'll be going in, yes.

OnceBitten25 · 02/01/2021 19:58

I'm a key worker as is my DH. We have no choice but to send DD to school hub. Both needed at work, no leave available- not even unpaid! Would rather keep DD home and safe with me but it's not an option

TheChosenTwo · 02/01/2021 20:06

My youngest will have to go in because I will have to also be at work (in school!).
During the last lockdown I was annoyed that the in my bubble of children of keyworkers, at least 7 of the 15 told me that their mums/dads weren’t working on particular days and that instead they were going to xyz to get haircuts/have hot tub parties/drinking bbqs/looking after baby nieces/sunbathing/GOING TO THE FUCKING BEACH etc!! I mean, everyone would love a childfree day, I’d have given an arm and leg for one, but don’t tell your child you’re sending them to school as they are the babysitters so you can go and have a jolly! Keep it quiet at least so we don’t get pissed off having to work in close contact with more children than necessary! Our headteacher ended up getting involved and phoning parents a few times as this happened in many bubbles and it was just getting to be a total pisstake of members of staff risking taking the virus back to vulnerable members of their family from children whose adults had no problem mixing and breaking lockdown rules.
Schools will be open to provide somewhere safe for those children who cannot be looked after at home - you know if you can do your job at home with your children there or not!!
On a personal level, I wish I didn’t have to send my ds in, school was not great during lockdown (in his bubble, and I was in it!), it was not really school, they couldn’t mix with their friends, they weren’t all with their friends anyway, the level of ‘education’ was really dumbed down as it had to echo what was being sent home to do independently (with little to no teacher input), there were no ‘live lessons’ from teachers as they had to be at school looking after the bubbles. It was a pretty bleak time although we made the best of the situation.

RosesinGranGransgarden · 02/01/2021 20:11

@TheChosenTwo I agree! People I know who worked two days, sending their kids in for five! It’s a provision not a free for all! Unless it seriously will affect your well-being then you need to only use the key worker childcare provision for when you need to work.
Also guilty are medics with a non working stay at home partner who needs a ‘break.’

DebbieFiderer · 02/01/2021 20:12

Both keyworkers, both work out of the home, will be sending the child/ren (depending on whether primaries close) to grandparents (established childcare bubble, would have the kids after school anyway) rather than school, mainly as it is safer for the grandparents that way.

Littlefluffyclouds13 · 02/01/2021 20:14

I'm not. Ds is 15

TheChosenTwo · 02/01/2021 20:21

@RosesinGranGransgarden
I’m glad you read my post in the way it was intended, after I wrote it i thought people would come for me saying that the childcare was offered to be used and so they used it how they wanted!
Whatever, we are open for those critical keyworkers who need us. Just please don’t take the piss out of us!!

keeprunning123 · 02/01/2021 20:27

[quote Goatscheesewithhoney]@MotherExtraordinaire - so, if your job consisted with telephone/video with people who were imminently suicidal, do you think it would be safe to do that with young children in the background? For the person having the apt, if the conversation is cut off at a key moment ? Or safe for the children themselves? as a parent who is shut in another room (so the children do not hear traumatic content, as well as for confidentially) cannot supervise children too.

Do you parents who are doing that work from home should just “manage”?

Imagine trying to relay information to a 999 call handler, quite quickly, and having to stop as your child has just hurt themselves/had a tantrum and needs attention...[/quote]
I was thinking just the same. I think this distinction between keyworkers working outside vs within the home does not recognise that just because a job can be done remotely does not mean it's not essential and highly sensitive.

Yes, I'm sure there are some keyworker jobs you can do from home while being interrupted by a small child, but not jobs like the above example. I work in a job like this. Just because I'm doing it in my house rather than in a counselling room makes no difference to how sensitive or uninterruptible it is. I simply could not do it with young primary age children in my care. It would be unsafe for my children and unsafe for my clients.

itsgettingweird · 02/01/2021 20:30

Me.

I'm education staff - not a teacher. I've not sent ds in at all as keyworker child or child with an ehcp.

I could - but I've found other ways around it.

I don't blame parents who use KW provision though. Not everyone can find alternatives.

sausageathlete · 02/01/2021 20:35

no, they aren't going all week.

scrivette · 02/01/2021 21:32

Roses I worked part time and would have sent the DC in just on the days that I worked but the school specifically asked them to be in all week for continuity.

Original poster
Lottiethelemming · 02/01/2021 22:50

@MotherExtraordinaire I think your username say a lot. Kind regards, EVERYBODY.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lottiethelemming · 02/01/2021 23:09

@TitsOot4Xmas I'm not in your area. I couldn't help but think that all schools should have a similar criteria as yours though? Including essential retail staff too though?

I live in a low income area of Kent and there was a lot of fuss on Facebook about who could go to school and who couldn't a few months ago.

Some parents viewed schooling hours as a break (don't we all!). There was a huge increase of children who were suddenly 'vulnerable'.

For what its worth, anybody who complains about having their children at home for longer than normal should be on the vulnerable list. I can't imagine the number of vulnerable children and women at the moment. I'm terrified even to research the statistics of vulnerable men, women and children right now. They are the ones who should be using this provision. If you are one of them, please take advantage. X

OP posts:
curtainswideshut · 03/01/2021 01:50

I'm not sure why you would if you're both wfh? Me and dh both wfh with young dc and don't get the option but wouldn't want to anyway. We are both on the phone all day dh mainly on video calls. People are going to have to be patient at work aren't they.

Get some headphones that can be muted in a second. They've saved my job probably Grin

NiceGerbil · 03/01/2021 02:00

DH is keyworker working outside home whole time.

I WFH.

Our kids are older so it's not so hard. With my work though with everyone WFH they are juggling toddlers etc and everyone accepts it, it's hard.

When it started back in march I had loads of people say you'll be sending the kids to school then. Erm. No? I'll leave the places for those who really need them.

NiceGerbil · 03/01/2021 02:02

People were really surprised.

It hadn't even occurred to me to send them tbh.

My colleague whose wife works in a school isn't either, he's trying to wrangle the toddler in meetings etc Grin

My industry is pretty tolerant tbh.