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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:

nocutsnobuttsnococonuts · 03/01/2021 02:18

Dd1 is going in Monday and Tuesday next week (secondary) and if primaries close dd2 will have to do Mondays and Tuesdays too. Me and dh both work and cannot take anymore time off. (I'm in a nursery and dh in a supermarket) the rest of the week we work around each other.

happystone · 03/01/2021 02:24

My son won’t go in it will be hard as in in sen school. But don’t want to add to the spread.I really like the staff and would never forgive myself if he made them ill or worse.

Siepie · 03/01/2021 02:55

@curtainswideshut

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

I would recommend reading the thread for examples of why not everyone can be “patient at work”. My DP works in mental health services, like a poster above. You can’t tell someone who’s about to kill themselves “oh, I’ll just put you on hold while I stop my son jumping off the sofa”.

I also wfh and could step out of a meeting to deal with DC if I needed to. If my job was similar to my DP’s, we would have to use keyworker childcare.

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trixiebelden77 · 03/01/2021 06:48

It’s actually incredible to me that there are people who simply cannot imagine what kind of work you might do from home that simply could not be combined with childcare.

Really? Can’t think of a single thing?

It’s amazing. So self-centred.

Napqueen1234 · 03/01/2021 06:56

[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]
@Goatscheesewithhoney that’s exactly the kind of thing lots of people are dealing with. I’m a key worker but DH isn’t (but can’t wfh) so couldn’t get a place. I’d be on calls with vulnerable people, sexual assault etc with two small kids in the background. There were times that id be at a critical point and a child would kick off and I literally had to close them into their playroom for 5 minutes until I could finish the conversation. It was awful. Dreading the next few weeks.

willowstar · 03/01/2021 06:59

We were not allowed to send our children in if working at home last time. I did three days in the hospital, two days working from home and on the days I worked at home I had them with me and somehow managed with online teaching, meetings and consultations. In general people were understanding if a child suddenly appeared etc...

Sewrainbow · 03/01/2021 09:32

We'll get a place for our 2. Dh is a teacher and kept them with him last time. If he works from home this time he'll keep them with him here to free up a place for someone else. If he has to go in they'll have to as well. They're 9 and 11 so easier to manage for him than little ones but not old enough to stay home alone. My eldest isnt happy but whilst he stays alone an hour or so after school normally I dont want him here all day alone.

AveAtqueVale · 03/01/2021 10:44

We had a nightmare last time because though DS1 had a key worker place and we were entitled to use it (police officer and hospital doctor).it was only for between 9 and 3. No wraparound. So we ended up having to pay to send him to DS2's childminder for times when we were both at work. And then school wouldn't have him on the days we could manage it because of mixing settings. Was absolutely extortionate, and there were an awful lot of days of homeschooling and toddler-wrangling on no sleep after night shifts. DS2 is now at the preschool attached to DS1's school and if the key worker places are on the same basis as last time DH and I will have to juggle shifts as much as possible. If it comes down to it we'll have to take it in turns to leave work in time for pickup which is not going to be popular 😑.

PicsInRed · 03/01/2021 10:48

@trixiebelden77

It’s actually incredible to me that there are people who simply cannot imagine what kind of work you might do from home that simply could not be combined with childcare.

Really? Can’t think of a single thing?

It’s amazing. So self-centred.

This.

TheUplift · 03/01/2021 10:49

I did last time but it was completely unsustainable and we relied on Dh being able to go out and do some work at night but his company won’t allow that night.
My role involves safeguarding and mental health emergencies so I cannot have children in the background of those virtual meetings which are daily. This time I will be sending my children in.
Both my organisation and dh’s Company are short staffed atm so unpaid leave not possible.

Oly4 · 03/01/2021 10:51

Our kids will be going in

CeeceeBloomingdale · 03/01/2021 10:52

No, as one or other of us can work from home and they are old enough to get on with their work. We didn’t put them in school last time either.

Cyclingforcake · 03/01/2021 10:56

Yes. Will be going in around our days off. Both NHS and clinical although not currently expected to work nights. But that might change if we have to improve overnight cover again. Then they’ll have to go in when I’m on nights because I cannot be responsible for an ITU for 12 hours with no sleep.

Copperblack · 03/01/2021 11:05

I’m a foster carer carer and all my children can attend due to vulnerable status. I’m not sending any of them in as they attend 5 schools in 3 different LAs which gives us an increased risk of catching and spreading the virus.

