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.

Do your bit to prevent the spread. Unless your struggling mentally.

I'm a keyworker. My late DH was not but worked shifts. How would childcare work in that example (which isn't unusual) where one parent is asleep during the day and at work in the night? It's not practical to police.

I'm a full-time KW based in a workplace and not at home, husband can WFH, our local primary is accepting DC1 to attend, we are taking the place so that they can at least have some daily routine to continue with.

We are concerned about Covid but thankfully none of us are clinically vulnerable, DH's job is high pressured and yes we have taken the chance to allow DC1 to attend school during the coming weeks. DC2 will attend nursery as usual.

My point of view is, everyone's situation is different, if there is parent at home who can look after the DC without having work pressures/responsibilities that's even better, and yes I do have sympathy for those who are both struggling with WFH.

We are simply taking the opportunity as it is available to us, no guilt here.

I'm a keyworker, DH isn't. I'm also the only person who does my job and it is safety critical at times. If school won't take them, I'll be taking leave and they can manage without me as I'm not doing it again. DH is self employed and we can't afford the hit in income.

I’m a critical worker, front line HCP. My husband WFH, he’s a solicitor. He earns ten times my wage. My monthly salary wouldn’t cover half a mortgage payment. He’s SE/a partner and there is no furlough option. He cannot do his job and care for our 4 year old and there’s no point anyone saying “well he has to get on with it” “what if he were a single parent” etc. It’s just not possible, not with the amount of client contact he has to have, not to mention zoom court hearings etc, and not with our particular 4 year old! He could probably manage the 9 year old.

So, if we didn’t get a key worker place for the children (and we will, as luckily our school hasn’t said anything so draconian and are a bit more long sighted than many schools and people seem to be) I would be off sick until my notice period ended and then I would leave. And the NHS is one experIenced nurse down.

I’m also putting them in 5 days, although I only work 2.5, so I can have some decompression time and pick up shifts at short notice.

@Looneytune253

I agree, if one parent is not a keyworker then the child shouldn't attend school. Makes it equal for everyone as a non keyworker single parent wouldn't get a space and their employer should be understanding.

"Equal for everyone' is absolutely irrelevant. The government has categorised some roles essential in keeping society moving at this point when everything else needs to shut down. Providing key worker childcare is a way of protecting these roles.

Ironically the most important roles in society in a pandemic are some of the lowest paid - many who do them have a higher earning partner and will step away from their work to ensure the one earning most of the household income can continue to work. Providing these individuals childcare allows them to stay in work and undertake the roles that are critical in keeping society moving.

As an example - if 5 nurses in my team all resigned or took unpaid leave for the next 2 weeks because they have no childcare and their partners need to work, our ward would not be able to function. Their absence would be in addition to those already out because they need to isolate due to family testing positive/positive themselves

Dh is a critical worker and his job is crucial so time off would affect many people and families. I WORK from home, I am not avaliable for childcare. If my dc don't get a place in school he will have to take time off to share childcare with me which will affect the lives of hundreds of people. I cannot afford to lose my job and nor should I have to be the default childcare provider because of my sex.

My problem with this is that ALL the work juggling and childcare and home learning is then falling on one person, who cannot form a support bubble.

@SallyTimms

I wfh 2 days a week, on the phone. How do i look after children while on calls?

The same way that people who don't have a partner who's a key worker do.

@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.

It wouldn't bother me what others do, if the school is making that rule you can't blame anyone for taking advantage of it. This situation is not going to last forever, remember that.

If your school is accepting kids with one keyworker parent then who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks anyway.

Well, school staff got a start. They deserve to be in contact with as few people as necessary. Then their families. And the key worker children that gave to god into school should also be in contact with as few other children as possible. They shouldn’t have to be in contact with a doctors child if there other parent is not a key worker and is working at home.
As usual people take the piss.

*School staff for a start

Why the fuck do you need a support bubble when you've got your own family?!
My problem with this is that ALL the work juggling and childcare and home learning is then falling on one person, who cannot form a support bubble

Bloody autocorrect, I’ll try again.

If your school is accepting kids with one keyworker parent then who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks anyway.

Well, school staff for a start. They deserve to be in contact with as few people as necessary. Then their families. And the key worker children that have to go into school should also be in contact with as few other children as possible. They shouldn’t have to be in contact with a doctors child if their other parent is not a key worker and is working at home.
As usual people take the piss.

Both DP and I are keyworkers, but I still had to justify my need for a place DD. I work in aviation and our school basically assumed I spend all my time dealing with passengers. My company had to write to the school to say I was a keyworker. I'm operational not passenger facing. Im hoping we don't have the same issue this time if it comes to closures

Where is the up to date ‘keyworker’ list that schools will be using to offer places?

Re the point a few people have made that most jobs can't be done from home whilst caring for children... I guess the thing is that two people WFH in non keyworker roles can do half childcare half job, whereas if you have one keyworker and one normal job that one person is being expected to do their job and homeschool alone.

Today 22:17 Doublefaced

Where is the up to date ‘keyworker’ list that schools will be using to offer places?

Prepare for a long read 😀

I am a keyworker. My kids stayed at home last time because I was fortunate to be WFH. One DC was in one of the years that went back before the end of term on a part time basis. I was amazed by the parents who had full time keyworker places - including a couple of stay at home mums who told me their husbands were key workers and various other friends who were using key worker places but WFH and nipping for runs and take away coffees. It caused a huge amount of bitterness at our school.

I think it needs looking at. Our school is due to open on Monday but should it close, I think there will be an insane number of parents chasing key worker places.

What happens with separated parents?

So RP is a keyworker but NRP isn't but still has to work outside the home so can't be off the whole time.

It's not the same as having two incomes in one household and dropping one. If the households are separate, the parent with the none keyworker job (which can't be done from home) can't just have no income so that the other parent can go to work and not use up a school place surely?

@BadTattoosAndSmellLikeBooze

Bloody autocorrect, I’ll try again.

If your school is accepting kids with one keyworker parent then who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks anyway.

Well, school staff for a start. They deserve to be in contact with as few people as necessary. Then their families. And the key worker children that have to go into school should also be in contact with as few other children as possible. They shouldn’t have to be in contact with a doctors child if their other parent is not a key worker and is working at home.
As usual people take the piss.

In that case us medical staff who don't earn enough to pay the bills will take unpaid leave from work so we can do childcare therefore allowing our higher earning (non key) partners to continue working and keep a roof over our heads.

I'm sure that will be fantastic for the NHS, they have a huge surplus of staff to call upon right now with so many isolating and off sick before factoring in childcare

@Lippylooksnice

Today 22:17 Doublefaced

Where is the up to date ‘keyworker’ list that schools will be using to offer places?

Prepare for a long read 😀

The official one. Not the MN self nominating one

I think this is the list www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision The term is critical worker not key I think now.

I believe it includes doctors, nurses, teachers, IT, food people, all sorts. I am against the lockdowns but abide by the rules. I would just keep all schools open to be honest.

From what you have wrote OP it doesn’t sound like you have kids at home and WFH at the same time.

I don’t have to do this but I feel for those who do with a few kids!

I was deemed a key worker during lockdown one but didn’t even consider requesting a place as DH and I both worked from home.

However this time round I have been redeployed into the local covid action team and will be required to work on site, and expectations of me are a lot higher than previously.

We have been offered a place (schools are closed here) and are taking it. DH’s employers are inflexible and not very supportive and we cannot afford for him to take unpaid leave. If we didn’t have a place I would not be able to work full time in my redeployed role.