To feel I can't cope with schools only going back part time in August?

[jbonsor]

Just that. I was coping OK with lockdown, and trying to keep positive about juggling kids and working from home til June, then take a few weeks holiday over the summer just to do things with the kids even if still restricted. This week I have received a letter from my son's nursery to say he has a space for the 2020-2021 school year but that due to covid 19 they can't confirm pattern of attendance, as in, they can't confirm if he will have the 30 hours he was having since August. I also have read a lot that primary school might be 2 days only a week or a very day but only morning or afternoon session.. This has really tipped me over the edge as I am dreading having to keep juggling all this for over a year. This really puts a strain in family life and finances because now we have to basically decide on one income only, and not onky that but I don't feel I am that good at home schooling and feel like my kids are going to fall behind. Sometimes I can't believe how everything fell apart so spectacularly and how is the Scottish government deciding this is the best course of action without any regard for the mountain of problems this will bring to a huge amount of families.

My job disappeared with Covid and I have no idea what I can even commit to until schools are sorted out. Can't rely on DP's for help despite DC'S being educationally better off with an ex-teacher as over 70. It would not bother me to be in a full class of children, maybe that's the answer. I'm not qualified as a teacher (however I am numerate and literate), but as children are all at home at the moment, what does that matter. Maybe move those teachers that can't or don't want to go back onto SSP, DBS a load of parents that have lost jobs and are happy to work and pay them instead.

Yeah kids won’t be damaged, tell that to my nine year old who isn’t sleeping well, who is crying his heart out tonight because he misses his friends and sports so much. I’d say that’s pretty damn damaging. I’m doing my best, but I cannot replace his peer group.

There is no way this isn’t damaging for children and young people.

Already a generation more affected and confused than any that went before, now throw in isolation from all social activities, sports and hobbies, plus a “deadly virus”.

Maybe some parents think their kids are oblivious but the damage done now will show up later.

Think about the harm to children in going back to ‘school’ The emotional harm of being in school that isn’t school.... the anxiety, constantly being reminded to stay apart, not seeing all their friends or even their own teacher.. and academically probably not doing much more then what has been set online for them
#justsaying

Yeah kids won’t be damaged, tell that to my nine year old who isn’t sleeping well, who is crying his heart out tonight because he misses his friends and sports so much. I’d say that’s pretty damn damaging. I’m doing my best, but I cannot replace his peer group.

Yep. Identical for my 8yo. Can’t get to sleep, constantly on the edge of tears, doesn’t want to FaceTime his friends any more because it makes him too sad.

I’m so fucking sick of the ‘kids are resilient’ bollocks being spouted by many (including his own headteacher.) Some kids aren’t. Some do ok if they have access to the things that help them cope. Pretending all kids are having the time of their lives is pure gaslighting.

@Yorkshiretolondon do you honestly think that parents haven’t thought about that? Haven’t weighed up all those factors for their own children, how much we trust their teachers to make school and nursery a safe and positive place, even if it’s very different. Haven’t looked at the impact on our own children of the very limited options incredibly carefully?

Do you honesty think people are that callous and thick?

#stopbeingpatronising #justsaying

I just don’t think we’d be going on like this if if wasn’t for the fact it’s almost June.

I feel as though the academic year has been written off because ‘it’s nearly the summer anyway.’ Not for those kids it isn’t - their education stopped on March 20th.

If this pandemic had kicked off in September, there would have been a push to resume in January. It’s as though we can only think in terms.

I suppose if you left school and went to university then worked in schools, you’d have spent your life thinking September- July. I have a number of teacher friends and they don’t seem to ‘get’ that I don’t work in ‘terms.’ They will often put things off and say we will ‘do them in the holidays’ without considering that I don’t get the same holidays.

I used to work in schools and I found it hard to get anything new up and running in the summer term because the academic year is almost finished. I think this contributes to the feeling that we are writing the academic year off.

Our head teacher claims to be considering the children’s mental health when they go back (ie, not much academic work). However, they don’t show any understanding of their currently precarious mental health at all.

I say that as the mother of a Y6 who isn’t being allowed to go back (schools decision) but is really struggling now. There’s no way she can not be affected by another 3.5 months of this

Aren’t we the lucky ones to have well children to worry about.

Of course, Beanie, no one ever dies of anything but Covid. SO lucky, I am, to have a child dead from cancer and now a son who has autism, ADHD and OCD and a dyslexic daughter. But you know, at least it's not Covid. Should be so grateful to have their education de-railed for God knows how long because Nothing's As Important As Covid.

My daughter was at extreme risk of infection during her treatment and would have been for well over a year had she lived.

Didn't expect the entire world to shut down because of it. Thousands of people are in the same boat she was every year. But they make the adjustments not the entire society.

Why do people think passive aggressive attempts to patronise and shame actually work on people?