SendHelp30 · 03/01/2021 11:08

DH and I will both be working and neither of us can work from home. Our Y3 DD will be able to attend on a keyworker place and our DS 3&1 can attend nursery. However, my father is retired and my mother works part time from home so they’ve offered to have the DC on the 3 days I work.
I’m not sure what to do? Would this be allowed for childcare? They already have the boys once a week when I’m at work.

SendHelp30 · 03/01/2021 11:11

@AveAtqueVale be careful with this! I’ve been informed today that some LA are staying children can only use one setting. My sister uses pre-school and a childminder so is now in a very difficult position. She’s NHS so can’t work between 9-3 to do the school runs.

SinkGirl · 03/01/2021 11:18

@curtainswideshut

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

Because not everyone has your job or your children, and for them it may physically not be possible?

DH works from home full time and always has, not new this year. I work part time for the NHS. We both have meetings we need to be on. Our twins cannot be left unsupervised at all. During lockdown 1 they were still at nursery and their nursery was closed - when it reopened it was a while before they could take them back as they didn’t have enough staff, and when they did it was for 3 hours twice a week as they both need full time 1:1 and they didn’t have the staff to facilitate this for any more.

They are now at a specialist school, again with full time 1:1. Since there are two of them I can’t give them that at home when I’m not working, let alone when I am. We also have no family to help, no support at all.

They are definitely going to school for as they’re able. We are doing everything we can to reduce the risk to staff - not going anywhere or seeing anyone except for medical appointments.

After everything that happened last year I’m amazed that people still don’t understand that people’s situations are vastly different to theirs and there are so many factors affecting what’s achievable and what isn’t.

Areyouactuallyseriousrightnow · 03/01/2021 11:33

Not sending ours in. My husband is keyworker, I work from home, it will be tough to manage but so many are in the same situation, KW or not.
Our schools policy is if you are KW and there’s no one who can care for your child at home send them in. We know people are not sticking to that rule abs sending in regardless but we think best for school, community, and our family, to keep them at home.
I have to work out of home in about three weeks time, so if schools still closed then, then we might have to reconsider, but I think my husband would try to manage it in thr first instance.

DrMaryMalone · 03/01/2021 11:36

I would if I could for our 8 year old but not allowed due to our councils rules. We can’t even send our 2 year old to his private nursery at our own cost even though it’s open as they are following the council guidance. So I (category key worker currently 2 days wfh, 3 days in the field) will be relying on my DH (non key worker but a manager in an outdoor industry that has specifically been allowed to remain open) using annual leave and accrued over time to go down from 5 days to 1 full day and 2 half days with my MIL also helping out for 1 day. Rules here are both parents must be key workers to access any childcare at all and only for times when neither can work from home. Once annual leave runs out I don’t know what we will do.

daisybrown37 · 03/01/2021 11:45

Trying not to if we can help it. Both key workers, me in a school but husband from home. His role can be interrupted to deal with the kids briefly, but he will not be able to homeschool them fully. Unfortunately boys have SEN school not able to be left to work alone.

Will try to see if I can go part time or work from home a couple of days so they get some work done.

EvilPea · 03/01/2021 12:03

During the first lock down our primary would obviously take key worker children but if you could keep them home they preferred it as it made distancing and risk easier to manage.

Seems a sensible approach

wonkylegs · 03/01/2021 12:30

We have a place for DS1 if we want it but as he's really good at working online without supervision (yr8) so we'll keep him home as I suspect it will be better access to school work & support (ex teacher grandparents have offered facetime support, school has teachers online and they can phone their friends ) than the mixed year key worker hub.
Our primary's are open so not an issue with DS2

17bluebirds · 03/01/2021 14:31

I'm a key worker who can't work from home, as is DS's Dad.

DS attends a special provision which is open for all children.

Luckily, as although he is year 7 he is not able to care for himself or be left alone all day.

I have no idea how you all manage with DC and working. Can you supervise home learning and work at the same time? Hats off to you, you have my admiration, and sympathy.

RosesinGranGransgarden · 04/01/2021 05:54

@17bluebirds to be honest I just didn’t homeschool when wfh. My view is that this is just something we need to get through, with mental health intact. If dd wanted to play Sylvanians and I could get an hour of work done then that’s what happened

GingerandTilly · 04/01/2021 06:06

Teacher here. My school is closed today but kids school is open with parents able to choose whether to send kids in. I won’t be sending mine in as I can manage with them at home though the thought of juggling everything again does worry me. My kids are older though (7 and 9) and I can see how hard it would be for those with vulnerable or very young kids.

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