Grandparents exempt from local lockdown rules

[Deyes999]

I just read a story on Sky news that Grandparents or childcare providers both formal and informal can continue to do so in areas that are in lockdown. Surely that is putting some of the most vulnerable people at risk in already high risk areas? I know it's many people's lifelines for going to work etc and I totally understand that part but I just think after all the stories in the last few months saying about how we should be protecting vulnerable or older relatives it's odd to now put grandparents in this position.

Yes you think iabu
No you agree

My parents are mid 50s.. not all grandparents are elderly? And they are perfectly capable of making their own risk assessments.. as are most people.

I think most people will be sensible.
52 year old gran - go ahead. 72 year old gran - maybe not.

As it happens my dad is 58 and works at DS1's school - DS doesn't magically get more dangerous after 3pm.

I'm a Childminder and older than the grandparents of some of the children that I mind. Just goes to show that a blanket rule makes no sense.

The announcement says that formal and informal childcare arrangements can stand for u14 and vulnerable children. It’s sensible and allows for key workers to continue to work even when we have lockdown. Otherwise good, health, etc etc workers can’t provide essential services. If people do rely on grandparents etc it’s helpful. It’s not compulsory

This is great news for us. We both work different days each week and if we were to use a nursery or childminder we would have to use a full time place to make sure we had a spot when needed. The thing is though that because of how our shifts work we only actually need cover for 3.5 days this month. Most months are similar. My mum (in her 50s and well) is more than happy to fill gaps like this for us. Meaning a) we are not paying for childcare we don't need and b) we are not taking a slot that could be used by someone who actually needs a full time place.

YABU because there’s no yes or no buttons to vote.

I went to school with someone who became a grandmother at 36. She’s now 38! Actually, I know two others I went to school with who are also now grandmothers. Says a lot about our education 🤣

Anyway, adults should be able to make their own decisions and parents (some) need to work.

Not all grandparents are elderly, frail or have poor health.

My parents are in their mid to late 60s and they look after my nephew twice a week. This has always been there choice - they moved closer to my sister after retirement in order to be able to do this.

They are in a local lockdown area and have had no choice but to ignore the rules brought in last week there. If they hadn't my sister (or BIL) couldn't work. The ASC clubs are full with long waiting lists due to the restrictions on numbers and there are no childminders with spaces. My sisters boss refuses to allow anyone to work from home (even though they could work from home with no issues in reality) and my BIL's job cannot be done from home.

Finally they are not breaking the law by continuing to have my nephew.

Unless they have dementia, in which case they won't be providing childcare they don't need you, BoJo or fucking Whitty to tell them what to do. They are quite capable of doing their own risk assessment.

Haven't rtft but what if one of the GPs is high risk?

If a grandparent is high risk then they can choose not to do it.

It’s choice not a blanket ban or requirement

Haven't rtft but what if one of the GPs is high risk?

Then they and their child can use their own judgement and decide not to look after the children at present.

We can't ban all grandparents from childcare on the basis that some others may be vulnerable.

As adults can't the grandparents make the decision for themselves?

@WestTen

If a grandparent is high risk they can choose not to provide childcare. Nobody is forcing all grandparents to supply childcare, people are being allowed to make their own choice based on their personal circumstances.

If I didn't have dgs then dd wouldn't be able to work. If I care for dgs he is in contact with just me if he went to nursery he'd be in contact with many more and could bring home something to dd who is on immunosuppressants. It seems a safer option all round.

I think families are capable of risk assessing themselves, so it’s right to leave it up to them. Some grandparents are actually relatively young (50s or 60s) and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t help out with childcare.

@Deyes999

Some grandparents will still do it even though they would rather not because they want to help their children out.

They are still capable of making their own decisions and weighing up the pros and cons

@WestTen

Haven't rtft but what if one of the GPs is high risk?

Plenty of parents are high risk, some were even shielding, but they were told they had to send their kids back to school regardless. Threatened with fines in England.

If gps are high risk or are uncomfortable with looking after their gc, they don’t have to do it.

Of course the GPs could also transmit the virus to the children, it doesn't just go one way, so GPs may need to think about their social life outside work and looking after their grandchildren

Most grandparents that do childcare tend to be at the younger end. The older, more vulnerable cohort wouldn't have the energy anyway.

We wouldn't ask 87 year old granny.
Unfortunately 58 year old grandma still has the best part of a decade before she can stop working full time.

Some people become grandparents in their 30s.

My parents have been looking after dd since April so me and her dad could work. We worried about it at first but then thought they are only early 60s. Good health etc. So what's the difference between her going there and children moving about separated households where there could be vulnerable people.

It’s up to the grandparents, but I suspect that a lot of them will feel pressurised into continuing doing the childcare, when they ought to be shielding.

Certainly I can see this with one of my friends where both she and her partner are in their fifties but with serious health conditions which the oldest son will ignore, as usual.

And like a PP said there are grandparents in their 30s. Not all grandparents fit the stereotypical "wee old couple" these days.

Has it been mentioned what should happen if you/GPs don’t want to take the risk? If your normal childcare plan is for GPs to help.. but due to Corona nobody feels safe mixing the households any more.
If your workplace won’t allow you to watch children when working from home and there are no nursery places locally (or you don’t want to risk nursery either)?
Everyone saying families can make risk assessments but if you don’t have a contingency plan, you’re almost forced to put kids and/or GPs at risk. Or am I missing something?

My sister, who's close in age to me, looks after her grandson a day each week. I teach 30 children all day, every day each week.

Which of us is at greater risk?

@Krankie well what on earth would you like to be offered?

In the krankie situation I think that you would have to ask for unpaid leave and hope that work will grant it