Key worker? Genuinely confused now Aibu and not realising it?!

[BestJamInTheVillage]

I’ve been offered a place for my twins year 1 to go to school starting tomorrow.
My husband works in transport and is out of the home- I work for the council dealing with vulnerable people. Part of that is safeguarding and domestic abuse situations. I am working from home but the nature of the work is very delicate and I’m
Either on the phone or in virtual meetings with other professionals and service users.
Some people on the mums WhatsApp group have made pointed comments about ‘if you can work from home you shouldn’t be using a space’ etc but i don’t think I’m being unreasonable sending kids in.
I can’t have them running playing whilst I’m doing this work, obviously family can’t help out and I’d be forced to put the kids in front of their iPads etc for entertainment.
The WhatsApp guilt is making feel shitty

Don't feel guilty you cannot safely do your job with them home so send them in. I say this as a fellow key worker with 2 in school too

Send them in.

Mute the WhatsApp group and ignore it. You’re using the key worker provision correctly.

Ignore them and send your chidren. You can't actually work in such a sensitive role with a pair of five year olds running around the place.

People will always judge but it sounds like they are best at school due to the nature of your job. Don’t feel guilty.

Last year my son went to school in the summer. Oh worked throughout but isn’t a key worker and I wasn’t working and I was shamed for sending him but he has additional needs and he was entitled to a place!

Love to see them cope with your job... read the govt guidance for critical workers it's very clear and follow that rather the judgy crowd's opinions.

You're not wrong but I think people just haven't actually stopped for half a second to consider whether there might be jobs where it would be massively inappropriate to have anyone else milling around, let alone a noisy child.

I assume you have given the school the facts and they have made the decision. So there is nothing to feel guilty about and the other parents on the WhatsApp can mind their own business! I am in similar situation but keeping things on the down low in the class WhatsApp group

I was made to feel guilty too op. Our twins were also given places, we just found out. I cannot work with them at home, I need to read and analyse medical tests and I can not afford to make mistakes because my children keep arguing or asking me for snacks! So they'll go in 3 days a week so dh and I can continue with our jobs to keep others safe.

Don’t feel guilty, I’d say your are correct to use the KW allocation.

Ignore WhatsApp mums they don't know your situation or if they do they are morons.

Your work is important and of course you can't have year 1 kids over hearing or interrupting.

The keyworker provision is there for people like you not just people that can't wfh.

The people making comments are jealous.

Absolutely agree that you should send them in.
Lockdown brings out the worst in people and often it’s because you’re entitled to something that they haven’t got.
Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

WFH doesn't necessarily mean you are able to also take care of children so you are absolutely right to take the spaces

You follow the rules, you are doing nothing wrong

The rules SHOULD be that parents WFH keep their children, and places only offered to critical workers working out of the house.

My local schools even accept children when the other parent is a SAH parent...

It's just makes for bigger "bubbles", more risks of the entire group being sent into isolation, and less help for children who are staying home. Some parents try to do the right thing and keep theirs, leaving a spot for those who REALLY need it. Others don't care.

As long as the rules allow you, go for it.

Never post about it on a parents WhatsApp. 😂 The envious (and the controlling & anxious) will get wound up and the others will remain silent. 🙈🙉🙊

Just quietly go about your lawful business, you'll be fine.

Ignore the bloody lot of them. In fact, come off the group. Itll only do your head in to be in daily contact with people who are so judgmental.

@notinthiseconomy

The people making comments are jealous.

why wouldn't they? They very likely have to work full time with the children at home.

Why do you think anyone would be celebrating? It's a nightmare for some parents.

Yabu.
It's got sod all to do with them.
"And then he hit me..." "Oh hang on Mrs Low, Zayn stop licking your brother bottom and put down the cat! Sorry Lola, what were you saying? No Harry, you can't have cake for lunch! And don't eat your brother's snot. Yes Mrs Low Where were we?"

Send them to school

Given the confidential nature of your work YANBU. However lovely your DC are there are things I am sure you would not want them to overhear, or pick up and repeat once normal schooling returns.

YANBU. Ignore them.

My DH and I are also key workers, but able to work from home. Personally I wouldn’t feel comfortable using it, I think it’s for frontline staff who must leave the house to do their jobs. I’m also worried my child will mix with these children and deforest bring the covid home.
I wouldn’t talk about someone else for using it, it’s a personal choice. It didn’t affect them either way, does it.

In my experience those who shout the loudest are the ones flouting all the rules. A handful of parents were extremely vocal about school being unsafe last summer and how they weren’t risking it. Then loads of photos of mixing, street parties, holidays to places they shouldn’t have been etc etc.

It's always "don't take a space if you don't need it"

What they actually mean and think (and are wrong!) is that if 15 parents are entitled to a space and only 10 take them up the school will offer spaces to their kids who aren't entitled!

There isn't a maximum quota to fill. There is probably a maximum they'll take with a risk assessment.

Anyone who comments on any other parent's situation on a school WhatsApp group has poor judgement anyway, so I wouldn't worry about it, OP.

Two keyworkers in family. Cannot supervise children and do your work. Of course you can use the place.

People are steamed up about this because it feels unfair in some circumstances. Most people just aren't able to look past that feeling of unfairness, unfortunately. Ignore.