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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If nurseries/schools open on 1st June will you be sending your child?

52 replies

Perqut · 13/05/2020 14:59

My son is 2 and has autism, before lockdown he was signed up to a small special needs nursery (12 children). He was due to start and then the pandemic hit.

I've heard from the nursery today who say they'll be reopening on 1st June all being well.

Due to the young age of the kids and the fact they all have SEN I think social distancing will be nigh on impossible.

I'm conflicted and would appreciate some input before I make my decision.

Are you sending yours?
Would you send DS if you were me?

YANBU - Yes you would send the DC
YABU - No you wouldn't

OP posts:
pandarific · 13/05/2020 17:42

Yes, our childminder is happy to go back and also he's only 18mo and is missing out on a lot of socialisation, and he's bored! We're both working nearly full time as usual so we're frazzled too.

It's a personal decision on your own circumstances I think.

Bubblebee7 · 13/05/2020 17:47

I will be sending mine. I think the fact that some will send their kids & some won’t will work to the teachers advantage as they will have less children at the start. I think it is a little early but as my child has attended school from the start I don’t mind.

PlatoAteMySnozcumber · 13/05/2020 17:48

Special needs or not, nurseries cannot practice social distancing as children that age are incapable of attending to their own needs. Social distancing measures will be implemented in primary school upwards.

Taddda · 13/05/2020 18:01

I'm in two minds...they sent through a detailed email today about what they are planning (nursery, dd1 is 2)- a couple of things - the use of facemasks for staff, handovers at the gates, temp testing at the door...it just makes it all sound so scary, for the sake of 3 afternoons a week..

Plus, it all now seems a bit rushed- I'm of the thinking for the sake of waiting 3 months, let them have a trial run on this I'll send her back in September-

I really want her to go back, I know she loves it there, but it does feel like I'm just going to be throwing her back at the earliest when there are still questions about safety?

EloiseTheFirst · 13/05/2020 18:10

Yes but we've had Covid19 so I'd have no reason not to.

Maryjane3227 · 13/05/2020 18:36

I suspect June 1st won't be happening because of the logistics of getting enough rooms and staff to split kids into groups of 10 or less, and also of how to stagger time in canteen etc and supervise breaks. I think the media have been really irresponsible in creating headlines our of dates and giving a false sense of hope to parents. Total sympathy to everyone who needs to get back to work, and to all the children who need their old routine and social lives back. This is so difficult.

Maryjane3227 · 13/05/2020 18:37

Sorry, I should add I'm referring to schools and know nothing about decisions around nurseries.

CeeCeeEnnEss · 13/05/2020 18:43

Yes I think so.

Thestrongestavenger · 13/05/2020 18:45

Yes I’ll be sending mine. I have one in reception and one nursery and will be sending them both back to school/nursery.

Poniesandgin · 13/05/2020 18:52

No I won’t be.

DH is a teacher and his union is telling him not to engage with talks of going back Confused

Stinkycatbreath · 13/05/2020 18:55

My son has been in all along. I have to work it is that simple.

bettertimesarecomingnow · 13/05/2020 19:01

Nope
Not a chance

itsamadmadworld · 13/05/2020 19:02

My little ones nursery has cleaned the building professionally that apparently also kills the virus, and haven't let parents past the front door. However I can't trust that the staff are sticking to social distancing, or that the children aren't being taken places that put them at risk so I wouldn't be putting my little one back in nursery on June 1st. I've had to cancel her place for different reasons and I'm kind of glad because had I kept her place I'd have to be paying for a day that I wouldn't be sending her in for.

chickenlegsforever · 13/05/2020 19:06

No theyve said they probably wont have their normal teacher and cant play with friends so whats the point. Will realy upset the little mites.

LudaMusser · 13/05/2020 19:07

No, MIL will have DD two days a week and I'll use holiday for the one other day as I'm back at work June 1st

PaulHollywoodsSexGut · 13/05/2020 19:08

Completely although here in Scotland I can’t see it happening until July for nursery and school in August.

On a personal note there are rumours about the Primary one intake being split with some starting August and the younger ones starting January 2021.

If that goes ahead I truly and genuinely believe my daughter’s mental health will suffer, she is confused about what is happening, misses her preschool teachers, is clingy to me as I’m working FT and I think I’m one of many in same boat, which is why I’m praying that Nicola comes out as soon as she can and admits no school until Aug and no childcare until (I guess) July.

Namesgonenow · 13/05/2020 19:10

YES. With bells on. Going back the very minute the doors open

x2boys · 13/05/2020 19:11

No my son also has autism and severe learning disabilities his special school have no plans Tolkien which I completely agree that.With.

HeckyPeck · 13/05/2020 19:12

Nope, our numbers are still too high. People seem to have very little regard to the safety of our children's teachers.

This.

x2boys · 13/05/2020 19:12

To open ffs.*

FTMF30 · 13/05/2020 19:12

@amijustparanoidorjuststoned Because some people don't live on Mumsnet a d won't have serm the other posts.

At the moment, we've decided to send DC in for 2 days a week afor the first few weeks.

ChocolateChipMuffin2016 · 13/05/2020 19:34

My initial thought was yes with bells on! I’m exhausted and could use a break, and then I thought it was mad. I can send my kid to socialise with 30 other kids but I can’t visit my own mum?! I’ve decided that mine will go back when my work reopens, but that’s basically because at that point I won’t have any other choice.

Whatsername177 · 13/05/2020 19:44

At the moment, no. Dd is in Yr 4. The guidance the government has issued suggest all primary children get a month of teaching before the summer. That means schools will reopen to R,Yr1 and Yr6 on June 1st and then dd and the rest on June 8th as our schools break up a week earlier than most. It seems rushed. If the rate of infection slows considerably in the next few weeks then we might consider it. I will be going back in as I teach secondary.

Original poster
Perqut · 13/05/2020 20:00

DH thinks he should go, I'm very much on the fence. I'm going to give it alot of thought over the coming week before I decide for sure.

There are some factors in favour, one being we may have already had the virus. I was ill at the end of March with something very unusual and had some of the less common symptoms (diarreah, metallic taste in mouth for a week, loss of appetite, fatigue and body aches, couldn't taste anything but metal). DD had a very mild cough at this time and one day of being very lethargic and definitely not right.

then 9-10 days later DS spiked a very high fever into the high 39's and wouldn't eat for days. I called 111 as in his two years of life he had never had a fever like that and they wrote him down as suspected covid and we had to self isolate. He couldn't be tested at the time as the guidance about families of keywords being tested hadn't been updated.

DH works in an extremely busy London supermarket so it would be very lucky if we hadn't had it.

But then I don't want to be complacent as there's no way of knowing whether any of that was covid or something totally unrelated.

The nursery has a very small number of children but the manager has already acknowledged that the children won't be able to social distance.

She assured me that they're going to be taking whatever measures they can including:

Staff to wear masks
Temperature checks
Plenty of hand washing / hand sanitizer
No parents past reception

Thank you for the perspective it's given me alot to consider

OP posts:
Growingboys · 13/05/2020 20:05

Yes