To wonder if I'm the only person who won't be sending kids to school in August

[user8558]

AIBU to wonder if I'm the only one who won't be sending DC back to school in August.

I initially thought "wait and see", but now the details are coming out about what it will be like. And my instinct is telling me to keep them off until normality resumes. Or something closer to normality.

Homeschooling has been going well. I'm not worried about their education.

I do worry about the lack of social interaction, but feel on balance this need wouldn't be satisfied adequately until things are a bit more relaxed anyway.

I wouldn't be expecting any work to be set for my kids, I'll take care of their home learning.

I cannot be the only one feeling this and thinking this?

Or is everyone going back in August/September?

Sorry @Cabinfever10 absolutely not aiming my swearing at you!

It’s only anxiety inducing for children if you’re projecting that on to them. Life has to get back to normal at some point.

Clearly this raises some peoples hackles for some reason. I'm not sure why.

Perhaps because this is clearly quite easy for you to do as your DH is funding your choice. Other people may wish to do the same but are unable to as they have to work and may not have a partner. You don't seem to be aware that you are in rather a privileged position.

Maybe it's that.

I'm with you OP. No school until we feel safer.

I have no idea when mine will be going back. We're in England and our school isn't open, key workers children and some of the YR, YR1 & YR6 children from our school are currently having to attend another school in a neighbouring village. We were sent a questionnaire before those year groups went back asking if we'd be happy to send our YR1 son back but we'd been given zero information from the school about what was actually going to be happening and got the strong feeling school was trying to discourage parents from sending their children back. Most of the staff at our school are in the shielding group so can't go back, clearly there wont be space for all of the children from both tiny village schools to all attend the school in the neighbouring village so I have no idea what might happen. I'd love for them to be able to go back to school, home-schooling is not going well at all, both of my children are currently on waiting lists to be assessed for ASD and its really, really hard work trying to get them to do any school work at all. I don't know what magic their teachers work at school but I don't have it.

I'm also not sure op. I'm going to wait and see as a lot can change between now and then. I'd like to see if it's gone down to one metre and what the number of cases look like.

OP I'm not sure if I'm sending my DD back, not because of the virus but because of her anxieties (ASD). She has not missed any learning as her school are running a FT virtual school. My job has always been flexible and my employer is saying we can WFH FT till next year. I might change my mind but will see how the things progress.

On here, all kids are loving returning (as is my niece) but my nephew used to love school and hates it now. Also a few of my friends that are teachers have said some kids in their classrooms are distraught at the changes.

Every child is different, some may be fine with change and others may struggle more, you do what is best for your child.

@TitianaTitsling
That's ok you should have heard me when I saw the interview.
We've been sent the timetable for August, primary are getting 2 days a week 🤬 and because they are going back a week early here they are getting it next summer and will have 8.5 weeks off 😱😭

I think you're being completely ridiculous but it's your choice.

My kids NEED to be in school, full time. I do not have the skills to teach CHemistry or Biology at an Advanced Higher level. Or drama at Nat 5 level, come to that. I have three of them at home and am also trying to work in my own self-employed job.

My children need the socialisation at school. I don't want them living in fear, thinking the world is a big scary place and that they have to stay at home or they will die.

We have been offered one week out of three in school after the summer holidays. It's simply not good enough.

But who knows when things will go completely back to normal. Are you really willing to keep your dc off school until next year as I can’t see normality resuming in full until then. I’m in England and my dc can go back in September so that’s what they’ll do. Six months at home is such a long time, not only for dc but for parents too.

You may be running the risk of losing your child’s place at their school if you do that. Be careful.

I'm with you OP. No school until we feel safer

This is ridiculous...for a healthy child the risks are tiny...something like 1 in over 3million.

What does 'safer' even mean?

OP I think you've been given quite a hard time on this one. Parenting is about weighing up options and making decisions all day every day so I don't see the problem with thinking this one through fully either. I'm also considering this and will monitor what is happening in other countries with regards to second waves to avoid my children going back for a short time only to then have further closures or disruption. They are not anxious, are working well and are beginning to socialise at a distance with friends. And I say that as someone who is WFH as well as homeschooling.

It’s up to you, they’re your kids and home schooling is a valid choice.

I do tend to find most parents who aren’t already home schoolers who are happy to keep them at home now have younger primary aged children, if mine were at the Biff Chip and Kipper and colouring in stage I’d find that a less daunting prospect too. Mine are both going to be in high school though.

Mine will go to school if the amount of coronavirus in general circulation remains low - and will stop going if we do a Florida (spread becomes exponential again) or there is a localised outbreak.

The government wont be making those decisions for me.

John swinny(sp) in an interview admitted that schools in Scotland probably won't be back full-time until next year.

And was immediately contradicted by the FM when parents went nuts.

When sailing club and rugby are back on, we'll join in again will they keep your places?

I personally think that being kept away from school, away from other children the same age for months on end and no interaction with friends, is worse than social distancing at school.

Your children you’re choice though. If you’re happy with that then fair
enough

My plan is to send mine in September so long as infections continue to fall. I'm not doing it on June 29th (am in Wales) as I think it is a bit too soon.
If you can do a good job of teaching then home ed is your choice. I do think it's important to build in some socialising with other children though, even if it's with a few select friends. Kids do need that social contact.

If they are primary school, then it's much more feasible to homeschool than if you had to teach secondary school level and subjects

If you do keep them home, then do you plan to enable them to socialise with other kids after school and at weekends ?

"this is clearly quite easy for you to do as your DH is funding your choice. Other people may wish to do the same but are unable to as they have to work and may not have a partner. You don't seem to be aware that you are in rather a privileged position."

Yep, some people are irritated that you sound in a privileged position to be able to have such choices
Most parents have to send the kids back, or risk not being able to pay essential bills like mortgage / rent

John swinny(sp) in an interview admitted that schools in Scotland probably won't be back full-time until next year.

And the following day was directly contradicted by his boss, Ms Sturgeon, who said that part time school was never the default position, she was working to get schools back asap etc etc. Complete U-turn.

Probably because as detached from reality as the Scottish Government are, even they can't see that the economy will collapse completely with parents at home because their kids can't attend school more than a third of the time. Our Us For Them Scotland group of 7700+ members is campaigning HARD for a return to full time school.

A senior adviser to the Scot Gov and a professor of public health said that when daily infection numbers were under 20 for scotland, she saw no justification for not sending schools back as normal, no social distancing, full time.

We are currently at a rate of 20 new infections a day on a 7 day rolling average.

@TitianaTitsling the rules on places in Scottish schools are different from England. If you're in catchment, you get a place. But what the position would be if you relinquish that place and want it back later - who knows?

I'm with you OP. No school until we feel safer

No deaths of ANY children under the age of 15 in Scotland. Not one. How safe would you like it to be?

sock thanks, am quite stressed about it (also Scotland!) As we had to fill in lots of paper work to apply for a place, but maybe it's as we are only nursery?

No deaths of ANY children under the age of 15 in Scotland. Not one. How safe would you like it to be?

Exactly.

I assume those who are waiting for it to be 'safer' never let their child travel in a car.