One key worker, child should stay home

[Areyouactuallyseriousrightnow]

Not sure if there has already been a thread but AIBU to think that if only one parent is key worker and other is WFH, child should be staying home as school provision is for key workers who cannot complete their important role if they have to look after child at home, not so that the other parent can continue with work without interruption?

My partner is a key worker, but I don’t consider us eligible as I am home and therefore technically can be with the children.

YABU- if there’s one key worker take that opportunity to send the child in.
YANBU- if there’s another parent at home, child should stay home.

@Whenwillow

What if one of you is not a 'keyworker' but still has to go to work? And the other is a key worker? Nobody has said only key workers can go to work, have they? Only that only key workers' children can go to school. And anyone who can work from home, should. But what if they can't?

Doesn't matter though. Key workers didn't get child care because they are better humans but because their sectors were important to keeping society going. The rest of us (me included) have to find ways to cope. I am a single mum and wasn't able to manage, so do have sympathy, but also don't think that they could take on any child whose parents needed to work, it would end up with high numbers in schools, increasing transmission.

YABU it's slightly academic as DC is 3 but they have never cared which parent is the keyworker (me) when demanding attention. I cannot work with them in the house. Whether we would be entitled to a keyworker place is another thing (DH not a keyworker but does have a demanding and intensive job) but it's not as simple as assuming the other parent can/will do all the caring.

DH is a key worker and is out of the house for 12 hour rotating shifts, so when he is home he is trying to sleep. I’m not a key worker but WFH (did so before lockdown) so I kept my kids home in the last lockdown - I am sending them this time as my DD1 has ASD and couldn’t cope with organising herself for school work and suffered terribly. I tried to do the right thing last time for society but this time I’m doing the right thing for my kids

[quote Tentacles14]@ofgavin - all workers are indeed important. But not all are required at this moment in time for the smooth running of society. In the long term yes I agree with the need to prioritise those making contributions to the tax take. It’s also worth remembering that many key workers are not employed by the state - there are plenty of key workers in the private sector.[/quote]
Yes I agree, my husband is one such key worker working in the private sector full time and out of the house long long hours.

I also work from home full time in a demanding role that pays more than my DH and whilst not a key worker role by definition is in finance and involves the rebuilding of broken businesses.

By virtue of the fact I'm at home Northerner thinks I shouldn't take up a key worker place.

My DH isn't in a position to get more flexibility from his role.

My mental health suffered badly during the last home schooling bout, and that of one of my children who really struggled. I am on zoom calls pretty much all day long, you cannot do that with kids around.

Last time I didn't use a KW place.

This time I have requested one.

People like Northerner always have it worse, in pain we are all equal.

I'm a keyworker, dh is not. we both work full time from home and our dc as well.

but the dc are last year primary and teens and school provides online lessons.
we provide help where we can, do pe with dc every day. they do some chores and the games console provides contact with their friends.

“I find it quite distasteful that people who have two incomes in a household think that it is reasonable for the key worker lower paid one to threaten to give up/give up work if they are not given a place at school for their children”

This would have to be us if the situation arose. I am nhs and patient facing (part time). Dh earns 4 x more than me.

There is no way we can afford to jeopardise his job as we could not live off mine. If I lost mine we could still manage just about.

If it comes to staying home when kids are ill and we are both due to be out at work, I have to be off. (Unless he’s at home that day). I don’t really see how anyone could argue against that!

I am a full time medical student and work part time as a healthcare support worker I.e. I am a key worker.

My husband will be WFH but he has to actually work and will not be available to for childcare.

If I have to do the homeschooling again, I will without doubt fail my course. Last year nearly broke me, I can't do it again

This judgemental attitude is one of the worst things lockdown has brought out of people

This.

Schools can't cater for everyone and keep your children safe. Fill the schools with children of all workers, more illness including school staff and everything will grind to a halt anyway.
This has to be about pulling together and thinking of others, managing where you can, for the sake of everyone.
I deal with manipulative parents demanding places. Shocking..is the 'dog psychologist' really a key worker? (whilst we are staffing childcare hubs with volunteer school staff (weekends & holidays) to cater for those workers essential to being in work).
Do I have to waste my time dealing with parents who lie about their KW status, appalling and selfish.
Work together, look after each other, think of others. You demand a school place, someone else misses out. This could be your ICU nurse, your doctor.

@Stretchandsnap

“I tried to do the right thing last time for society but this time I’m doing the right thing for my kids“

Well said , I absolutely agree

[quote Happychristmashohoho]@Stretchandsnap

“I tried to do the right thing last time for society but this time I’m doing the right thing for my kids“

Well said , I absolutely agree[/quote]
Also agree

My understanding of last time was that a lot of people didn't take up the key workers spaces (compared to school forecasts) but when they opened up in the Summer & since Sept attendance has been fairly high.

What happens if uptake this time is really high (because there are lots of valid individual circumstances) will that be good for the R rate/teachers safety?

@finkking

My understanding of last time was that a lot of people didn't take up the key workers spaces (compared to school forecasts) but when they opened up in the Summer & since Sept attendance has been fairly high.

What happens if uptake this time is really high (because there are lots of valid individual circumstances) will that be good for the R rate/teachers safety?

It means the demand is there and another avenue ought to be found around making it safer, fixing concerns and throwing money at it

We can't just all stop working

@Areyouactuallyseriousrightnow

Our school is apparently allowing families with only one key worker (out of two) it doesn’t seem right to me as it’s the other parent benefitting essentially.

Surely it's for the benefit of the family?!

You demand a school place, someone else misses out. This could be your ICU nurse, your doctor.

I agree except it's not black & white. I could get a key worker space though but I definitely don't have the same need as a ICU nurse or someone making PPE.

It means the demand is there and another avenue ought to be found around making it safer, fixing concerns and throwing money at it

Well that would be great but can't see it happening.
My point is if attendance is high then it may have a knock on effect on what provisions schools can provide (more staff sickness/self isolating) & more kids could be passing it out to their families.

And if attendance is low due to a 2 key worker rule - there may not be healthcare for anyone that does fall sick (including school
staff....). A tricky balancing act

I’m a Keyworker but my Non Key worker husband can not WFH as his job is outdoors.

@finkking

It means the demand is there and another avenue ought to be found around making it safer, fixing concerns and throwing money at it

Well that would be great but can't see it happening.
My point is if attendance is high then it may have a knock on effect on what provisions schools can provide (more staff sickness/self isolating) & more kids could be passing it out to their families.

It's not the plague - need to remember context, for most of us there's more risk driving

I'm not a key worker, but really can't work from home, and my DH is a key worker. We have asked both school and nursery to clarify if we can keep both kids in school and they have said yes. I'll be sending mine! It is practically impossible to WFH with a 3 and 1 year old! If you want to do it, crack on, but I don't.

The rule at our school has always been both parents have to be keyworkers to have a place.

I tried to do the right thing last time for society but this time I’m doing the right thing for my kids

Fine, but realise that if we all do this the system will grind to a halt.
Priority year groups could not return to school in many schools in the summer because those claiming KW status was so high and rising.
The larger the numbers of pupils in school, the less social distancing, so less safe.
Less safe schools, more ill staff, more staff in isolation. Schools will close by default.

Plus if your keyworker role can be done from home then our children would not be eligible. Places only available if both parents HAVE to leave the house for work.

@ofgavin then why close schools in the first place?

A tricky balancing act

I completely agree. Although not every healthcare worker will be a parent of small dc at least.