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.

@NCstaythefuckathome

What if the other parent has to go out to work is otherwise unable to adequately care for the child.

I wish people would stop making blanket statements.

@NoToMisogyny

That’s something to take up with the government. Rather than blaming people taking up the places they’re legally entitled to.

I agree with this.

[quote ElsaSchraeder]@SueEllenMishke your university employer sounds harsh. Have they said you are a key worker? If they are treating you like one you need to send them to school. Or, and this is what I'd prefer if I were you, tell them you have your children at home and offer them shorter hours or shorter lectures or gaps or an additional one at the weekend or something... I don't buy it that those doing the course are so inflexible. They know what's happening as much as anyone else?![/quote]
Yes, we have been told we are critical workers and have been given a school place.
My employer has been fantastic but there is only so much flexibility the can offer when it comes to teaching.

You can't just shorten lectures - students sign a contract which stipulates the number of teaching hours they should expect. This can't be changed without going through validation.
I run three professional masters courses, my students also work and have planned their work around the published timetable. They would not be happy if I changed this. This would also impact on their placements - I can't start offering lectures on their placement days as they need to clock up the hours for their professional accreditation.

We have a school place which allows us to work effectively and means DS isn't neglected. This is what works best for us as a family. Other approach this differently and that's okay too.

@Purpler5 if the other parent isn’t a KW and is at home they should be caring for the child(ten) to keep numbers low at school and reduce risk in the community so that we can all get out of this quicker.

And if the non key worker partner works out of the home....?

I also believe that people who have key worker status are in a difficult position because they're being told they are a key worker by their employer and that they should ask for provision. If they turn around and say no to this then they aren't being offered the same flexibility in terms of managing their work. This causes even more stress than not being a key worker and having a reasonably understanding employer.

WHY are people Wfh Sending their teenagers in?!

Quite
That said mine are 10 and 12
They can entertain themselves whilst I work 10 hours a day
I feel bad for the ethical people with small kids who are not taking places
This pandemic is never going to go with the views on here
That’s a sad truth

Interesting how so many think because they work outside the home (non-keyworker role) or indeed even work from home, that the rules should apply to everyone else - except them. & Ih, musn't disturb Employer with requests to work in alternative fashion in these difficult times.

There's no special dispensation for you. Or your employer who you appear to think are so elite that they're above government guidance and being approached with your work and childcare issues to see what solutions may be put into place.

I feel bad for the ethical people with small kids who are not taking places

It’s not unethical to use a school place for a small child if eligible and it’s needed. The people who decide if it’s needed are parents in conjunction with the school.

@Purpler5 “Why should parents not be entitled to send their kids in where only one parent is a key worker” - Because where there is at least one non-key worker parent at home, they should be looking after their children like the rest of us are. And moreso, there is no guidance that specifically permits this, which is why some schools are taking it upon themselves to impose a 2 parent key worker restriction. If it wasn’t a problem, why would they need to do this??

“What about when the other parent cannot work and provide childcare/supervise education at the same time?” - you mean like every other wfh couples out there? You think sitting on a 4 hour board meeting like my DH has since 7am this morning, enables him to care for our children and homeschool too? Or my clients whom I engage with for one or two hours at a time, are equally on board while I nip out for a bit of homeschooling in between?? I’m sorry, is it any wonder people are getting fed up with all this. When this level of selfish entitled behaviour exists.

Reading all of this is so depressing. Me and DH are both key workers, civil servants but WFH. One supporting cabinet office systems other supporting benefits. Both of our employers have made it very clear that as we are classed as key workers that spaces must be taken if they are offered and pushed to fight for key workers spaces where schools turn you down. We are not afforded the same flexibility this time round and I don't doubt that most other employers are now in the same situation which leaves parents in a really difficult situation. Our DC is nursery age so there is no issue with this, but there are vast numbers of employees in this situation, There is a vast difference between a 5 year old and a 16 year old! I wish people would stop calling parents selfish for using facilities which are open to them. It's as everyone just expects parents to pack up their job and plunge themselves into poverty which let's be honest, isn't going to help anyone! Everyone is in a shit situation and it doesn't help to be getting at each other.

@NoToMisogyny - your son is in school as a vulnerable child. That is completely different, and not what anyone has an issue with at all.
The number of older aged children being sent into school, where at least one or both, are wfh...and only one is a key worker...is way too high. I know at least 12 schools with similar issues...and some have already had to put restrictions in place, because they simply couldn’t accommodate them all. Last time around, they were barely getting a handful of requests...and the only thing that has changed, is a new found sense of entitlement!

@welcometo2021 - But you are both key workers, so not an issue. I’m sure there is nobody that resents this, and yes, a 6 year old has vastly differing needs to that of a 12 year old.

[quote Schoolmummmy]@Purpler5 “Why should parents not be entitled to send their kids in where only one parent is a key worker” - Because where there is at least one non-key worker parent at home, they should be looking after their children like the rest of us are. And moreso, there is no guidance that specifically permits this, which is why some schools are taking it upon themselves to impose a 2 parent key worker restriction. If it wasn’t a problem, why would they need to do this??

