To leave my 7 yr old home alone for 30mins ?

[confusedwithschool]

My 7 yr old DD has the dreaded chicken pox ( she’s on day 5) but still absolutely covered. Half of his class are out cos of this

Tomorrow is my DS’s year 6 graduation and there is no one I can call to babysit ( that’s even if they would want to )

I can’t take her there as I would be exposing other kids but at the same time how can I miss my sons grad?

im torn . I plan to be on video call with her while there and the school is just down the road , a 2 min walk

not sure what I can do ?

Glad you sorted it OP. Enjoy your day

Brilliant. Good move from the school.
congrats to your older child!

Emotionally, and practically, going out alone when you know you can go home to your parent is completely different to being left at home alone with no way to get to your parent.

It's important to understand the difference.

Did you tell them it is Chicken Pox??

Really surprised the school is doing this, given it is against NHS advice.

Really not on to risk exposing vulnerable people to CP.

I think if you are literally a few doors down it would be OK (unles the kiddie is really sick) - but it is otherwise too young as if there was an emergency how would they deal with it? I do think year 6 graduation is a very big deal though - end of primary for many - so I feel your pain totally.. but if it felt right to go you wouldnt have asked..

Graduation is the wrong word, but year 6 leavers assembly is still a significant milestone.

Really? I’m 42 and still remember my last day of primary. We didn’t call it a graduation but it’s the same with different language. Assembly attended by year 6 and their parents to wish them well as the move to a new school, usually a song they perform and dc get shirts signed by friends, say bye to teachers etc. I loved that day but I’d add that my memories are of my friends and teachers. I’m sure dm was there as she came to everything but my memories of the day aren’t of dm.

op, I wouldn’t leave a 7yo but ask school if they’re filming it (explain why). Also, make special time when the 11yo gets home for them to share their story of the day with you over ice cream or similar.

OP I’d give the School a quick call and ask if there is anything they can suggest. They might have had a similar situation before. You never know. Is there any chance your 7 year old will have scabbed over? I’m sure my child was by day 6 (appreciate they are all different) x

Everyone saying it's "not a thing" or "ridiculous". I wouldn't call it a graduation, but year 6 leavers is a big milestone and the assembly is a significant moment for the children. Of course it matters that OP will be missing it, and it will matter to her child.

Glad school can help

If half the class have had , I would have asked on wats app group if anyone else has poorly kids and off so an adult looking after them and they be together

just called the school and they said they will watch her for me in another room while I come to the leavers assembly

As someone who works in a school I'm very surprised they have staff available to babysit children who are too ill to come to school. This would never be allowed anywhere I've worked.

Sorry just seen you’ve called the School. Great news that you’re all sorted!

It is July. I don't know where you are but it is hot here. That is extremely dangerous. Don't do it.

I think leaving at home is fine. She can call you it's mo problem.

Don't leave her in the car though

I think it's really kind of the school to offer to do this. What an example of going above and beyond.
Hope you both have a good day.

It wasn't that unusual for my circle at the time. Lots of single parent working families and no such thing as breakfast clubs or after school clubs meant plenty of latch key kids towards the end of primary school.

We survived. Though I know it would not be socially acceptable now. It never really bothered me and I still love having the house to myself 🤣.

I may have this wrong, but isn't "year 6" in English schools the last year of primary school? If I'm right, then YABU as you do not "graduate" from primary school and are ridiculous to be thinking this is serious or a "thing".

These silly nursery graduations etc. are utterly ridiculous. This is the first I've heard of a primary school buying into this nonsense.

A graduation is: "Conferral or receipt of an academic degree or diploma marking completion of studies".

Just stay home and parent your sick child FGS.

If I were the neighbour, I would not agree to babysit a child with chickenpox. The herpes zoster virus is one of the most contagious known to science and it can lead to shingles in adults even if they have had chickenpox earlier in life.

I don't think 7 is necessarily too young. If this had been our DS we would probably have been able to leave him on his own, with a phone to call the neighbour if needed. Not DD, though.

It’s not a real graduation and I don’t understand why so many parents buy into this utter nonsense.

My DS finished Primary school 2 years ago and they just held a special assembly for the leaving class and gave out printed hoodies which has now ended up at the charity shop. God knows what the PTA were thinking when funding that pointless activity other than their bloody social media. 🤔

God what a fun sponge.

Of course it isn't a proper graduation. Leavers assembly is the most common name for it.

Leaving primary school is a big deal for a lot of kids and families.

I used to travel 15 miles by bus aged six to get to school.

You’d have better responses if you’d put “leavers’ assembly” rather than graduation.

I guess that was your circle.

I'm aiming for more than 'we survived' for my kids! It's not that it's not 'socially acceptable', it's that it isn't desirable. If people had no choice then that's obviously what they did, but it's not what you want for young kids.

Wouldn't even contemplate it

Take her with you, she was more at risk of passing the virus on before the first pox appeared.

Adults can't catch shingles from a child with chicken pox. Shingles happens when the herpes zoster virus, already present in the body from a chicken pox infection in earlier life, reactivates. Most adults have natural immunity to chicken pox and so there is no risk to an adult who has had it at some stage in the past babysitting an ill child.