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.

It should be both parents.

I've seen lots of 'I'm a key worker but my husband/ wife isn't, but they need to work, we need the money...' What about families where neither parent is a key worker? Chances are one of them also can't work as their kids aren't at school, and they probably need the money too. It's shit for everyone, but lots of people have become quite selfish and think their needs are greater than others.

My daughters school is 2 keyworkers to get a place. I applied based on my contracted hours (I'm in early years) and got a space for the 2 days a week that me and dh both work. Now ive been told I'm only working 1 of those days, I should tell the school and only send dd in 1 day. But I am a backup and may need to go into work at a moments notice. Plus dd2 struggled so badly last time, we have just got her back stable mentally from the 1st lockdown. Im not about to tell her actually now you can't go into school when I said you can. She hasn't got any additional needs but struggles with changes to routine and we have had behavioural problems, plus nightmares, wetting herself, very strong attachment to me (to the point she screamed for nearly an hour and wouldn't let dh put her to bed when I went to tesco and wasn't back for bedtime) I don't feel bad about taking a place when I don't necessarily need it on 1 day. I would talk to the school but last time I contacted them about my concerns I was ignored.

If there is a stay at home or a furloughed parent they really shouldn't be sending in their child to school (unless they come under vulnerable category)

@nocutsnobuttsnococonuts - that sounds quite reasonable to me. You are both key workers...and you need that second day secured. Makes perfect sense.

@SueEllenMishke the primary issue is where there is a non key worker parent at home who could look after kids. If you don’t have a partner at home then of course you would use your place, as not doing so would prevent you from being able to carry out your job properly which is the whole point of the scheme. If you do have a partner who is at home they should be caring for your son so that you can carry out your role.

Have to say I'm a bit annoyed with a friend who's abused this a little . She's an NHS worker but works in support so can work from home. Her husband is WFH and not a key worker. He's useless and lazy and refuses to help with childcare or home schooling. Her kids are very highly demanding. Her mum moved in last lockdown to do childcare but only lasted a couple of months as she found it too hard. So my friend has lied to the school saying her and her DH have split and she's frontline now, so that she can get the kids in. I think that's taking the piss

Our school is both parents to be keyworkers and only on the days you’re at work so if you’re PT 3 days a week then you get 3 days provision

@SendHelp30

Our school is both parents to be keyworkers and only on the days you’re at work so if you’re PT 3 days a week then you get 3 days provision

My kids' school is the same. I work in secondary, which is also the same . The amount of parents who've tried it on though is shocking. Families where there's a doctor and a SAHM, thinking because one is a key worker that they're eligible and getting arsey when we say no

@DeeCeeCherry

Just people looking for excuses to circumvent lockdown. It's tough for so many of us but "I work from home" is not a reason to send your child to school neither is it part of guidance rules.

School places are for keyworkers who have no childcare. If a key worker parent has a non-keyworker partner then they shouldn't qualify for a school place and I hope schools start to look at this carefully.

Employers know what they need to be doing in this situation. Schools aren't there to make sure employers aren't inconvenienced, that is not the role of schools.

Too much "I want rules to apply to others but not me as it's inconvenient".

& So much reliance on schools as a catch-all. I don't know how teachers can stand it.

Well said

[quote NCstaythefuckathome]@SueEllenMishke the primary issue is where there is a non key worker parent at home who could look after kids. If you don’t have a partner at home then of course you would use your place, as not doing so would prevent you from being able to carry out your job properly which is the whole point of the scheme. If you do have a partner who is at home they should be caring for your son so that you can carry out your role.[/quote]
We're both working from home and work for universities- therefore we're both considered critical workers.

DH is responsible for a team which offers a significant amount of support to students and is on the senior leadership team. His work is critical to the running of his university. He falls under the 'specialist education professional'.

The issue I have is people assuming wfh means you have capacity to care for and homeschool young children. Some sectors ( like HE) have moved the majority of their work online and staff in most Dept's are wfh - it doesn't mean workload has decreased, if anything it's increased significantly.
Too many people seem happy for us to just neglect our children.

The problem is in many families, including mine, the keyworker is much lower paid than the non-keyworker. I've asked to reduce my hours or go unpaid for at least the next few weeks. My family can live on my husband's wages. We very definitely can't live just on mine.

@infinitediamonds

The problem is in many families, including mine, the keyworker is much lower paid than the non-keyworker. I've asked to reduce my hours or go unpaid for at least the next few weeks. My family can live on my husband's wages. We very definitely can't live just on mine.

This absolutely is a problem- many key workers are also women. The damage being done to women's participation in the labour market is really worrying.

