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Original poster

Am I the only one not pleased that schools are closing?

175 replies

xtinak · 18/03/2020 13:43

I understand that the government consider this necessary and I know it's about saving lives, possibly mine.

But please tell me I'm not the only who feels a deep dread at us all being home? I could cry. Until the summer. How.

OP posts:
kimlo · 18/03/2020 14:00

scotland and wales shit, decision due on England soon.

GameSetMatch · 18/03/2020 14:00

I agree, I love my children and I love them being at home in the holidays when we can go swimming/ soft play/ farms etc. But the though of us all in the house for weeks on end with no purpose, no where to go sounds like hell on earth.

I’ve been to the shops to get work books and craft activities but I can’t see them being happy for weeks and weeks cooped up with the odd walk around the block.

steppemum · 18/03/2020 14:01

2 oclock news

Wales and scotland closing friday
England no decision yet
No time line given

Reginabambina · 18/03/2020 14:03

I’m off to panic buy some crafting supplies ...

Original poster
xtinak · 18/03/2020 14:03

No lie, I will be taking my DD out, very much for the sake of our wellbeing.

OP posts:
steppemum · 18/03/2020 14:04

my only consolation is that we have a garden and a dog.
I will drag one child per day out with me to walk the dog.

I will set dog training activities in the garden with financial reward for every trick taught.

every weekend at the moment there is a melt down between any 2 of mine. 3 teens, hormones going nuts.

I'm not looking forward to it.

trumpisaflump · 18/03/2020 14:07

I have an only child and I’m worried about his lack of contact with other children when the schools close.

PumpkinP · 18/03/2020 14:07

Not looking forward to it but I’m a lone parent and school is the only break I get so may seem selfish but I will struggle without having any break, 2 had disabilities (have 4 Dc in total) and they don’t see their dad (absent) and no family help so I will be climbing the walls. Not sure how I’m going to cope tbh. They already fight constantly. So being locked in the house is just going to cause them to drive each other mad.

Kaykay066 · 18/03/2020 14:07

I have 4
One with additional needs,
Really worried also a nurse and ex is police
So will be a challenging time, education, play etc

PumpkinP · 18/03/2020 14:08

Have* not had

SpaghettiSharon · 18/03/2020 14:09

Six months???? Where does it say that??

AsAnActualWoman · 18/03/2020 14:10

@minipie that is awful, I hope social services have this thought in mind.
@Pleasedontdrawonyoursister good point, and schools have a huge role in safeguarding as they see children so often.

PineappleDanish · 18/03/2020 14:11

Scottish school holidays start the last week of June. We go back mid-August.

It's entirely possible that schools won't go back this session AT ALL so the next schooling Scottish children will get will be mid-August. So that's 5 months.

WingDefence · 18/03/2020 14:12

I'm not worried for myself and my DC but I'm really worried for the children I know in our village who are on free school meals, but I hope the Govt has got plans for those families, and even more so for those who are pretty much latchkey kids anyway and will basically be left alone at home all day until there is a full lockdown as their parents are still having to be at work.

belay · 18/03/2020 14:13

We are losing 3 weeks from this term (due to break up on 10 April). So the summer holiday needs to be cut short to balance it out. I'm already going to have to request a repeat of year 9 and not being in school is going to be a disaster for our child now (Sen in mainstream)

lyralalala · 18/03/2020 14:14

Are Scottish Schools DEFO closing Friday?

Nicola Sturgeon is planning on it and said she wanted to give parents notice, so I'd assume so

Gavin Williamson is making a statement at 5pm so that'll be about English schools

Both the Scottish and Welsh announcements stated that schools will have a "new purpose" so I'm assuming there is a plan for the children of key workers being hastily put together

steppemum · 18/03/2020 14:14

Pineapple, I strongly suspect that will be the case for England too, but for us the return time is 1st September.

I can imagine that they will change our term times and bring the start date forward, so we are at school in August.

Tootletum · 18/03/2020 14:15

Cmon it won't be six months. In that case the panic buyers were right because no parent will be able to work ina supermarket, so that's half their staff gone.

Punxsutawney · 18/03/2020 14:16

I have an autistic year 11. He struggles hugely to study at home. He doesn't like to bring anything school related into the safety of his home life.

We are already having battles trying to get him to revise in the evenings and weekends. Year 11 has been very stressful for him and his anxiety is high.

I'm now going to have to try and get him to work at home for exams that I don't even know are taking place.

crackofdoom · 18/03/2020 14:16

It doesn't say six months anywhere, as far as I can tell Hmm

My mental health relies on schools being open a lot, too- and in common with many LPs, I have no idea how things are going to pan out regarding their regular contact with my ex. Will he refuse to have them? I don't know.

However, we're relatively lucky in that I'm still on full tax credits, most of my work relies indirectly on the tourist industry, so has rapidly evaporated (greaaat! Hmm) so I don't really have to work, and we live rurally, so have lots of countryside and beaches with very few people about near us. We also have an allotment, which can be quite sociable in a safe way, with people chatting from plot to plot at a distance of 5-6 metres.

If we go on total, don't-leave-the-house lockdown, that's when I will comprehensively lose my sanity.

lyralalala · 18/03/2020 14:17

Cmon it won't be six months

Nicola Sturgeon stated that she couldn't promise schools would open before the summer. That means there is a real possibility Scottish schools will be closed until the end of the holidays in August - that's 5 months.

If English schools close and don't go back before the summer holidays then September return would be 6 months.

Dagnabit · 18/03/2020 14:17

Yes, I’m dreading it. My two love school and it’s my eldest child’s last year of primary and she doing so well with her SATs prep and looking forward to activity week once the exams were done with. Very sad times.

JuniLoolaPalooza · 18/03/2020 14:17

I understand why, but I have a biggish age gap and my older one needs a hell of a lot of exercise. If the national trust places stay open I will be down there every day.
All these mums whose kids do baking and drawing or even sit to watch telly haven't got a clue. It's going to be exhausting.

Marieo · 18/03/2020 14:17

I agree that it needs to be in conjunction with a full lockdown. Schools not even closed locally and lots of selfish parents dragging them around the supermarket because they're 'off school with a cough'. Hopefully they're lying just to excuse being off, but leave people to shop before they're told to stay home for 12 weeks at a time they feel it will be safer as no children about.

Scruffyoak · 18/03/2020 14:18

I hate the smug 'enjoy family time's posts....go away!