We have decided....

[whodunit3]

We have just had a family meeting and made the decision, the children will be kept off from tomorrow

Youngest has a chesty cough so wouldn’t be going in anyway but the other two will also be off for the foreseeable future (two primary and one secondary)

We live in an area where parents and grandparents are older, I have 0 confidence that BOJO, government informants or any scientist in the world really knows how this new virus works and I’m scared!

I read today that the reason behind lots of parents stopping doing what they though was right for their children was fear of judgment, doing the wrong thing, or more importantly doing (for you) the right thing.

I just wanted to share, that we are standing up and doing what feel right for us, do what’s right for you.

That’s in Northern Ireland, btw.

We weren't even invited. Nobody cares about us.

I stopped sending my daughter yesterday. I spoke to the school and they were in agreement that she shouldn’t attend due to her underlying health conditions.
Her guidance teacher told me today that about 500 children weren’t in today, think the roll is around 1400.

You did exactly the right thing ( I say that because I did the same ) my daughter has many disabilities and is life limited so obviously our plan was to keep her off ( she has been off since last week ) then when there was no school closure announcement we took our son out too as there would be no isolation if one member of the family was going out each day. Our older parents have come to live with us, we have cancelled our daughters carers and we have no intention of leaving the house for the foreseeable future . Luckily we have support from people who can get us any supplies or this would not be possible . We want to give our daughter the best possible chance of not being part of the ‘herd’ as there is a good chance she wouldn’t survive . I do hope sons school understands but it wouldn’t change our decision if they didn’t

We have done the same OP. Our school is partially open with one child off and the other should be in but I'm not sending her. DP working from home last 2 weeks (civil servant). I'm high risk with asthma and kidney failure. It's just not worth the risk. Like you I have zero confidence in BoJo. I think just about any other PM in recent history would have played this differently.
To all you piss takers-give your head a wobble. I really hope mom of you live to regret your decisions
Stay safe and well OP xx

@cutebutscary sending love to you and your family. Wishing you all good health. It's lovely to have your parents with you too xx

I think you made the right decision by you . No matter what the other people in the world say. But do be aware they can fine you for taking kids unnecessarily out of school , at least £60 per parent...

And per kid*( I'm in England)

My DM has informed me that she will be keeping my younger DS and DB off school as of friday if the school has not decided to close. DB has only recently recovered from cancer and i dont believe there is enough evidence to suggest that even with a healtht immune system that you would be surviving this virus.

Yes, I took mine out last Thursday.

Thank you @plentyoflooroll x

I think it’s fine, if that’s your choice, to take your children out of school but I’d be wary of wrapping it up in a “doing my bit to help others bow”. There are very good reasons both from a medical and behavioural science reason why schools are remaining open for now, and probably will do until Easter in most areas. There are also enormous safeguarding risks attached to closing schools and not least the ability for key workers to actually work through the first peak if we hit it. Your children are really not at risk at school unless they have underlying health issues in which case they, and any staff in the same boat will be making decisions based on their risk level. If you want to actually “do your bit” then you should, from a good two weeks ago, have been practising strong social distancing. Not being in crowded places, not visiting those who are over 65 or have underlying health issues, keeping your children out of social settings, supermarkets etc... where they risk infecting those in high risk groups. That is what actually helps and having children who do not show/suffer from symptoms but have the capacity to infect wildly (not least because they touch everything, cough everywhere, and can’t be expected to understand keeping distant from others) contained in school for 8 hours a day actually helps this hugely not the reverse! So if you’re really trying to help others then 1. Your children now need to be kept at home constantly during the day when they’re most likely to come into contact with high risk groups, and probably for more than 6 weeks through the Easter holidays and out the other side, and 2. please do not now expect school to accommodate your decision by pulling together lessons and home learning support for your children (you will already have created extra workload just by joining a bandwagon that negatively affects schools) when they are desperately trying to plan for shut down in two weeks, deal with concerned parents, run at low staffing levels and manage a constantly evolving myriad of factors. Your choice is yours of course and I understand your concern for your children and like most people support your decision to do what’s right for you, but it is categorically not helping anyone else at this particular stage of proceedings.

@Mba1974

*In your opinion...

Of course I completely disagree with everything you have said hence taking them out.

@whodunit13 you disagree with EVERYTHING I’ve said? I’d love to see you work through that line by line and explain why!? Disagree with some or the odd bit yes but social distancing, safeguarding, schools workload, the risk children present to others, your healthy children’s risk at school... all of it, every line, really? No hope for any of us then quite honestly... and it’s only very partly opinion most of it is based on being at the sharp end unfortunately.

My two are going to school until they close which I suspect will be shortly (NI). Both have exams this term so will attend as long as schools are open, their decision and mine.

Thanks for letting us know!! I can finally sleep!! Jesus

Most people I know have taken their kids out of school. The schools are being very good about it. Not everyone can, but the more who can, the more the spread slows, so yeah. Good for you. I hope you have a nice time with your children.

@Mba1974 has some valid points

I need schools to stay open. I have no childcare and work NHS. What will I do otherwise?

We are doing this also. We have older kids.

@coronamoana thank you.... with me education, 3 immediate family members NHS and my oldest immediate family member now hospitalised with COVOID-19 and unlikely to survive it I feel enormously strongly about it. I have no issue with people taking their kids out of school I do object to this idea however that they know better or are actually helping. I don’t think the govt are doing everything right at all but schools and their impact are one policy they are getting right... for now...!

I am not convinced closing the schools earlier is the best choice, like you say a huge raft of safeguarding concerns & concerns re mixing

Normally I would tell you not to overreact but actually we are not being robust enough in our action and I agree: BoJo has the organisational skills of a carrot.

The other countries have peaked and contained and we're still making no robust decisions re: quarantine.

It's embarrassing and irresponsible.

But do be aware they can fine you for taking kids unnecessarily out of school , at least £60 per parent.

I think they have more to worry about. The mother of a vulnerable child in (NI) won her court case against the education authority, due to the risks to her child. It wasn’t even a difficult fight.

Your choice but I do hope you will be keeping your kids in.... I've seen many parents pull their kids from school but are happy to take them shopping and off to parks... seriously if you do that with kids then surely they may as well go school