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

[cottonwoolbrain]

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.

I'm not sure you know what Stockholm Syndrome is?

Some schools are anticipating 8th March return.
What they won't have is a lot of staff.

Oh it’s rubbish. My two are teenagers big their mental health is rubbish. Working full time with no support. Ex had had them maybe 5 times in 6 years 😢

Opening schools after the Easter holidays would be fine by me but I really really hope we can meet up in small numbers outside in some shape or form, before then.
But I realize that all of the above will depend on the hospitalization / case numbers so I am not pinning my hopes on any thing yet.

For those saying schools are not safe - how much safer do you want it to be?! Once all those vulnerable are vaccinated, I don't see how it can get much safer.... children are at almost zero risk from this. I'm far more worried about my teen SEN child who is now at the point where he is banging his head against the table and telling me he feels depressed and who cannot cope with online lessons. There are thousands of children feeling like that, who are desperate for normal life to resume and have sacrificed an awful lot this year, when they themselves are at no risk whatsoever. I'm very worried at what all this is doing to children and it has to stop.

I’ll be relieved if they don’t go back.

Be sad for my son as he’s an only child (I think only children should have been allowed to form a Bubble with another child so they at least get some no adult contact).

But otherwise just carry on. I work full time but never in my life have I been so glad to have ADHD meaning I can jump really quickly between different things. My DH struggles with lots of academic stuff so the teaching is mainly down to me. DH is great with the IT, sorting reading etc

@oxonlady
There are adults in schools too.

Surely no one goes to work for s*s and giggles. Everyone therefore is key so sod it, everyone who works should take their save and send them back!

We currently entitled to one but we didn’t take it to further help with numbers but the more the numbers come down the further the goal posts move and it’s entirely unfair or warranted.

My poor lonely child will be going back and I hope everyone else does too!

Carry on as I am.
My five children are doing ok with their online learning. The youngest occasionally needs a bit of support. I am in school full time teaching out Kw and v pupils. My dh is working from home full time. It isn’t ideal at all but having had covid in early January I am not keen for schools to return fully until the time is right.

In the 1970's I went to a school that was part of an experiment. Every day I had to do some reading and some maths and that was it - I was allowed to play all day after that. I did get bored and I did leave the school when I was age 9 because we moved to a different area however I now have 2 degrees and this early years experiment didn't harm my education at all.
I firm believe that education takes many forms, not just school work. Nature that is around some of us, finances, cooking, creativity etc.
I don't think any parents should be feeling that all the set school work is compulsory.

children are at almost zero risk

So your school has no adults in it

Then when children take it home and it spreads to adults who go to work, shops etc incubating the virus hence community spread.

There are plenty of graphs to show cases in schools prior to lockdown which was inevitable given little or no PPE, SD, large gatherings and claims of knowing what was a bug or covid without testing.

Oh and my five children do not get a kw place as my Dh is not a kw and can work from home.

It is compulsory for a school to offer online learning.

It is NOT compulsory for you do it.

Do what you can but don’t risk yours, your children mental or physical health.

Send pictures, videos etc of alternative learning such as baking, forest school(walks in the woods), life skills (cooking, washing etc) and even fine motor skills (using a games controller).

I’m sooooo with you. I feel miserable, then feel like am i failing as a parent because I can’t be at home with my two darling children. My daughter (6) cries everyday because she can’t go to school and doesn’t want to do the work. I cry everyday because she’s crying and I feel like I’m failing her. My son is lucky enough to go to nursery a few days a week but that makes my daughter worse because she resents him for being able to see his friends. They have failed our children and we’re blaming ourselves. Normally a very active positive family and we’ve just had enough!

@Palaver1

Some schools are anticipating 8th March return. What they won't have is a lot of staff.

Why won't they have a lot of staff?

children are at almost zero risk

Our school had 2 teachers test positive last week - 1 hadn't been in school all week just went in for the lateral flow.....

Anyway the students that are in school ALL tested NEGATIVE!

My dh is at work and we could have got a kw place at school for our dd10 but decided not to. I'm self employed (my clothing shop is closed). I feel like I'm living ground hog day- I hate my life atm but I havent talked to anyone yet who doesnt. It's a bag of shite but what can we do? If my shop is allowed to open before kids go back then I may have to apply for the kw place as I work on my own. Overall home schooling isnt going too bad now we have a routine and tbf the school have a great schedule on teams but I am insisting we get out the house for an hour walk every day which does help I think. It's tough but try to make the best of it. Chin up x

ps whilst I hate being at home ironically dh hates being at work which makes you think.....

I hear you, I hear you loud and clear. This will be echoed all across the country and is the same here. My DS is in year 7 and is doing pretty well, but DD year 2 is really struggling. She is missing her friends so much she is becoming difficult to manage and throws a stop of anger at the slightest thing which she then struggles to get out of. This is massively affecting our relationship. I’m the same, I don’t really know how I will manage if they don’t go back on the 8th, I can’t bring myself to doubt that they won’t, the school are planning that they will I’m just holding onto that hope. The mental health impact of these lockdowns will be with us for a long time

@spababe totally agree, but in reality if you are WFH FT you don't have time to spend supporting you kids with any of these things either.

I'm honestly not doing enough, I know I'm not but I'm just struggling so much. I work full time from home in a very demanding job, I'm a single parent so no dp to help and ds is only 5 so cant really do any independent learning. He watches tv all day and I've never felt more like I'm failing him. That being said paying my mortgage has to be my priority, I feel like it's an impossible choice most days tho. Praying it's safe to open schools soon

I doubt very much all children will return. I am very despondent x

It is so hard at the moment. I also have an 8 yo and a 5 yo. They are good kids but we also battle and we're all sick of the sight of each other. Me and my dh are both wfh and schooling the kids in a 'fun' way and trying to maintain the house which is an absolute hole. I've tried to maintain maths and English each day as priority. Everything else wither gets done or it doesn't. Hopefully we'll all feel better after the half term. Its hard work. Hang in there.

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!

Ah, no worries, @chocolateisavegetable, happy to have raised a smile

From what I hear from other mums this is happening in nearly every home with kids. It's such an unreal situation. I'm a grandmother now but had 4 kids and can't imagine how I'd have coped. I see my 2 eldest daughters having to manage and feel quite helpless. You're doing the best you can. There is huge pressure on the government to open schools. The vaccination programme is going really well. You'll get there and all this will be a distant memory. Good luck OP