@beanie3 what's that meant to mean

My first child was still born, I lost my hubby at a very young age..leaving me with our 12 year old son..

So I should count my blessings ds is wel??
I do every day but it doesnt stop me worrying about his future
And the effect this lockduwn is having ion his grief

You have no idea whats going on in people's lives

#justsayin is one of the most condescendingly irritating phrases about at present.

@beanie3 what's that meant to mean

Oh, it's meant as a passive aggressive attempt to bully and shame you to shut up and bow to the Almighty Covid, fraser. You're not allowed to worry about something so petty as your child's education because you know, Covid. Sorry about your loss .

It has only been since last year children in Scotland started school and stayed the full day from the very beginning.
For many, many, many years previous all new starts (primary one) done half day’s for weeks. It was only after the September weekend they attended full time.
So in reality the only year this has not been the norm was 2019.

*Days not day’s - I’m on my phone at it autocorrects almost all words ending in a s to ‘s

OP are you serious
"Only a small fraction of people will be hospitalized if they become infected "
What about the huge numbers that have died and yes numbers have decreased dramatically but that's because we were all in lockdown.
Don't you think the government want to make sure that it's a safe environment our kids are going back to?
It's obvious until there's a vaccine the class sizes of 25+ won't be able to continue so split days is the only way. For me I'd rather know my son is going back to a school with social distancing in place so he the teacher and other kids will be safe. The last thing anyone wants is a second peak and that will happen sending large classes back. Safety first in my eyes everything else comes after that.
The sad thing is most households will have 1 parent at home as businesses have said they will have to make people redundant as the number of workers allowed in one place at a time will be dramatically different so keep all staff and split the days or lay people off. Everything will be different due to distancing whether we like it or not.

It's obvious until there's a vaccine the class sizes of 25+ won't be able to continue so split days is the only way.

This is not obvious. Why do people insist on spouting unscientific bollocks?

Prevalence will be the main determinant of restrictions, alongside R.

There’s a lot of talk about a ‘safe environment’ - there’s no such thing as a safe environment! You could be run over crossing the street, knocked off your bike or catch any number of really nasty illnesses, any one of which might kill you. That is why life is so very precious, and why we have to live it! I appreciate that a lot of people are very scared, and people have died with Covid, but surely we need to balance that against all the damage that is being done at the moment. There will inevitably be more cases (the famous second peak), maybe a vaccine will be developed, maybe it won’t, but the virus will mutate and it will come back until either it burns itself out or something worse comes along. As the human race has throughout history, let’s make the best of things on our teeny blue planet where (let’s face it) everything is trying to kill you, and stop being so frightened and horrible to everyone else (small children yelling ‘2 metres!!’ is not really the key message I’d have hoped anyone would walk away with from 2020!). And also remember the ‘stay at home’ message has always been about protecting the NHS from being overwhelmed by spreading the ‘peak’ over a longer period, not about making sure that no-one dies with Covid, noting that a vey small number of people have died due to that and that alone.

@JassyRadlett the ‘kids are resilient’ stuff really bothers me.

Tell that to every therapist in the world, trying to help adults whose fears and relationships with others and the world around them were forged in childhood when their brains were developing.

Daffodil, I complete agree with you that People have just written the year off - ‘what’s the point in going back for only 7 weeks?’ Erm, 7 weeks is a long time! It’s 1/6 of the school year. Children can learn a lot in 6 weeks.

Re the vaccine, I read yesterday the oxford group are worried they won’t be able to find enough people to test because the numbers of people with covid In the UK are dropping so quickly!

6 weeks/7 weeks, what’s the difference 😂 must learn to proof read

There's too many sweeping statements on this thread and every household is different.

My kids are not remotely bothered by lockdown. My eldest has nearly finished her diploma and has been offered an unconditional place on her coveted degree course and my 14 year old is merrily doing her schoolwork every day and has told me she wishes she could be home schooled..... mine have positively thrived.

It's been hard on finances but other than that we've been great: we've changed our shopping/cooking habits, we're getting out to walk more and are spending way more time together as a family, plus I'm resting when I'm supposed to instead of running myself ragged with activities.

Far from missing their friends they've actually made new friendships as they have a whole year group on their school WhatsApp and are interacting with people they wouldn't have done previously and DD has now got a new best friend!

Lockdown is very much what you make it.

There's too many sweeping statements on this thread

Lockdown is very much what you make it.

Oh the irony!

Yes, clearly if your children are "thriving" in lockdown it's nothing to do with luck or privilege, it's what you've made of it. All those families who are struggling due to job losses, bereavements, children with complex needs, poor/overcrowded housing and a host of other complicated problems could all be having a lovely time if they just resolved to make the best of it.

Seniors are missing too!! All Kids will be affected. Them Most of all as they will be paying for it in taxes for their whole life.

Education is highly valued in 3rd world country's. Ask yourself why??

My post above was directed as Mason not the Op