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Original poster

If school's don't return on March 8th what will you do?

479 replies

cottonwoolbrain · 11/02/2021 15:06

I am goign to be completely honest. I can't handle this anymore. I'm not sure what I'll do. I'm in tears every day now and the rest of the time just feel completely and utterly numb as if I'm doing everything on autopilot. Keep shoutinbg at the children - rate its going they'll get Stockholm Syndrome being coooped up with me as I am

DS (8) needs almost constant supervision to get him to do any work at all or even to sit in his chair. HIs school have great distance learning but I'm exhausted trying to get him to do it even with online classes. DD is 15. She's great at doing the work but is understandly stressed and lonely and worried about next years GCSEs and I feel like I'm getting the brunt of it.

I work part time and its the sort of job that requires high concentration levels. I can't just stop to answer questions about everything under the sun (including the flipping sun).

I'm breaking. Half term starts tomorrow. Hopefully a week of not home schooling will help and then I''ll be counting the days until March 8th but I'm so desperately worried they won't go back and I'm not sure what I'll do or how I'll cope.

DP helps as much as he can but most of its falling on me.

Sorry don't knwo what I'm saying except that i dont thknk I can hold out much longer and its messing up my children so badly.

OP posts:
tawnytowel · 12/02/2021 08:03

@snowydaysandholidays why don’t you give Boris a call and let him know what he needs to do? I’m sure he’d appreciate your advice.

Better still, maybe run for MP / PM?

Chewingle · 12/02/2021 08:04

[quote tawnytowel]**@snowydaysandholidays why don’t you give Boris a call and let him know what he needs to do? I’m sure he’d appreciate your advice.

Better still, maybe run for MP / PM?[/quote]
Odd post

@snowydaysandholidays. I totally agree

Howshouldibehave · 12/02/2021 08:18

Schools are still breaking the law if below the legal temperature (16C I believe?). They should be turning heating up sufficiently to compensate for the ventilation

I’m pretty sure the minimum temperature rules for workplaces don’t apply in schools.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
DenisetheMenace · 12/02/2021 08:27

Miljea

DenisetheMenace
GameSetMatch

I’ll just carry on, what else can one do? It won’t help crumbling to bits even if it’s what we all want to do.”

This, really. Crying every day and shouting at your kids is quite an extreme reaction. Have you sought outside help?

Are you normally this patronising?“

Patronising how? Someone who is this low obviously needs some help 🤷‍♀️

Bollss · 12/02/2021 08:27

Well actually, most of the best school systems in the world start formal schooling with reading and writing at age 6-7. There is a myriad of evidence that this is beneficial and children of 5 should still be spending the vast majority of their time playing

Ah yes it would have done wonders for all the should be reception starters to be totally isolated for a year. It's all well and good saying they start at 6 elsewhere.... yes, fine, but they don't have a year of total isolation beforehand because that's not beneficial. It's detrimental and it's cruel.

What would have happened with nurseries? They'd have less places for babies because they'd be full of 5 year olds who should have been going to school. What about parents who cannot afford another year of nursery or childcare?

What about universities? No intake for a whole hear? How does that work?

It didn't happen because frankly it's a fucking stupid idea.

RedcurrantPuff · 12/02/2021 08:29

@RedToothBrush

Today one parent posted a picture of her son on the school forum with a bunch of people not in her household whom they'd gone for a walk for. Along with a comment about poor little Oliver and how much he's missing other kids.

It hasn't gone unnoticed. Nor do I think it will be forgotten. Especially by the family who has a parent who is in his 50s and at risk if he gets covid due to serious underlying health issue.

Nor does it help that this kid is in school somedays as his mother is a keyworker. He's getting far more contact with other kids than many others. The school previously went above and beyond for this kid. I know some of the school staff are extremely pissed off at behaviour like this as it is. I can well see some of them taking it as a real slap in the face.

It will lead a divide with people going out of their way to avoid/ostracise/disengage with certain families.

Its not a good state of affairs.

Behaviour like what? Going for a walk? Presumably outside where risks of transmission are low?

Scotland have excluded children under 11 from the numbers for months now, shame the other UK nations don’t see sense on that too

Belladonna12 · 12/02/2021 09:14

@snowydaysandholidays

The time is fast approaching when the public say no to the government, they will refuse to comply and they take back their own lives. The government are misguided if they feel they continue to impose this on society for much longer. The right thing to do is lift restrictions very carefully starting with those that are the most safe, so progress can be felt. Schools are vital and need to be reopened.
You are deluded. I want the schools to go back but the public can't force them to open and teachers to go back. Most people don't want them to be open until cases are low enough for it to be sustainable.
Howshouldibehave · 12/02/2021 09:49

@snowydaysandholidays

The time is fast approaching when the public say no to the government, they will refuse to comply and they take back their own lives. The government are misguided if they feel they continue to impose this on society for much longer. The right thing to do is lift restrictions very carefully starting with those that are the most safe, so progress can be felt. Schools are vital and need to be reopened.
I doubt that large numbers of the public will decide to say no to the government and not comply.

