What will you do if schools do close?

[Furcoatgirl]

I'm really worried. Obviously if it's for the good of everyone then fine, but I'm really not sure what I'd do.

My parents are usually the ones who help out, but they're high risk, so no way would I be sending the dc there for days on end.

We do have savings if I had to take unpaid, but could only do that for so long.

What will you do?

I'm a teacher so I'd be at home. I might offer to help others out with childcare on our village Facebook group: I have a valid DBS and paediatric first aid certificate, am employed by the council (that's easily checked) and do toddler stay-and-play groups already, so I like to think I could be a trusted person to help out if people need me to.

I'm not sure it'll come to it, though. They seem pretty keen to keep schools open.

My MIL has the kids usually but whilst she is pretty robust, my FIL is much older (no underlying conditions though!!) so I dont think MIL should have the kids.

I think it would be a combination of leave / compressed hours WFH / DP (self employed) taking time off.

DH would have to keep working. He’s got the main salary.

I Could probably go home at lunch and pick up DS and bring him back with me for the afternoon. He’s 11 and starting to get used to being on his own for a bit. Couldn’t be all day every day.

I'm a TA we have been told today that schools will only be closed to children so we will be in school and our children will have to come with us. As a staff we have 12 primary age children so we can keep them in separate classrooms

I'm very lucky as can wfh around my older children. I would expect to offer to help local friends with child care too. Id have to mostly ignore their children and fling food at them from tome to time but I suspect that would do.

Oh god I have no dbs and no first aid. I've never lost a child yet though so I will have to do.

If the schools close then so do the universities so DS will come home from uni and he’ll have to watch his sister while I go to work. I’m a single parent but front line NHS staff so time off/working from home not an option for me

I'm not in paid work at the moment, and my DC are older (11 and 13). I expect if schools close I'll be helping some friends out with childcare (have already had a few discussions).

I'm lucky mine are teenagers and could work at home and wouldn't need much from us. I'm also a teacher and not working at the moment, so if it came to it I'd be looking to volunteer to take care of kids locally, maybe for HCPs or other essential workers who are stuck for childcare.

@Furcoatgirl what do you do for a living? What is your work policy?

So far we've been told we have 10 days paid exceptional leave. If it's a longer term closure, my boss says he thinks it will be WFH as best as you can. Organization wide policy to be decided.

My DH works for NHS so I'm expecting to have to do the majority and he may take one exceptional day per week. We both work 4 weekdays per week so that helps massively.

I'd start by clarifying both your work' standpoint on this to help you plan. I won't be going anywhere near grandparents looking after him.

DH is officially working from home as of this afternoon. We are currently in temporary accommodation however which is small and cramped. Tomorrow he will be setting up an office in a nearby relative’s house so that he can work. Relative has a large house with plenty of spare rooms so DH will be able to work but still stay away from other people.

I work in a school but am support staff. Suggestions are that when our schools close (widely expected to be next week) teachers will still be expected to go in and teach remotely but from the school building. No suggestion yet as to what teachers’ DC will do. I will not be required to do my normal job and am on a temp contract but no-one has clarified what will happen for me or other support/temporary staff. Either I will go in (possibly with younger DC in tow) to help with other tasks, or I will be at home in which case I won’t be paid and will have no certainty that I’ll still have a job when schools finally re-open.

Older DC will be studying at home - their schools are well set up for remote teaching and both DC are very conscientious - they are both dreading the schools closing because they don’t want to miss learning - so I do trust them to study.

The younger DC will be doing some work but how or where is unknown for now.

I work freelance from home and DC are older so I'm lucky there. I think if anything I'll have friends' children here if they have nowhere else and if they still have to work.

I'll get together with two other single mums. We'll share care of three boys, that'll reduce our time working from home to 1.5 days a week. My job equips us to work from home all the time, so with a mix of work from home, and a few extra hours in the evenings or early mornings, we should be able to maintain our hours.

It'll be a slog but a better situation than some.

I'm on a supply contract SO if schools close I will earn nothing. So I am a bit worried

Luckily my DH will support me. Lucky me.

lots of hardship when we get to the other side of this

least we will all be in a similar position

so many small businesses will go under

I'm a teacher so would be at home, I'd also be offering to mind and teach his classmates if anybody was struggling.... we'll see how it goes. I'm comparatively lucky though.

DH and I are both in a very fortunate position. We both work in the public sector, in areas that will continue come what may.

However it is impossible for DH to WFH. I regularly WFH and my employer is very understanding in regards to how COVID-19 will impact on working hours. If nursery were to close then I would have no option but to WFH for the duration of the closure.

I would struggle to do 7.5 hours straight but would be able to work in chunks of 2 - 3 hours, we don't have family who can help, but we will manage as best we can and where we can we will be able to help friends out.

I'd take my mat leave a few weeks earlier than planned so I'm at home with DD before giving birth. I go off in 6 weeks but at least I'd still have money coming in, albeit SMP. My partner would continue to work until baby is born, then take accrued holidays and/or paternity leave.

If we have to self isolate before then, we'd likely have to borrow some money to cover bills as us being on SMP and/or SSP wouldn't cover us. However, we do own our own home so if there was a mortgage break, we'd be fine.

Ultimately, we'd be ok, as long as none of us actually get sick from it. I'm terrified about giving birth right in the middle of this happening, but what can I do?

It will be a real struggle. We will have 2 adults trying to wfh, primary kids that need support with whatever home school work is set. Not enough computers or tablets or desk space to go around. (It's fine normally, but not for 5 of us to be home and working at the same time for weeks on end)

I honestly think DHs company expect people to be able to keep working a full 9-5 just from home. Mine is a bit more reasonable.

Still, we are really going to struggle with that expectation. There's going to be kids popping up in the background of Skype calls all over the place!

I’m a TA in a non-academy primary. We’ve been told we’d be paid as usual and no-one’s said anything about going into school. Teachers would be setting basic homework.
DH can work from home too so we’re pretty lucky.

It's too late now anyway.
We should have done what other countries have done, but BOJO didn't think we'd be up to it. He could have a point, the amount of selfish twats about is unbelievable.

Sushi

Isn't the idea that one of you would be looking after the kids? Why would they be popping up?
Great, lets add feral kids to the mix.

I'm in the NHS, I'd have to go in. But I'm a full time working single parent, with no family support. I honestly don't know what I'd do. It's a genuine worry.

I am a teacher and will be working from home- sending work to kids and getting on with planning etc. DD is 13 so can entertain herself and DH working from home. We will both get paid. We are very lucky.

I'm a teacher in Ireland . There was no suggestion of us going into school we just sent home a pack of work for the next couple of weeks. Also the guidelines here are no playdates, no playgrounds , no visiting grandparents, etc otherwise the schools closing date will be in vain