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Original poster

We have decided....

352 replies

whodunit3 · 15/03/2020 22:48

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.

OP posts:
Gilead · 16/03/2020 00:01

People are scared, people are nasty. So much for all the Be Kind stuff.

Show some compassion folks.

blinkowl · 16/03/2020 00:02

We've decided not for now, as we don't have any recorded cases locally, nor have we heard about anyone who has it.

Also we reasoned that if our kids (primary age) did end up getting it in the next week, that might not be so awful as if they get it sooner rather than later and did need to go to the hospital, they're not overwhelmed yet. (Not that we'd actively expose them to it!)

We'll reassess daily though. If it's in the community we'll pull them out.

Designerenvy · 16/03/2020 00:03

@whodunit3, good decision and you are lucky to be in the position you are in to facilitate it ( and you have acknowledged that ).
The best of luck.
Mine are home from school since Friday ( schools closed here) and I must say , if Friday is anything to go by, its going to very tough going.
Mine can't meet their friends ( restrictions
here ) and the boredom is setting in already.
So your decision isn't an easy one to take but the right one .

tinkerella1 · 16/03/2020 00:03

OP I’ve just gone through pretty much exactly the same.
I think we’ve got to feel sorry for those taking the piss.
We’ve got a grandparent who can’t have radiotherapy for their cancer so I don’t really care (give a flying f...) about people who think it’s funny to have a family meeting about a virus that kills the most vulnerable among us. Get a sense of perspective @dozywozy @ohnononononono

Napqueen1234 · 16/03/2020 00:03

I don’t mean to be rude as you clearly think you’ve made a very noble decision but not everyone has the luxury of being a SAHP and taking their kids out of school even if that’s what they would like to do.

DingleberryRose · 16/03/2020 00:06

Good look with the fines you’re going to get. It won’t be long before the Local Authority come after you and ask why you’re breaking the law. I think you’ll cause more harm than good by ruining your children’s education.

UsernameUnknownn · 16/03/2020 00:09

Fair enough. If my DC were school aged they'd also not be going to school. I don't trust the decision that has been made. Sometimes you just got to take it upon yourself to do the right thing!

Original poster
whodunit3 · 16/03/2020 00:12

@DingleberryRose in all honesty I think you are talking shite but even so if I stop one of my 3 passing the virus onto a vulnerable adult or elderly person, a fine seems like a walk in the fucking park!

OP posts:
Boohooyouho · 16/03/2020 00:12

How long are you planning to keep them off for? I’ve been reading that this virus could be around for a year?

NeckPainChairSearch · 16/03/2020 00:12

I think you’ll cause more harm than good by ruining your children’s education

There's no reason whatsoever to think the OP's going to do that, though is there?

There's any number of curriculum-linked websites and online tutors, etc. out there, not to mention actual real-life ones.

Loads of resources, basically, if people are able/motivated to access them.

fogginghell · 16/03/2020 00:13

The op is not breaking the law , what a dramatic statement to make, dingleberry Hmm she is perfectly within her rights to de register and homeschool her dc.

I'm doing the same. I'm also a qualified teacher (but a sahm at the moment).

fogginghell · 16/03/2020 00:14

Also op, if you need a hand with any lesson planning etc, drop me a pm and I'd be happy to help! Smile

Sofacat · 16/03/2020 00:14

For those who have school closures, how are you managing your child care , if you work?

excitedmumtobe87 · 16/03/2020 00:19

OP if this makes you feel comfortable then you’re doing the right thing. I’m a WAHM and am assessing it week by week. I could work in the evenings, nights, morning to complete projects if needs be. I do feel that if all those of us who can/want to take kids out did, that would slow the spread of the virus and hell with social distancing. I don’t know if I will take them out but giving us the choice would help I think

SerendipitySunshine · 16/03/2020 00:22

We are also keeping our dd off school. It is too risky.

BlackeyedSusan · 16/03/2020 00:28

The more people that keep kids off the better.

blinkowl · 16/03/2020 00:45

Good look with the fines you’re going to get. It won’t be long before the Local Authority come after you and ask why you’re breaking the law. I think you’ll cause more harm than good by ruining your children’s education

Doubt it. There will be too many people doing it. And anyway. AFAIK the fine is per absence (no matter how long) not per day.

There might be a limit to that! But I know that when we thought the DC might muss school for a wedding extra days wouldn't have pushed the fine up I don't think.

(Can't remember where I heard this though so you might want to double check before taking your DC out on this basis!)

sweetgingercat · 16/03/2020 00:46

To all those piss takers, just go and educate yourself a bit more...

You obviously don't have the worry that someone in your family has a chronic illness and could die.

You don't have to agonise about how you're going to keep your young children indoors so as not to risk that when they want to go to the park, swimming, cinema, have playdates etc.

Self-isolating is dramatic. It is a family decision and everyone needs to get on board. You'll understand that, hopefully very soon, when our government pulls up its pants and starts taking responsibility.

Devlesko · 16/03/2020 00:49

Ours is closed for deep cleaning, doubt it will open again, or they'll continue to offer choice.
Mine wants to carry on as long as possible as GCSE.
We're just taking it a day at a time, tbh.

rosepetal321 · 16/03/2020 00:54

Are you going to be keeping your children completely at home (as in not even going out at all)? Because if it is the elderly/vulnerable you are worried about than there’s more of them out and about than there are at schools

alloutoffucks · 16/03/2020 00:55

My kids are also not going to school tomorrow. I have made the decision to protect them and is as a family.

IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls · 16/03/2020 01:01

Well done these people who think they know better than the scientists.

FWIW OP i dont think you are noble - i think people like you are more likely to put us at risk.

We know that the majority of children cope well with this virus - we do NEED the less vulnerable in our society to have CV so that we can build immunity - there is a wealth of evidence that taking children out of school is detrimental .

blinkowl · 16/03/2020 01:02

Ah sugar. If this meme genuinely is quoting WHO, then apparently 33% of people with CV19 do have phlegm.

I've asked MNHQ to delete my previous post.

Mulhollandmagoo · 16/03/2020 01:02

People are scared, people are nasty. So much for all the Be Kind stuff.
Show some compassion folks.

God, this indeed!!! A month ago Mumsnet was full of threads about Caroline flack and how we all needed to be nicer to each other, Facebook had a all the 'be kind' quotes you could imagine. Fast forward to today and we've got police in supermarket carparks because people are fighting over toilet roll and people being nasty to strangers on the internet over the term 'family meeting' what is so offensive about a family openly communicating and deciding what's best for them?

Seriously now, come on? Aren't things bad enough without us ripping people to bits on an internet forum?

tonglong · 16/03/2020 01:05

How long will you keep them off?

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