Individuals might, of course, and I expect some would be caught and fined-or imprisoned for ten years! That is a choice they can make.

I’ll plod on in there home-schooling until the schools open. I’d much rather that was when the numbers were much lower and lots more people are vaccinated, rather than risk all this happening again in a month or two.

HazeyJaneII · 12/02/2021 10:07

The time is fast approaching when the public say no to the government, they will refuse to comply and they take back their own lives

Will they? Who are 'the public'? How will they 'refuse to comply'? What will they do to 'take back their own lives'?

HauntedPencil · 12/02/2021 10:14

Call in Anthea Turner!

Abraxan · 12/02/2021 10:28

@GalesThisMorning

I dont understand why people are telling me my school won't be opening after half term Confused school has emailed with a return date. Why would they lie??
If you are in England then the school won't know the official return date. No one in my school knows, not even the headteacher or the LEA. The government don't even know!

It may be that your child's,school is planning to admit more children under the 'vulnerable' or 'not able to engage with re one learning' as a way round this.

However they'd be going against government guidelines to be reopening to all without the government's say so. I'd be concerned about any school doing this.

ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia · 12/02/2021 10:36

Most British schools have remained partially open and never fully closed. English schools are not yet fully reopening as no date is set as of now plus in recent months there has been last minute government u turns as this all depends on the pandemic data which is naturally a direct result of our collective local daily Covid footprint, NHS capacity and vaccination success.

GalesThisMorning · 12/02/2021 10:47

@Abraxan - I'm in Wales. The government has said that infants will return from the 22nd. My school has given us a return date of the 25th. They are following government guidelines in doing so, I am not concerned by this.

toocold54 · 12/02/2021 10:47

May this has brought home to parents just how incapable our teachers are at their jobs and that the majority of what they are actually doing is nothing more than childminding our kids while we are at work.

@ElliFAntspooI
I assume you will be homeschooling after this then or finding a childminder instead - as surely you wouldn't allow your children to go back to school with teachers that are so incompetent and you will give them a proper education instead?

Snowsnowglorioussnow · 12/02/2021 10:48

I am with the wait as long as possible crowd - I am desperate to be able to enjoy the warmer months, walk where I like - sit outside pubs and cafes and go away etc....

Monkeytennis97 · 12/02/2021 10:49

@toocold54 I was wondering this too.

Chewingle · 12/02/2021 10:58

@SplunkPostGres

* I’m on my own and on my knees now. I work from home and attempt to home school a 7 year old. We aren’t leaving the house due to the exercise from home rule. There’s nowhere suitable to exercise from home. No park or anything. Yet we’re a five minute drive from the coast. Which isn’t allowed.*

Use. Your. Sense.

Chewingle · 12/02/2021 10:59

* May this has brought home to parents just how incapable our teachers are at their jobs and that the majority of what they are actually doing is nothing more than childminding our kids while we are at work.*

@ElliFAntspooI

Quite the opposite. I bow down to the teachers at the children’s school

toocold54 · 12/02/2021 11:00

@Monkeytennis97 I bet they are the sort of person to moan about the school constantly but then be the first in line when the schools re-open!

Snowsnowglorioussnow · 12/02/2021 11:52

5 mins to the coast is allowed!!

I thought all this had been cleared up!!

Chewingle · 12/02/2021 11:55

@Snowsnowglorioussnow

5 mins to the coast is allowed!!

I thought all this had been cleared up!!

Me too Sad to think of a 7 year old not getting any exercise because his mother has misinterpreted (unintentionally or wilfully) guidance
HauntedPencil · 12/02/2021 12:26

Neil Ferguson said today he thinks there will be "bandwidth" for some further school opening particularly primary.

Pyewhacket · 12/02/2021 12:27

Keep calm and carry on.

KindergartenKop · 12/02/2021 15:52

Sorry guys but it's unlikely that all the schools will just go back on 8th. If anything this will be the start of a phased return for key year groups. I know that's rubbish Sad

chocolateisavegetable · 12/02/2021 16:00

@SomethingOnce

I plan to superglue that morning’s least favourite DC to the headteacher, and run away.
I know that you a probably genuinely struggling, and I honestly do sympathise, but I must admit that the thought of headteachers having children superglued to them on the 8th March did bring a smile to my face!