@SueEllenMishke the issue I have is people assuming that their non key workers wfh role is more difficult to do with children than everyone else’s, we are all in the same boat. The spirit of the rule is supposed to ensure you can do your critical work without interruption, not to facilitate your husband’s work.

@Dishwashersaurous

I don’t know a single person with parent at home not working who is sending in anyway.

Last time nationally only 2% of children were in school.

Compared to the estimated 20% prediction.

So no one did it last time either

On the other hand I know of a key worker with a sah partner (without employment) who are sending their 3 kids to school. Presumably she wants a break.

I have been redeployed as critical worker setting up new covid testing centres and have been offered a place.

DH WFH in science research journalism but not classed as critical worker. He is incredibly busy. If we didn’t have the school place, I would not take up the redeployment in order to better support DS and the local authority would be down a frontline worker.

I have obsessed over this thread (and the eleventy billion others) as I feel incredibly guilty taking the place but my local authority employer expects me to take it.

Our school have a limited number of places so about 8 of DS’s class of 30 were in today.

[quote NCstaythefuckathome]@SueEllenMishke the issue I have is people assuming that their non key workers wfh role is more difficult to do with children than everyone else’s, we are all in the same boat. The spirit of the rule is supposed to ensure you can do your critical work without interruption, not to facilitate your husband’s work.[/quote]
My husband is classed as a critical worker too.
We're not taking up a school place so I can facilitate his job.

We are both critical workers who happen to be doing that critical work from home because our universities have told us we're not allowed on campus.

@SueEllenMishke - The issue I have is people assuming wfh means you have capacity to care for and homeschool young children.

But equally, why should people working in the private sector, or in any role that is not on that list, be considered capable of having that capacity? That’s what is wrong about it. We both have meetings & clients to engage with, both have full day demands...why are we considered more capable of caring for our kids amongst our day than someone who is working in something like financial services?? Teachers & university lecturers like yourself, are one of the key roles that this was originally intended for. To keep education going. Not to carry on lining our own pockets, unimpeded by the hassle of caring for our own kids. The trouble is too many other people are jumping on the bandwagon, and it’s not fair..and it’s not right.

Well then relax, this thread is about families with only one key worker and a non key worker at home- You are fully justified in your position you really don’t need to defend yourself at all.

@SueEllenMishke

[quote Schoolmummmy]@SueEllenMishke - The issue I have is people assuming wfh means you have capacity to care for and homeschool young children.

But equally, why should people working in the private sector, or in any role that is not on that list, be considered capable of having that capacity? That’s what is wrong about it. We both have meetings & clients to engage with, both have full day demands...why are we considered more capable of caring for our kids amongst our day than someone who is working in something like financial services?? Teachers & university lecturers like yourself, are one of the key roles that this was originally intended for. To keep education going. Not to carry on lining our own pockets, unimpeded by the hassle of caring for our own kids. The trouble is too many other people are jumping on the bandwagon, and it’s not fair..and it’s not right.[/quote]
I agree. This is a disaster for working parents - specifically women. You can tell that policies are being made by people who have never had to worry about childcare.

I wasn't classed as a critical worker last time and it pretty much broke me. It was awful.

I'm very grateful that I am now classed as a critical worker. My DH is classed as one too.

We are very thankful and relieved to have been offered a school place. I shouldn't be made to feel guilty about that.

@NCstaythefuckathome

Well then relax, this thread is about families with only one key worker and a non key worker at home- You are fully justified in your position you really don’t need to defend yourself at all.

But there are lots of people on this thread who feel anyone working from home is taking the piss by using school places.

Which is massively unfair

We currently only have 4 staff available for almost 100 children, but with ratios we can only take 20 for example. We have to prioritise. Both parents medical key workers come first. Then both parents "secondary" critical key workers such as both police. We have to be tough right now. If one parent can stay at home they're not priority.

@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.

In theory, I completely agree but key worker's tend to also be lower paid roles and the concern is that, in order to protect a higher earner's income it could end up being the key worker who assumes responsibility for childcare responsibilities.

@SueEllenMishke - Nor should you feel guilty. This is exactly what it was intended for. Hope it all goes well for you

Reading this thread (and others) with interest. DH is classed as critical worker as senior cyber security officer in international bank. He cannot work from home for security reasons.
I also qualify though only on a technicality in my view (justice system). We can take up places for DS and DD from tomorrow if needed, but I am WFH.
I cannot do my job and homeschool two children at the same time. My job involves conference calls and cases that the DCs cannot/should not hear and which can’t be disturbed. I will be physically ‘there’ but the likelihood is both will end up on screens for much for my working day.
However I still cannot bring myself to take up two KW school places. I really don’t know what to do for the best.