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.

Hmm yeah. Thought that would probably be the case frasersmummy

Sorry Devlesko I asked some questions earlier but may have missed the answers.
What is going to happen to existing mortgages, taken out on a double salary? UC doesn’t support mortgage payments.
If vast numbers of people leave their tax paying jobs to go on to tax funded UC, where is the money going to come from to fund that UC?

@savehalloween My husband has been relying on SEISS too thanks so you don’t know anything about my situation. It’s not about a men/women thing is what I’m saying, it’s about whoever has the flexibility and whoever earns the most.
Also, people on the frontline caring for people suffering with Covid19 have ppe and caring for sick people is what they took on with the job - I’m not saying that means it’s ok for them to risk catching this virus, but I am saying I NEVER thought I’d have to risk my health for my job, that I’d have to go into a classroom and be around 15 small children when I can’t give my niece and nephew a hug and my kids can’t see their grandparents. And for the record, I didn’t say I wasn’t happy to go back - I responded to someone else saying social distancing shouldn’t happen in schools. Clearly if I have to socially distance outside of school, then I should in school too.
I stand by comment - it’s a job. It’s what I do to fund my life, which I’d like to continue to live!
My husband’s business doesn’t exist at the moment - so fuck off telling me to get my head out of my arse. My fucking point is it’s not always women who have to pick up the slack with the kids.

Haven't rtft but my DD (7) is one of the lucky ones you'd think, as she is getting full teaching from school over Google Meets, we have a spare cheap laptop she's using and we have reliable internet, a printer and a good stock of all the other things we need such as art materials, reading books etc. It's still taking us all our spare time and daily shouting matches to get a reasonable amount of work out of her as well as to keep on top of our own work.

Online learning is no substitute for the real thing unless you have an unusually compliant and self-sufficient child!

The teenagers I teach are managing fine academically but I'm not sure how good they're feeling.

There is such an important social element to school.

Wonder how all the children evacuated during the war coped. They did by the way

Deepmidwicket I don’t know, how many studies were done on the mental and physical health impacts on refugees? Would be interested to see some.

I couldnt cope with that long term either OP.

I didnt sign up for full time 24/7 kids home and being educated be me. If I'm.being honest I can't home ed but I can pay for home ed type packages online and that would be longer term plan.

It isnt setting kids up for a equal footing in life

Wonder how all the children evacuated during the war coped.

Bigger classes, teachers pulled out of retirement, some rural schools taught the local children for half the day and the evacuees for the other half. Some private schools relocated the whole school and carried on as they were. It did have an effect on children's education although I'm not sure how you'd separate that out from the massive disruption to their lives caused by evacuation.

Drivingdownthe101

I don't think people are banned from moving somewhere cheaper, or smaller.
If you reread my post TC/ UC was only one of the examples I gave. The others were one salary split in half with both working saving childcare costs, hence not needing a second salary.
How can everyone need 2 salaries when many manage it on one.
Childcare is expensive and can cost a full salary anyway.

They didn't all cope. There are some devastating memoirs if you care to look. And many came back as they hated it so much.

@Devlesko if you think there will be mobility in the housing market think again.

@Devlesko I agree with you. A lot of women facilitate their partners doing nothing. Women to describe their husbands as ‘babysitting the kids’ if they go out, like their husbands are doing them a favour.

How can everyone need 2 salaries when many manage it on one

Those two salary households are paying more tax. Tax that helps pay for UC/TC. And for the NHS. And for many other public services.
People paying childcare keeps childcare providers in jobs. These childcare providers also pay tax on that income.
More people at home... less tax paid. Fewer jobs for others... less tax paid. An entire generation of households going down to one income would mean an economy even more fucked than the one we are currently facing.

And yeah, how many people do you think are going to be buying or selling houses at the moment? I suppose they could move into the vast number of available social housing... oh wait.

I'm so sick of the comparison to the war.

During the war neighbourhoods came together. They did what they could for each other. They hugged each other they drank tea in each others houses
We are being told to do the exact opposite of this

During the war im sure schooling was different but that was 75 years ago anyway.. So school was very different then anyway

Plus during the war the chance of death was a lot higher and a lot more real than it is from covid

@Devlesko you've not answered the question that I've asked twice: how do you expect single parents to manage?

This is a short-term situation. Children will not suffer long-term damage, humans are a resilient species and a few months away from school, missing a few months education, a few months away from friends will be largely forgotten once things go back to normal. They will pick up where they left off. Worse things have happened.

Children have survived serious illness, war, poverty, abuse, loss, etc. They leave their mark for sure but contribute to the people they become. Being away from school and friends for a bit is nothing compared to those things. They will be fine. They will take something from it.

They've already had a few months with no school though, and now we're talking about partial school starting from August until... when exactly? Rest of the academic year? Until there's a vaccine? Who knows! Yeah I'm sure it's not quite as shit for them as being bombed in Aleppo would be but it's not a little irrelevant blip in their lives either.

Honestly we get it Devlesko. You exist on barely any money so you think we all should. You’ve mentioned it on enough threads.
The fact is that our economy runs on people spending money. People need to earn money to spend it. People need to pay taxes to pay for services, and for benefits.
And where do you think all these small, cheap houses will come from?

Boxachocs

I don't get it I'm afraid.
I'm in my 50's and started having my dc beginning of 90's.
Women were more equal in their relationships back then than they are today.
Is it because childcare is so readily available these days (covid aside) that makes it normal for both parents to pass the childcare over to someone else, and not expect fathers to be in the picture apart from earning?
I gave up my career out of choice, no other reason except I wanted to be a sahm. I was the bigger earner by far, but dh supported my view. We have managed over the years, hardly a life a luxury but very happy.
There's absolutely no way I'd have stopped for any other reason, and dh has supported every decision I've made since ito working/ not working.
Likewise I've supported his decisions, it's what you do it's a partnership.

Somebody asked what I thought about sp, with no childcare.
This is different and school places should go to sp as they have no alternative.

And what about widows.. And before people tell me widows don't normally have school age kids. It does and did happen to me

So I'm. Holding down a full time job to keep my teenager in the only home he had ever known

I am wondering when I'm. Supposed to home school??

Honestly nicola and her chronies have given this no thought!

At the moment, with us both working, we are net contributors to the system.
Go down to one income (whichever income it is), we will no longer be net contributors.
If everyone goes down to one income, where is the money going to come from to pay for public services?

*This is a short-term situation. Children will not suffer long-term damage, humans are a resilient species and a few months away from school, missing a few months education, a few months away from friends will be largely forgotten once things go back to normal. They will pick up where they left off. Worse things have happened.
**
*Children have survived serious illness, war, poverty, abuse, loss, etc. They leave their mark for sure but contribute to the people they become. Being away from school and friends for a bit is nothing compared to those things. They will be fine. They will take something from it.

This.

Driving

I think they'll be enough repos for people to move.
No, I don't think people should live on next to nothing, but they'll have to get used to it if they lose their jobs or give up work due to lack of childcare.
Both working pt/reduced hours and having one salary id better than the woman giving up work when she wants to continue. What happens if the husband then loses his job, it's uncertain times.

@nasalspray agreed!