Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Bollss · 07/05/2020 08:35

If nursery are given the chance to re open the WILL re open because they're a business.

But you're naive if you don't think the government will have a say in whether it's primary or secondary at least.

Nodancingshoes · 07/05/2020 08:36

We have been open the whole time for critical workers children. We are hoping we can reopen properly in June. If we cant, there may not be a nursery left to open :(

my2bundles · 07/05/2020 08:40

It won't be one or the other. Primaries would prioritise their year groups and secondry would prioritise their year groups. You carnt fI'll a primary will every year group and run it safely at the moment. Not all nurseries are private, example the ones in schools.

Incrediblytired · 07/05/2020 08:40

They need to be clear though. Nursery’s are germfests with no likelihood of social distancing.

They need to be clearer on children in the vulnerable groups though - and children of parents in the vulnerable groups.

I’ve got asthma and I’ve been very careful for the past 7 weeks, I’m not about to send my daughter to nursery to fetch me a dose of corona.

Bollss · 07/05/2020 08:52

It won't be one or the other. Primaries would prioritise their year groups and secondry would prioritise their year groups. You carnt fI'll a primary will every year group and run it safely at the moment. Not all nurseries are private, example the ones in schools

So nobody else can speculate but of course you know what will happen. It's entirely possible they'll open some primaries first.

I'm under no illusion that all years will be open.

Frankly it doesn't matter to me personally until September and I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

We just need clarification!

my2bundles · 07/05/2020 08:54

Exactly, there needs to be very carefully planning for every eventuality. It's not going to be a case of just throwing the doors open to everyone on a few weeks like some posters seem to think. We all need to be patient My kids are not in essential years so I highly doubt they will be back before Sept, years reception, 6 and gcse and A level years will I suspectl be prioritised.

my2bundles · 07/05/2020 08:57

Why would they open primaries first and leave secondry school standing empty dear god if there's a chance to take in priority years of course they are going to do that. They arnt going to wait around for primaries, who have nothing to do with running secondry school to get going first with their priority years.

my2bundles · 07/05/2020 09:05

News Flash this is a pandemic. You won't get clarity. Even if a plan is made for schools it could change at anyour time. You need to plan around that possibility.

Bollss · 07/05/2020 09:22

Because secondary schools would be harder to organise. Kids move round the building where as primary kids don't do that.

Bollss · 07/05/2020 09:23

Do you have to be so condescending?

What would you suggest I plan?

I have a nursery place

Hell I also have a childminder plsve

Can I use either of them if they're closed? No!

I've actually applied for a weekend job to work around my other half.

I'm not sure what else I can do!

okiedokieme · 07/05/2020 09:30

When the schools were closed in the week up to lockdown the government only closed state schools and highly recommended private schools and nurseries followed suit, legally they were only forced to shut on the Monday (and some boarding schools still have students now as they couldn't get home). Once the government has made a decision on schools whether a nationwide decision or delegated to areas on reopening, private providers will make their own decisions on reopening, eg a childminder may reopen straight away as they can react quickly whereas a nursery needs to get staff back off furlough and consider safety and distancing between classes, etc because spreading viruses (in general) increases with larger settings and kids won't stay apart!

IndecentFeminist · 07/05/2020 09:36

School reopening will consider employment, or course it will. Whether we like it or not part of the function of mass education is enabling parents to work.

user1471523870 · 07/05/2020 09:46

Italy is reopening nurseries from 1st June. We are few weeks behind, I am wondering if we will be allowed later or same date....

my2bundles · 07/05/2020 09:47

Genie. Yes secondry schools will be hard to plan, so will primaries with children who don't understand social distancing. Which is why it will be a phased return with priority year groups. Which has bern my point all along.

Bollss · 07/05/2020 09:55

Yes the same point I've made!! Which was wrong because I'm speculating and don't know because the government haven't said ..

But you're right of course......

my2bundles · 07/05/2020 09:59

Genie. Welcome to parenthood. This is just tbe start and ultimately they are your responsibility . It's a pandemic, we are ALL trying to get thro this. Us with older kids do not have it easiet than you, not by a long shot . Older kids often are unable to be self sufficient aswell not just younger kids. Kids akso meed full time care and supervision, just because they wre older that disent take that away.It's the usual case of parents of younger kids thinking the world revolves around their kids and their needs, it dosent. Schools will open when government decides, with restrictions to class sizes and year groups.we all just need to accept that and adapt.

my2bundles · 07/05/2020 10:00

Actually governmentr have said schools will return in a phased manner.

Bollss · 07/05/2020 10:04

Please stop being so fucking patronising.

I know my son is my responsibility which is why I found childcare. And backup childcare. So we could work to you know house and feed him.

I didn't have a plan for a sodding pandemic and neither did anyone else.

I haven't said he is more important than anyone else but TO THE ECONOMY it is important that children go back to school.

I will accept it and adapt but don't you dare bleat on at me about my responsibility as if the lack of childcare is my own stupid fault.

Funny cos you said government hadn't said anything about schools a few pages back.

my2bundles · 07/05/2020 10:15

They haven't said anything about when they will return eg no dates. They have said multiple times it will be phased. You are a 2 parent family, you can work weekends if needs be, that is what I mean by adapting. When people start saying secondry is less important than primary purely for employment purposes I'm not going to take kind to that. My child's secondry education is more important to them than your job is to them. They have worked hard and aim not going to have some random on the Internet saying their jobs and younger kids take priority when schools reopen.

Bollss · 07/05/2020 10:19

I have applied to work weekends but it's not going to make up for a full time wage is it? Not even half.

Nobody's said secondary education is less important than primary.

In terms of the economy it gets more people back to which is important. You can deny it until you're blue in the face but it doesn't stop being true.

happyandsingle · 07/05/2020 10:20

I work in a nursery and while the risk is still high I don't want to go back to work.
Nursery is a hot bed for germs at the best of times.Ireland have said they are reopening nurseries in July which sounds the most sensible thing to do.

snowballer · 07/05/2020 10:42

Actually governmentr have said schools will return in a phased manner.

I thought you strongly stated they'd said nothing about it and therefore no one was allowed to speculate?

IndecentFeminist · 07/05/2020 11:53

I'm sorry @my2bundles, isn't the entire premise of your argument that the government haven't discussed schools? Only, now they have? So why the hell have you been patronising and hectoring everyone on this thread?

hammeringinmyhead · 07/05/2020 12:55

Green tulips is right, parents of small children are no more important than any other group in employment. Their education is no more important than the education of secondry school kids.

So, 100 employees, including those with secondary age kids, are asked to return to work next week. 13 of them say no, sorry, I have a nursery age kid and they are closed. Let's just condemn all those women (and it will be women) to be first on the chopping block for redundancies, shall we? Plus whatever proportion have primary kids as I wouldn't call them "small".

hammeringinmyhead · 07/05/2020 12:56

She's bored, obvs. Cause secondary age kids don't need 24/7 supervision. Oh wait.