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

the twats are the ones who don't keep their children home when they could

the day the bubble has to go into isolation because of them, and a critical frontline worker is unable to go to work, what then?

Just don’t tell people what you’re doing. It’s not their business.

@jessstan1

The people on WhatsApp group haven't a clue what it is like to work from home and have young children around. Pay no attention to them or, better still, leave WhatsApp alone.

You mean the parents having kids in the same class so in the same age group?

🤦‍♂️

Since you haven’t passed the HT a bundle of tenners in a brown paper bag OP I think you can safely assume that the SMT at the school have assessed your work needs and decided that yes, you are a key worker and yes, your twins need the places.

Just tell your nosy whattsappers that you are doing important secret agenty spy type work for MI5 , which you can’t disclose otherwise you would have to kill them. Then kill them anyway.

Obviously you can't do this kind of work whilst you have children, regardless of whether you are at home or at a workplace.

Ignore people making nasty comments - it's really none of their business.

I’d think you being not to the place in your line of work.

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer

Just because they're in a shite position, it doesn't mean they can guilt or shame OP into being in a shite position.

And I say this as someone who works full time in a stressful job, now with a four year old to homeschool.

You would be unreasonable NOT to take the place I meant.

You surely cannot do your job with your children around. Send them to school!

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer

I don't understand who's meant to be celebrating, though 🤷🏼‍♀️

I don't think you're being unreasonable. The nature of your work is not something that you can interrupt to deal with a tantrum, lunch needs, sibling rivalries (just for example) or pause to tend to your children's general needs.
Your service users need your full attention and you, as a key worker, are entitled to those places at school to enable you to do your job to the best of your ability.

Take the places and don't feel guilty about it

I think you're right in sending your kids in, you have a job to do thats very sensitive. Fuck anyone who feels the need to ply you with guilt.

If love to see them deal with peoples very personal and delicate situations whilst keeping two children happy, safe and educating them all at the same time.

Surely in this situation we should all be helping one another and uplifting to those who know? Its such a shit time.

Iknowwhatudidlastsummer our school too- found out today 2 mums who are stay at home have sent in kids as their DH's qualify (how I don't know...) as keyworkers. Me and DH both work, DS has SEN and still can't get a place back at school even for 1 or 2 days a week.
OP- don't feel bad at all- your are working - and in a genuinely critical keyworker role- and more than entitled to a place.

Tell them to mind their own business. The thing about Covid is that many people now think it’s ok to judge individual situations and they are all experts with specific qualifications and years of experience in the scientific field OR they listen to Piers Morgan having a mean and think this is an acceptable approach

Send them, ignore the chat and keep being amazing (genuinely, you have a hard job but thank you).

Your kids are pretthh up young, if the school will take them send them in. If you don’t work full time then just for the time you need. People don’t realise the varied roles that are happening from home!

I'm mulling this over too. I think in your circumstances you should definitely take the option.
I'm a university lecturer WFH and technically a key worker. Last time the whole thing was a shitshow and I'm very tempted to take the place (it has been offered) my kid is 10 and I can cope but not well.

Sorry that should have said critical worker

@Indecisive12

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.

In my experience those who shout the loudest are the ones flouting all the rules.

This is so, so true.

@SleepingStandingUp

And I wouldn't mute the chat, I'd answer them

,"If you're an home am day of course you should keep them with you"
"It isn't appropriate for them to be in the room whilst I'm taking to clients about abuse and safeguarding issues. Or isn't appropriate to ignore tell 5 year olds for 4 hours a day. Are you offering to form a childcare bubble and have them?

Another vote for this response!

Utterly selfish. If you WFH, you should keep your kids. That's what most parents have to do anyway

Idiotic and totally unhelpful. As if all jobs are the same just because they can be done from home.

I have absolutely no issue with you taking up a place in these circumstances if you're entitled to it BUT be careful with statements like I’d be forced to put the kids in front of their iPads etc for entertainment. That's what loads of parents are having to do. It doesn't help your case. The reality is you're entitled to a school place under the rules so you shouldn't be judged for taking it.

OP the whole school bitching is ruddy weird atm. We as a species look in our neighbours bowl to check they don't have more than us. Nobody likes to think that someone is getting what they can't.

Send them in, don't stress about it. They're entitled to spaces.

I swear I'm hearing twilight zone music in a daily basis now

send them in. i just found out that am a key worker and am overjoyed. i was on my knees last spring. send them in - sane parents = sane children. schools/nursery pose public health rather than personal health risk for most parents - so honestly, if your health suffers i.e. because of stress - it's not worth keeping kids at home

It’s between you and the school not the mums on the playground.