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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder what is going to happen with nurseries?!

164 replies

TeddyIsaHe · 05/05/2020 21:33

I haven’t seen any mention of nurseries/early years at all in the news/daily updates and it’s starting to stress me out slightly.

Before anyone says anything, I KNOW lockdown is important. But so is mental health, and I’m honestly at breaking point at the moment. It would be really helpful to just have some inkling of a end point where we can all aim for.

But all talk is about schools etc. Surely early years is just as, if not more important to get the economy back up and running?!

OP posts:

ScarfLadysBag · 05/05/2020 22:35

I've been thinking about this as my DD was due to start nursery, just for a day and a half a week, in June. But DH was saying that even if they did open soon, he's not sure whether we should send her, as we don't strictly have to - it's just so I can get some time to work instead of having to work evenings and so she can be around other kids and get a change of scenery.

I think we probably will send her when it's deemed safe to reopen, as on the balance of things I think the benefits outweigh the risks. But there's no way nurseries can practice social distancing or should be asked to, so they may well be one of the later things to open.

Bollss · 05/05/2020 22:36

So we send out children and staff back to nursery but we still
Social distance elsewhere? It dilutes the message of social distancing

No. No it doesn't.

We have to keep the R below one.

A number of factors will contribute to that. Washing hands, queueing at supermarkets, working from home, etc etc etc

If we can do all that and open schools and still keep below 1....jobs a gooden.

We cannot stay at home forever. That is not what lockdown ever was....

ArchbishopOfBanterbury · 05/05/2020 22:40

I think they will have to do a very gentle phased introduction. I'm worried about separation anxiety when my little one does go into nursery. The last few months he's been used to being with me 24/7, and no socialising at all.

SarahAndQuack · 05/05/2020 22:44

Oh, don't be so silly @my2bundles.

No one is saying 'woo hoo, lemme infect everyone with my magic toddler'.

The OP is worried.

As the government has taken childcare into consideration, quite explicitly, it is not unreasonable to wonder what will happen.

If you have forgotten the discussions of shutting nurseries and schools prior to lockdown, I suggest you perhaps stop spreading your misinformation until you've had a chance to revisit the facts.

Cremebrule · 05/05/2020 22:45

I’m really torn. If nurseries opened tomorrow I’d send my older child. I wouldn’t want to send my younger one though. I also think they are going to need to be more cautious now they have the alert of the Kawasaki symptoms in some children. While everyone seems to be thinking children aren’t as badly affected, I don’t know how much those alerts might affect things. Care home deaths might already blow up into a massive scandal. I’d have thought the PM would want to be v cautious about small children.

Freddiefox · 05/05/2020 22:51

No. No it doesn't.
I disagree with you. I think it does dilute the message, and I think people will just give up
With it. If kids are mixing so will parents.

We cannot stay at home forever. That is not what lockdown ever was...

I’ve not suggests it’s was, and of course we can’t stay home forever. But when we do open schools and nursery let not do it under the illusion that their will be social distancing. Let’s just be honest.

tipon · 05/05/2020 22:53

I'm not sure I would send DD if they opened soon. She's desperate for some company her own age though and really misses her friends and the staff but I have mixed feeling about her being there as we have a choice.

Nurseries are key in safeguarding terms though, under 5's are the most vulnerable so it wouldn't surprise me if they open.

StatisticallyChallenged · 05/05/2020 22:54

Try being a provider of after school and holiday care - now they really don't get mentioned, even got missed off the original closure announcements!

I'd like to see childcare allowed to go back over summer (in Scotland, so earlier finish here) as a partial release. Only a fraction of kids use holiday care vs school. Let private nurseries open over sumer too. Judge impact from there. Decent weather, lots of outdoor time, more space than most schools.

If schools are part time I'd also allow off site providers to run full day care for those who need to work on the days their kids aren't in school. Numbers could be kept low and more socially distanced than classrooms (not that kids will actually distance but...) and if they were bringing in certain year groups on certain days then the additional risk would be minimal as they'd be mixing with the same children at the childcare as at school. Again only a small proportion would need this, but it would be a godsend for those who did.

Bollss · 05/05/2020 22:54

I never said there would be social distancing inside schools. Doesn't mean it won't continue outside schools.

Parents might be allowed to mix but we might still be queueing outside Asda. And no concerts or flights etc.

It's not all or nothing.

my2bundles · 06/05/2020 09:13

Well just had an email frim my child's school telling us that even tho there's been many speculations in the press about schools reopening they have heard nothing, I repeat nothing from the government about this. No guidelines of how to open, no indication of start date, nothing. When government announces tne plans schools will directly contact parents with all the emails details. Stop listening to the media

Original poster

TeddyIsaHe · 06/05/2020 09:15

Just caught up with everyone.