“What about when the other parent cannot work and provide childcare/supervise education at the same time?” - you mean like every other wfh couples out there? You think sitting on a 4 hour board meeting like my DH has since 7am this morning, enables him to care for our children and homeschool too? Or my clients whom I engage with for one or two hours at a time, are equally on board while I nip out for a bit of homeschooling in between?? I’m sorry, is it any wonder people are getting fed up with all this. When this level of selfish entitled behaviour exists.[/quote]
So the real problem is that just because you don't have childcare, people who happened to have children with a KW parent shouldn't either?!

@Jellycatspyjamas - And if the non key worker partner works out of the home....?

Only essential workers are currently required to work outside the home. So by definition of default, they would be a key worker too??

@Purpler5 - “So the real problem is that just because you don't have childcare, people who happened to have children with a KW parent shouldn't either?!“

Er no...and if that’s the only problem that you can see with this scenario, then this pandemic is going nowhere....

Er no...that's not the only problem I can see but you are coming across very bitter and jealous.

For the record, I am not sending my DC to school as although I am the only parent at home between 7am and 6pm, I am lucky enough to be able to work flexibly from home.

I do feel very sorry for anyone who is struggling to fulfil their work commitments, which is why, if they can get a place for their child in school they should!

I still don’t understand why some categories of Civil servants (WFH) are supposed to take places
And yet the private sector workers who are actually generating money are not
How is that fair exactly ?

And it’s not about me plunging into poverty , it’s the fact that children are getting different treatment

And forget mine , many kids with SEN are not getting any support

It’s a shitty system

Only essential workers are currently required to work outside the home. So by definition of default, they would be a key worker too??

No. The guidance is to work from home where possible. Many people have non key worker jobs that can’t be done from home - my DH included. Industries aren’t being shut down the way they were in March, many non key workers are still needing to go into work.

@Thisisworsethananticpated

I still don’t understand why some categories of Civil servants (WFH) are supposed to take places And yet the private sector workers who are actually generating money are not How is that fair exactly ?

And it’s not about me plunging into poverty , it’s the fact that children are getting different treatment

And forget mine , many kids with SEN are not getting any support

It’s a shitty system

Because it's nothing to do with the children is it or fairness? Key workers are defined as key workers because their work is critical to the running of society not because they generate money? Some civil servants will be responding directly to covid, some sorting UC claims for people made redundant, sorting furlough payments - plenty of these can be done from home and are being done so, but they're still critical tasks so therefore warrant a key worker place.

Also, HMRC workers, what exactly do you think they're doing? Everything they do is roundabout for the goal of collecting tax to fund the NHS etc.

Not all jobs are the same. Some can be done with a small child in the room , others can't. it's not that hard to understand

Exactly! And some kids are more willing to sit quietly and work than others. 4, 5, 6 year olds tend to bounce around screeching or want your attention every 4 minutes or need help to complete a worksheet. You just can’t do that if you’re in the middle of a lecture or a serious meeting or having a 1:1 with your supervisee about her mental health. Some work is confidential and private. Imagine you’re presenting and your 6 year old announces ‘mummy I’ve done a wee on the floor by accident!’
Not all companies would laugh or be understanding!

[quote Schoolmummmy]@Jellycatspyjamas - And if the non key worker partner works out of the home....?

Only essential workers are currently required to work outside the home. So by definition of default, they would be a key worker too??[/quote]
Incorrect. I work in furniture manufacturing which cannot be done from home, it's not key work but we are told to carry on by the government.

The point is to try and reduce the transmission. The more children in school the more risk that the numbers of cases and deaths keep growing.
Why risk the teachers and your family?

The more people not staying at home it will take longer to get on top of Covid and society will continue to be shutdown.

It was clear that the government was reluctant to close schools and I think that you can see the reluctance buy the way they have set the rules in this lockdown. They are setting out a system where as many people as possible (and particularly the ones that they personally rely on) will still have school places and so will be able to do work (or have no excuse not to work).

I think we all understand that there is a balance to strike between safety, education and economy and that is not an easy balance to find.

Having said that, they claim to have closed the schools reluctantly, in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence that it is necessary, and then set-about ensuring that the schools are still half-full thus significantly reducing the effectiveness of the move. Do they see their own scientific advisors as their opposition? Like Donald Trump playing solitaire, they are cheating against themselves and they just can't help it.

[quote Schoolmummmy]@Jellycatspyjamas - And if the non key worker partner works out of the home....?

Only essential workers are currently required to work outside the home. So by definition of default, they would be a key worker too??[/quote]
@schoolmummy

There are huge numbers of people who are required to work outside of the home who are not KWs. Many factories and construction workers, cleaners, engineers etc.

@Parker231

The point is to try and reduce the transmission. The more children in school the more risk that the numbers of cases and deaths keep growing. Why risk the teachers and your family?

The more people not staying at home it will take longer to get on top of Covid and society will continue to be shutdown.

Why risk teachers and your family?

Because some people cannot work (keep their jobs) and have children at home. They rightly care more about their own family than teachers and the wider picture. Children remain extremely unlikely to become very unwell from Covid. But could come to more harm if a parent loses their job.