To keep my kids off school next week

[Coconutmeg]

They have a week of class parties, virtual pantos, watching movies, making cards etc - for me.
Several schools on the area have year groups off for 2 weeks now due to Covid cases
Is it worth the risk for Xmas activities?
The kids are shattered, The staff are shattered
I’m thinking of just opting out of next next week

You absolutely should. I'm a teacher and I would love to opt out of next week. If they're primary age they definitely won't be missing anything academic.

School is so much more than academics. Its the activities you want them to miss out on that they will have the best memories of. YABU.

Of course you shouldn't keep them off. These activities are learning activities too.

It is an attempt to create the activities safely/virtually.
But is it really worth it?

If you have a good reason to keep them off. Visiting a old or vulnerable relative in the holidays or something like that. Then definitely keep the kids at home for last week.

However if no good reason other than the normal Christmas activities taking place in school. Then they should really be in school. The virus is no different now than in September. If you have chosen to send your kids to school all this time keep them in school. We don't know what will happen after Christmas. This may be their last chance to have fun with friends for a few months. You never know!

Do the children want to miss out on the activities?

In September I was worried about all they had missed.
But yes, good point about not knowing what will happen in the new year.

@letsghostdance

You absolutely should. I'm a teacher and I would love to opt out of next week. If they're primary age they definitely won't be missing anything academic.

In real life I don't know any teachers that feel this way. Most my family members and friends that are teachers have been desperate to keep schools open.

My son's primary school teacher has been isolating because she has covid. So all the kids have been too. She rung this week to check on him and was saying how excited she is to be back at work on Monday.

They are so tired now
They would be over the moon if I said that they’re off now for Xmas.

You shouldn’t. It sends the wrong message to your children that they can just refuse to do things they don’t like doing. That’s not how adult life works. This is supposed to prepare them for that. I wish I could “opt out” of a week of work because I don’t think the meetings are interesting or beneficial. But we all have to do things we don’t like.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum well they must be in the minority with that opinion because all the teachers I know are on our knees exhausted. Cannot wait to be finished now.

I am keeping mine off school. We have already had two weeks isolation because his bubble had a positive case. I couldn’t bear him having to be isolated for the whole of Christmas, especially when we haven’t seen my mum for 6 months.

I was going to keep DC off next week but the school has now closed early anyway. Cases are rocketing here

They will be in the same bubbles as usual. If they're exhausted then one day off isn't unreasonable but they are 4 or 5 days away from 2 weeks off.

YABU

What do the kids want? That's the real question here OP - it's not about what you or the teachers want surely? They'll lose out on Christmas activities, they're not even getting a "normal" celebration: no plays, no fayre, no Santa, no Christmas cards - don't be so mean.