"I work in a school surrounded by kids but cannot see my family" - anyone sick of hearing this?

[coffeeforone]

It's totally unfair - everyone gets it! It's shit for most people. But this line/situation obviously affects all who work in education settings (a lots of people I know) and is really starting to irritate as it's being spouted much more often than most other complaints.

True I know, and it doesn't make sense to lots of people...but what's the solution? Close schools so everyone can see family instead?

[noblegiraffe]

That rather assumes your parents are local, cologne.

[Bluepolkadots42]

@Playdoughbum yes- absolutely agree with this. The vitriol shown towards our profession during this pandemic has been shocking- I've never known anything like it. And it continues- I've had so many calls this week from angry, aggressive parents ranting and raving like rabid dogs at me over things that are absolutely not within my control, but have been dictated by the government that the school does. And for every pointless, whingeing phonecall we have to sit through that's 20 or 30 minutes I could have been supporting a child who needs it, completing referral forms for external agency support etc. But you know- so long as we are there to provide a sounding board for people's abuse and gripes (one parent actually said: right well I've got that off my chest now') that's all that matters. I have never known anything like it in my 11 years of teaching.

[PablosHoney]

That sounds very frustrating @Bluepolkadots42

[Playdoughbum]

@Bluepolkadots42
The DFE have been appalling and we are getting the flack.
The kids keep me going. I have a great class this year and I’m just trying to focus on them now. It does make me sad to know how many of their parents really hate us though. I should probably start ignoring any school threads!

[monkeytennis97]

I work in a secondary school as does DH.

My darling disabled DC is in a card home.

In the first wave we couldn't see DC for 3 months (usually twice a week). DC didn't understand why we weren't there.

It broke us.

If it happens again then it will break us again.

[monkeytennis97]

*care

[MitziK]

@cologne4711

All of you saying you can't go to visit your parents - why can't you, unless they are in a care home which has said you can't? I am not aware of all the local lockdown restrictions but if I had a vulnerable relative I'd just visit them in their garden, or meet them outside if they lived in a flat without outside space.

You are not going to pass on the virus sitting 2m away from someone outside.

If it is cold, they can sit in their doorway and you can sit outside.

It's just shy of 250 miles as the corvid flies, about 4-5 hours by car (which we don't have), and the actual public transport route involves

Walk
Bus
Train
Tube
Tube
Walk
Train
Walk
Bus
Bus
Walk

Estimated time is about 6 and a half hours, assuming that there isn't any delays and there isn't another Train change on the main portion of the journey. And if there are delays, the final bus only comes every other hour after 6pm, so you'd need to add on up to 1hr 59m on top.


It's a very long way to go for ten minutes shouting up to his Dad's window (as he doesn't have a garden and isn't able to walk much since he had a stroke last year). If the lift is broken again - last time it was 14 months before they repaired it, which didn't matter when he was well but ended up with social services threatening to take the management company to court when he was trapped in hospital because he couldn't get up to the 7th floor - he's not going anywhere.

[monkeytennis97]

We got through it because DH and I were at home together. We will not be able to get through it seeing other people's kids and not our own. I know that.

[Lilybet1980]

For some people their family is their lifeline and now they're being told they can't see them again but you can go and eat out /go to a pub. There is no logic.

Yes, there is logic.

1. You interact differently with family/friends inside a private home than you do with random strangers in a pub/restaurant. Why is that so hard to understand?
   

1. The Government are trying balance risk with economics. They are trying to keep as much of the economy going as possible. Again, why is that so hard to understand? You might not agree with it but surely the logic is obvious?

[SaltyAndFresh]

I know that teachers work long hours and weekends but so do a lot of professionals. Just saying it was reduced for them during lockdown. I didn't have any reduction in hours during lockdown so still had to work very long days, evening and weekends (like i did before). When I say full time I mean 'same as before'

Get to fuck. Teachers struggled as much as anyone else to support their own DC's home schooling. In Wales, some of us who had to use KW childcare so we could work in school ourselves were then told our children couldn't attend classes at their own school with their friends and own teachers.

