Be honest. Have you sent your kids to school when they could have stayed at home?

[Witchcraftandhokum]

I left my job in education before Christmas mostly because of the governments appalling response to Covid in schools and anti-teacher sentiment generally so I haven't really got a vested interest. But I'm curious, after speaking to my ex-colleagues and friends who work in other schools there seems to be a dramatic take-up on the offer of places for vulnerable students and children of Key-workers compared to the last lockdown.

The numbers in my old school during the last lockdown made it hardly worth opening the school, this time they're at capacity and are having to bring extra staff in at a risk to themselves. In my friend's child's class there are 21 out of 32 currently attending.

What's going on?

I haven’t, thought we could as we are both KW. Though we are wfh so DS is also at home. A friend of mine has sent her DS in as her work are much less flexible than mine and last time she ended up being ill through stress.

I think this time around more places have stayed open and therefore more people need to go to work, so more children are in school. After the extended WFH period many organisations are expecting more from employees as they ‘should know what they’re doing now’ - that’s a quote from a friend of mine’s workplace.

I wouldn’t judge, people do what is best for them, but i do feel sorry for teachers who are putting themselves at risk.

As a single Mum in an NHS keyworker job - Ex- Dad military who was refused a keyworker place because both parents had to be keyworkers -

SAHMs who blagged a key worker place - shame on you - you give SAHMS bad name

@GonnaBeYoniThisChristmas

The ones that bug me the most are the dads who have “really busy roles” / “he’s the main breadwinner” / “he’s on Zoom calls back to back”.

Wife KW and kids are in school because heaven forfend that men’s lives get a bit difficult. I don’t know a single dad who’s staying home and juggling his work and home schooling. If more men stepped up fewer kids would be in school.

I agree but I do think people are in a tough situation at the moment and a lot will end up prioritising the job that earns the most money.

Unfortunately a lot of KWs don't earn a huge amount.

And whilst it might sound like 'men getting away with everything', I know if it came down to it, who's job out of mine and DHs we'd have to prioritise. He earns more, we need his job more than we need mine to run our home. Unfortunately that's the reality and if it came down to it, that's what we'd have to do. I've seen a few people post that they are in this situation.

No mine are at home though they could be in school.

To clarify my husband is an actual key worker, works 40hrs+ a week. I would not say I am (very tenuous link to providing healthcare equipment) but my company have provided me with a key worker letter nevertheless "in case I need it"
It's of course in their interest for me not to be WFH with two lo's but there's no way I could take advantage and a genuine space.

I know people who are sending their kids to school when they seriously don’t need to. At my kids school, I’ve heard parents saying that they need to do it because their kids won’t work at home so they’re sending them in! Their school is still packed and all teachers still having to go in! It’s unreal. People literally don’t care!
My three kids are all staying at home. I’m finding it really difficult to teach my own classes online while teaching my 3 - especially my youngest who is only just 5 and cannot read very easily yet. I am a single parent so nobody around to help. But when their school offered them a place, I knew I would feel far too guilty shipping them off to school while I sat at home all day, knowing that their are people who really do go out to work everyday who need those school places way more than me!

No way, the opposite, I kept my kids home when they could have gone in, but it wasn’t safe so they stayed home

@Goatscheesewithhoney

And if I see another Facebook post from a teacher along the lines of “please don’t send your child to school, it’s not safe there and we don’t want to die” then I am going to contact their school and report them.

I don’t want my children looked after by people who openly and publicly don’t what to look after them - some of these teachers are local to me (though thankfully not at my DCs school) and they shouldn’t be putting the guilt trip onto critical worker parents who have to send their children to school so they can work.

I also work from home, so goady threads like this piss me off even more.

It is “safe” for my children to walk into the room while I am on the phone to the emergency services, directing them to the location of someone who is about to suicide? Is it safe for that person if I miss an important detail while trying to usher my children or deal with a tantrum?

In the last lockdown, I was in a phone apt with someone who was disclosing a history of sexual abuse, for the first time.

One of my young children, who I’d bribed with an iPad, suddenly appeared in the room asking for a phone charger. While frantically trying to wave the child out, I missed a couple of sentences of what the person was saying to me.

It was at that point that I decided to send them to school, even though I could “technically” keep them at home.

Absolutely.

Working from home is not necessarily also a suitable environment for DC even before getting into the Home School debate.

Also, for those still in any doubt, all NHS roles are critical because support roles free up clinical staff to care for the Patients.

You actually left your job over this OP!?

I mean, don't get me wrong - the numbers of children in school are worrying. But I'm not sure that many educators will necessarily be in the financial position to just leave their posts.

Mine are in for the days I work. DH is a teacher and needs to be in as he is one of the least at risk. I work for an NHS organisation and do mostly work from home but may need to go in at some point depending on how the vaccination system works out.

We didn't send them in first lockdown as I was working at home all the time. I do feel a bit bad but other parents who work at Universities are also now sending their kids in when they also are working from home. They are also now classed as key workers.