I do agree with the ‘it’s not all or nothing’ mentality. At some point we are going to have to get back to a semblance of normality. The point of lockdown wasn’t to prevent the spread (we need I think around 80% of the pop. to get it for herd immunity) but to stop the NHS being overwhelmed. Which is has done - the Nightingale hospitals are being closed. People do have to get covid to be able to protect the vulnerable. Unless they do manage to sort out a vaccine. Which I don’t think is likely for another year or 2.

I do think the govt not giving clear guidelines is a huge hinderance. People can work towards an end. And I think they believe we’re stupid if they say lockdown will end on this date, and assume we’re all just going to go out.

I’m just frustrated and stressed, Dd is unhappy being at home all the time and we both need (as do millions of other people!) to see how we’re going to move past this.

OP posts:

my2bundles · 06/05/2020 09:19

Sarah. My facts come straight from the government brinnings not social media maybe it's u who should check your facts. Schools do not have any information to reopen, nothing, my child's school confirmed this today. Now maybe stop guessing what will happen and wait for an actual announcement.

YappityYapYap · 06/05/2020 09:26

From what Nicola has been saying, there is no rush to get the kids back to school/nursery in Scotland. My DS is in his first year of preschool nursery at the moment. He was a Janaury starter so he only had a few weeks in nursery before the lockdown started. If he doesn't return until after the summer holidays, he will have only had 1 year of preschool before starting school which I don't think will be enough. He is already behind, can't talk and is being assessed but we have been told he will 100% be mainstream due to being low on the spectrum if he has got autism. Me and DH were just talking and we're thinking about seeing if he can be held back a year and not go to school in August 2021 and instead go in August 2022 so he gets 2 years of preschool before he starts school. He needs it and we need more time for him to get speech therapy and things which has never really started and no idea when it will again.

Has anyone else done this? Thanks

Eeyoresstickhouse · 06/05/2020 09:29

The government have been leaking certain aspects to the media to get public opinion. So some (note the some) of what is printed will be accurate.

I will send my preschooler back as soon as they reopen at her childcare as her mental health is being affected far more than the risk of covid. That is my personal risk assessment of my situation.

Also do parents realise they will still have to pay for childcare if they are open and it's your personal choice not to send them, if that is what is written in your contract?

Bollss · 06/05/2020 09:31

@my2bundles if you hadn't already noticed we ARE waiting for a government announcement. We are annoyed that there has not been one.

Original poster

TeddyIsaHe · 06/05/2020 09:37

@ YappityYapYap I think it it was me I’d definitely defer a year. It’ll ease the pressure on all of you and that in itself will help.

OP posts:

Singinginshower · 06/05/2020 09:40

YappityYapYap
You could try the SN boards to see other people's school experience with delayed children

my2bundles · 06/05/2020 09:42

Except you are making out you already know what is happening g. The OP said there's been lots of talk about what will happen to schools, this is false. She also said nursery opening is more important . than schools, this is also false. I am allowed to point out the error in the OP.

Original poster

TeddyIsaHe · 06/05/2020 09:53

It’s not false, there has been loads of speculation about schools.

Nurseries and primary schools are far more important to the economy that secondary or unis going back. Hence why I included early years in my op.

OP posts:

my2bundles · 06/05/2020 09:56

Speculation is not facts from tne government, which is why the OP was false . Also secondry are equally as important as nurserys and primary school, the higher years are taking gcse and aA level next year, these kids are the direct future for the economy.

Original poster

TeddyIsaHe · 06/05/2020 10:00

Yes but we actually need to recover the economy now, not in 15/20 years. Hence why secondaries are likely to be the last to open. That is fact, not speculation.

Do you have secondary age kids by any chance?

OP posts:

Lindy2 · 06/05/2020 10:02

I'm a childminder and at the moment I really don't know if I will open again, even if the Government say we can.

Small children do don't social distance and are notorious prolific germ spreaders, even if some people try to claim they are not.

Even if the R rate was 1, I really don't fancy myself and my family being the ones at more risk of being those 1s by caring for other people's children in my home.

I really don't know what to do and many childminders are also feeling the same way. I do know some that are keen to restart though - however, I just can't get that enthusiasm myself.

There could well be less providers out there going forward which could make things tricky.

DivGirl · 06/05/2020 10:03

I hope nurseries remain closed until the end of June at the earliest. I really don't want them to open with no option of resettling sessions, and having to just plop DS at the door and run off. By then I'll also have saved enough in nursery fees to have a house deposit together!

my2bundles · 06/05/2020 10:03

Yes I do have secondry age. These kids are tne future workers in tne next few years not 20. These kids have worked incredibly hard and are missing vital parts of teaching and course work which will affect grades. You saying they are not as important as nurserys kids is insulting to them.

Original poster

TeddyIsaHe · 06/05/2020 10:05

They won’t have a future if we don’t have an economy, that’s the fact of the matter.

You can’t restart the economy without people going to work. For people to go to work you need childcare and primaries to be open. It’s not rocket science.

OP posts:

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