To feel so confused and worried...

[stilltiredinthemorning]

About sending my children back to nursery.

I know there's probably other threads about this, sorry.

I work for the NHS, but my husband has been furloughed from a job he cannot do from home. He will be expected back from the 1st.

I guess if we really pushed we might be able to get unpaid leave and divide childcare, but I don't know how long our employers would tolerate that (we're both in senior/management roles) and tbh I don't think we could afford to do it for long.

I can't honestly see/understand why there are so many concerns about sending children back to childcare, but literally ALL my friends who are teachers or work in education have said there's no way they'll be sending theirs in. I feel like I must be missing something and obviously the safety of our children is more important than paying the mortgage...

Didn't mean to enable voting!

I'm guessing by the total lack of response that everyone is sick to death of the subject

I believe that children should be kept away from schools and nurseries where possible, partly to help families who don’t have a choice. So if your child went to nursery but most of the other parents kept their kids off, that’s fewer bodies for your child to come into contact with and the spread of the virus can still be limited.

Having said that, it may be worth you and your husband having a conversation with your employers and being honest about your situation and concerns. My husband has always made it clear to his employers that family comes before work and he’s always been able to negotiate flexibility by having that dialogue. Nothing may come of it but I really do think that employers need to work with parents as much as possible at this time

I'm sorry but I dont know what the answer is. All I can say is that teachers are the people who actually know how schools run and work. What is practical and safe. So when teachers say they wouldn't send their own child there is a reason. I am a secondary teacher with a primary school child. I will keep her home for the reasons outlined above until I have to return. At the end of the day it's personal choice.

Well there have been dozens if threads about this. Frankly I'm sending my kids back as soon as possible. They are secondary school age though. But really the chances of anyone getting anything are small. Even in London where there have been 26,000+ positive tests, that is out of a population of several million.