Do not tell teachers that they have had it easy. People like you make me feel determined to out my own family's interests first and stuff the job. Your views are vile.

[SaltyAndFresh]

@LouiseNW

If I worked in a school I’d want to keep other contacts to an absolute minimum, for their sake rather than mine.

Are you saying we should just quit whining and suck it up? Can I ask what you do for a living?

[Bluepolkadots42]

@monkeytennis97 oh my goodness- I can't even imagine how horrendous that must have been for you all

[noblegiraffe]

Take care of yourself, monkey and remember you don’t need to engage with or prove anything to fuckwits.

[Bluepolkadots42]

@Playdoughbum yes we certainly are taking the flak. The kids have been awesome- it's a significant minority of parents acting like a bunch of loons. I will def be switching off from the school threads in next few weeks as chat about possible lockdown intensifies!

[BigChocFrenzy]

"1. You interact differently with family/friends inside a private home than you do with random strangers in a pub/restaurant. Why is that so hard to understand?"

The real reason for the different rules is that the government wants people to spend money,
which doesn't happen if families just visit each other at home

So maybe the way to meet lots of family is all go to different tables in a cafe / bistro and each sit over a cup of tea for a couple of hours

[Bluepolkadots42]

@SaltyAndFresh couldn't agree more.

[Bluepolkadots42]

@BigChocFrenzy that could be an option for some. For others it won't be due to:
Cost
Lots of young children don't find having to sit at a cafe table for hours on end stimulating and will want to run round (which is not covid friendly or generally advisable in a place serving hot liquids/food)
Some people will have people in their family with health conditions who will be trying to limit the time spent outside their home.

[monkeytennis97]

@noblegiraffe

Take care of yourself, monkey and remember you don’t need to engage with or prove anything to fuckwits.

Thank you @noblegiraffe

[MiddlesexGirl]

Thank you @Lilybet1980 - at least one person out of God knows how many, gets it.

The more people actually follow the rules (you know, 2m or 1m with extra precautions aka a mask) then the sooner we will be able to go back to our (new) normal. And yes in offices too.
Schools less important though the older students and staff should be wearing masks when they can't adequately social distance in my opinion.

[PablosHoney]

That is awful @monkeytennis97, such a trauma to go through.

[monkeytennis97]

@PablosHoney thank you. I am genuinely worried about DH or I (or both of us) breaking down in front of a class if we can't see DC again.

[BritneyS]

That’s so tough @monkeytennis97

I think people in care homes and their families and definitely the big victims of lockdown(s). Especially if the people in the care homes don’t understand.

[Bluepolkadots42]

@MiddlesexGirl impossible for me to distance in my 11-18 school. Our '2m teaching box' is actually only 2m from front row of students if we teach with our backs pressed up against the wall/whiteboard (bit tricky to teach like that). Corridors thronged with kids, teachers trying to get through as we all move rooms every lesson now, about 2% students wearing masks. I don't bother with the mask now because it doesn't protect me only others and the other 98% of kids don't seem to care/be worried about protecting me. I wear a mask to go into staff offices/front reception etc because staff in there also wear them. I don't mind all of this particularly because I know we need schools up and running (and I am really enjoying being back at work mainly) and which country is in a position to build brand new schools to replace all the narrow corridored Victorian ones in the space of 5 months? I do mind though that I have to accept all of the above but then can't see my own family (above 5 other members). And I really mind when people imply I shouldn't be whingeing about it.

[Covert20]

The rules are bollocks. That’s why people are fed up. My family of six can got for a meal in the pub, with goodness knows show many other people - but can’t have granny and grandad over in the garden, because that’s a gathering of more than six. Anyone with half a brain can see one is much safer than the other —but no one makes any money out of it—

[LindaEllen]

I understand why you can't go into your family's house. What I can't understand is why those in local lockdown have been banned from both indoor AND outdoor meetings. So now I can't even meet my dad for a walk in the park, 2m apart or even more if they want!!

I will stick to the rules but that doesn't mean some of them don't upset me.