Key worker, school or not?

[allhailthegingerninja]

I'm a key worker, so my DC's could go into school if I wanted them to. I'm part time.
DH is working from home. So, I'm not going to send them in.
But, should I? Psychologically it would be better for them to be there, and of course far easier for DH to get work done.
OTOH, I'm increasing their risk, and our risk. (And school staff risk) So I'm thinking no I shouldn't. And probably won't.

What are others doing?
(DC's are yr3 and yr5)

I’m undecided. Both me and my DH are key workers. From scoping other parents it appears DD will be the only child in her class (reception) going in. I’m half thinking it will be a horrible, scary experience and half think g she’ll love playing with the older kids.

My health professional job isn’t front line, I don’t save lives. We are currently well staffed in my hospital. I’m not entirely sure I’m needed yet.... considering unpaid leave until they need me on the front line. And at least minimise my DD’s exposure.

The government advice is:

1 If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.

2 If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
3 Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.

4 Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.

5 Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.

see here for full doc.

Under point 1 above, your children should stay at home because it most certainly is possible for them to be, as your DH is WFH.

He may need his employers to be a little flexible on his hours - presumably he won't be working as intensively while you are at work, and can catch up when you are not at work.

I'm on the key worker list, my DH works from home. My DC will stay at home because it is possible for them to do so. It won't be easy, but if all of us who are on the list send our children in then schools will not cope and be forced to shut to everyone.

As above, only send them in if you must. The key worker list is huge and some schools will be almost full. If a school can operate on skeleton staff then their vulnerable adults can stay home. It’s not open for their psychological welfare or to make it easier. It’s open to keep necessary services running.

In our area, we don't know if there will be any schools provision for 'key workers'. We were asked by the school to supply our details if we were keyworkers. Both DH and I are and have to keep on working. Our CM is still open for now so we will probably use her ahead of the school provision. If it materializes.

Mine are at home now, even though I’m still working in a school.
Don’t rely on school being more normal or less stressful for your children. Even yesterday, before the ‘closure’ really kicks in, the atmosphere at school was really unsettling with so many staff and children missing. It’s not business as usual however much we try to make it so.
For their sake and the sake of everyone else, it’s best to follow the advice and keep children at home if you possibly can.

I wish people would follow the rules on this - it's not school, it's childcare which should only be used if you can't safely keep your child at home.

At this rate we'll have all the SAHP and WFH parents sending their kids into school because they have a key worker in the house and it's 'better for them to be at school'. No it isn't, it's better for them to be at home.

It's a limited resource put in place to allow key workers attend their jobs, not a free childcare arrangement to get kids out of the house. The more parents who exploit this and use it because they're entitled rather than in need then the more full schools are doing to be - this defeats the object of closing the school in the first place.

And if your part time then you definitely shouldn't be sending them in during the hours you're not out of the house.

I am a teacher. Primary school children do not keep their distance. With the best will in the world their hygiene standards are not always great.
As a teacher, I am now a key worker myself. My husband is also a teacher.
We are unlikely to have any protective equipment (it would scare the children). There is no sanitizer in my school.
My husband is over 60. I am lower risk but some people my age still die. My own child should be OK.
The children that will stay in school will have have parents who cannot fully socially distance and self isolate. Some of the children's parents will be working with Covid patients every day. The children at school are very likely to get the virus.
PLEASE don't send your children unless you HAVE to.
If you do you are helping to spread the virus.
You are increasing the risk of frontline NHS workers getting the virus as your child may bring it in to the school and spread it.
I am worried for the children at home. I am worried about the economic impact on the world.
However, I am more worried about people dying and to be honest I am terrified that my husband, my child's father will die.

My school wouldn't allow you to as their is a another adult at home.

If you send your children in, that will increase the ratio and mean extra staff will need to come in. Most vulnerable staff are already rightly at home which potentially leaves those of us with our own children would be brought in requiring us to send our children back to their own schools and the cycle will continue. Increasing the potential spread. I'm a single parent, if I catch it whilst at school looking after keyworkers children then DD and I will be in a very difficult position.

So no with an adult at home they don't go in. If is is a serious enough for your DP to need to WFH then it is serious enough for your DC to work from home.

I'm a teacher & need to go in but DD will be staying at home with DH . They will have to muddle through. Schools will be chaos . If one day he really cant have her due to calls etc I will bring her in with me & hide her in the stock cupboard.

Can anyone tell me what key worker is. I work for nhs and not sure if I am classed as key worker.

I’m a key worker but my dh wfh and my dc will not be going into school.

It has to be both parents who are key workers. If not, your child will be turned away at the gate. The outline was very clear that sending children in should be only a last resort.

Our school are only taking children where BOTH parents are key workers or they come from a single parent family where that parent is a key worker. This seems most logical to me.

I work as a support worker focusing on Tenancies, tbh I’m still not clear if that means Key Worker, but DS will be staying at home with me as I’ll be home working, as the job can easily be done at home.
Although I do expect pressure off our organisation to use that childcare.

The key worker list for some professions is a clear as mud. I’m actually really annoyed. Interpreted one way most of DCs friends will be at school. Ridiculous. This government is not taking this seriously at all.

Nope, the idea is that schools are closing to slow the spread of the virus as many people as possible need to stay at home and we all need to work together to ensure that this happens. It’s not about the child’s social interaction all children would be better off in school but it can’t happen. I am a key worker DH isn’t so he needs to work from home and I will be going to work probably all hours god sends when this kicks off properly. We just need to make this work for everyone’s sake so if you can work with friends or relatives (not grandparents) and share the childcare out then you should do that.

and this is why there will be a problem!
The guidance states:

"If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading."

"children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home."

"And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be."

"If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be."

but people arent even going to read these bits. They will jump straight to the list, see they are on it, and then start considering sending their child to school

I am a doctor. This is going to be the worst few months of my carreer, and Ive been working for 20+ year. Please,pplease, please do not send your child to school if you can possibly avoid it at all. This right now is not about their education, it is not about them mixing with others or seeing their friends. This is about trying to slightly reduce the massive numbers of people who are going to die.

I fully support children ging where they really need to. I also really support this children at risk or vulnerable going. This is the right thing to do. But please, please if you have any safe way to keep your child at home then do so.

I am a doctor, my DH is a teacher. We have 4 school aged DC (17,14,13 and 12) they will NOT be going to school

Please don’t send them to school if there’s any other way!

The guidance doesn't say both parents need to be key workers. It really needs to.

So one nurse parent / one SAHP. Could still sent their children in. Bonkers.

No, keep them home. We are not teaching, we are babysitting your child while you work your shift, not all week if you have a day off and not if you have any other person to take care of them.
We are possibly going to be on a rota at one school in a town if there are not enough staff to cover so your child may not even be at their own school eventually. We cannot stay at home in the safety of our own homes or try to shop for supplies now as we have to turn up as normal unless sick.
We all have to pull together but please, don't take advantage or think of it as free childcare whilst everyone is stressed.

Me and DP both work in the nhs in mental health. However we wont be sending ds in becasue I managed to change all out shifts so that one of us is home.

If you can avoid sending them in then do. I know its hard, I know the kids will be climbing the walls. But this is for the good of everyone.

I think the problem will be pressure off employers who will be all over this list.

God no, don't send them. And be grateful you don't have to. As someone up thread pointed out, there will be children of front line nhs staff in school whose parents will have been exposed. You will be vastly increasing your children's chance of catching this.