I wish the rules were being applied tighter in scotland....I know so many cases where kids are at school or nursery when the kids could be at home;

• one keyworker parent and the other non keyworker parent is WFH (several occurrences of this)

It’s frustrating when we are muddling about at home trying to work and homeschool

Y10 son has not left the house in weeks. Y5 daughter goes only on the two days a week when I am in school myself.

My job is sometimes life or death urgent but I WFH. I could keep them home but my ability to do my job is compromised. I am a critical worker. My employer expects me to be deployable during work hours. It's a balance. Not a decision I would wish on anyone. But I find it all very unfair that I am in the fortunate position of having a choice and others are not. Needs must as the devil drives. I agonised over it but I think I am doing the right thing.

@BubbyBlobby - fair enough if it comes to that but I still feel like women TRY. You read on here about women changing working hours / asking for leave / putting in late hours / talking to their bosses about flex. That’s being a good employee. I don’t think enough men are doing that.

Anyway this is derailing as the thread is not about the split of care responsibilities. Sorry.

My son goes to his private nursery under a KW place our LA is one key worker my DH is a critical worker who can either be in the house or spend the entire day out having to do business inspections (currently he is still out having to do checks on takeaway compliance).
I usually work full time in a level 3 role from home but at the moment I'm off work.

Nursery is a life line for us and there are the 3 of them in his bubble. I'm happy to pay to give the nursery income, he is happy going and he's outdoors majority of the day.

Too many people judge others based on them reality is there are a lot more factors at play which are dependent on the family. I've said it before nobody really knows what is going on with a family so shouldn't judge. Just get through what is the most appropriate for your family.

Two parent keyworker family. One working on national covid health care response, one works in further ed support (me). Both wfh. 4yo DC goes to school even though we wfh. If DC place was revoked on that basis, I would be forced back to my covid secure office so DC would have to go to school anyway. These arguments are counter productive. What you really need to be railing against is the government's lack of clear guidance and their failure to ensure employers are helping their staff to balance work/homeschooling commitments. Neither of us can claim furlough so it's send him in or lose our jobs.

We coped last lockdown but only just. DHs work load is much bigger now though and we wouldn't manage keeping them at home. Plus DC2 is in the nursery at the school which is fully open so when offered the place we took it up. It's only part time, 2 or 3 days depending on my schedule.

I know many, many friends who have sent the kids in when one, and more often, both of them are WFH and also in jobs that really, really stretch the definition of 'key worker'.
Nice. MC area so obvs the parents are fairly smug/or justifying why their children are special...

[quote GonnaBeYoniThisChristmas]@BubbyBlobby - fair enough if it comes to that but I still feel like women TRY. You read on here about women changing working hours / asking for leave / putting in late hours / talking to their bosses about flex. That’s being a good employee. I don’t think enough men are doing that.

Anyway this is derailing as the thread is not about the split of care responsibilities. Sorry.[/quote]
Oh I absolutely agree, I can just sometimes appreciate why it might be the best option. But certainly know there is a lot of it being 'womens responsibility' at play too!

Our school has sent out several emails now practically begging the parents to have a conscious...

I'm a key worker as are all my staff. In the first lockdown many kept their DC at home and worked crazy hours (often at night) to fit everything in. This time round many of them have said that their mental health can't take doing that again, so they're taking the school places they're entitled to. From speaking to other people it seems a pretty common issue.

No, my children are not in. Youngest has sen and is struggling hugely with mental health and a huge part is because of covid life. No ehcp yet, but even if he did have it, I wouldn't send him in. No way. Unlike a lot if parents at their school, I am taking covid seriously. Loads more in our school this time round. And plenty who I question why the hell are they entitled to a place. Though obviously I'm aware I don't know everyone's home life. Homeschooling is hell and the teachers are doing an amazing job at supporting the children at home and us parents too.

No. I'm a keyworker so they are both entitled to go in. 1st lockdown they didn't go as I was on furlough this time things are different. They need to be in school whilst I work looking after other people's children for them

Yes. DH and I are both teachers who are working at school, not from home. He is full time and I am three days. On my days off my kids have been going to school anyway. I’m aware some people will think this is wrong but I’m too tired to argue.

Goatscheesewithhoney

you cannot tell us with a straight face that most "keyworker" jobs are similar to yours.

You of all people should understand why other taking the piss is a problem for you! More risk for isolation, more risk of having your kids sent back for 10 days to 2 weeks (or more when the school run out of staff)

The majority of "key workers" could very well have their children home. Most people who didn't use the keyworker places in the first lockdown could keep them home.

people who openly and publicly don’t what to look after them and rightly so! Why should they be supportive of parents messing the system and putting everyone at risk!

My children could go in but there is no way they are setting foot in the place. A friend's child has to go in (single parent, working long hours as a GP) would much prefer that she is at home.