To resent parents who are still sending their kids to school on Monday

[letmeinthroughyourwindow]

Not the genuine cases, obviously.

But I'm a teacher and we will be opening for the duration because 40% of our pupils have at least one parent who is a keyworker.

Before the list was released, the government told us to expect 10% and we planned accordingly. In fact, we planned for 20%.

When the list was released, it was so broad that far more parents than we ever expected fell into one of the categories.

Now, if your need is genuine then of course I want to care for your child. I'm happy to do it, and proud that doing so keeps you working.

But we have so many parents who are allowed to send their child to school, but shouldn't be, that it's infuriating me.

If you are a keyworker but your partner is a stay-at-home parent should you be sending them in?

If you are a keyworker but your partner works from home or is allowed to work from home indefinitely, should you be sending them in?

My sister's employer is allowing all employees who are parents to work from home on full pay, but many are saying that they don't need to, because their partner is a keyworker so their kids can still go to school

Just because you can send them, doesn't mean you should. It shouldn't be the best or easiest option for you, it should be a last resort if there is nowhere else to keep them safe.

The number one, most critical piece of advice for keyworker parents is, 'if it is at all possible for children to be kept at home then they should be.'

Please don't think I'm lazy and cba babysitting these children. I cried when my class went home yesterday, and care about every child in school. If I am in work full time anyway, then it really doesn't matter how many children are in the classroom.

But so many people don't understand social distancing. They are walking around like they are immortal, or only thinking that they themselves will probably be ok if they get it. For social distancing to have the desired effect, then everyone who can be at home, should be. If there was a chance of your child dying from this, would you send them to school? Well then think about who might die because they came into contact with your child.

And all of this brought on by a friend who called me last night to say that she is thrilled to be able to send her child to school on Monday because she is a deliveroo driver, even though her unemployed bf will be home all day on the PlayStation.

@Dawnofanewmillenium

At the moment, we don’t need teachers. We just need DBS checked adults to keep a half eye on the children of selfish people.

Er and the children of actual doctors and nurses who are risking their lives every day

And delivery drivers who are keeping our creaking society alive.

*to save people who think like this

YADNBU, and some of the comments here just prove your point don’t they.
Good luck with it all OP

What are you on about ducky?

@Dawnofanewmillenium and how exactly do you suggest to do that? Would love to hear the bright ideas of someone not living it.

Scarlett

No issue with that if you’re a lone parent to a six year old. None.

I DO have a massive issue with the parents of fourteen and fifteen year olds, key workers or otherwise, who insist on sending them in

What did you do before she started school, donkey?

Weekends?

Holidays?

You do that.

There were loads of children entitled to stay in my DC’s school. Probably near on half the school. Many children’s parents are key workers, some are vulnerable and some are armed forces children. (We live near an raf base). They’ve had to tighten the criteria. My children have additional needs and EHCP’s but aren’t entitled to stay as not deemed ‘vulnerable’.

YANBU, but as has been said before, this sort of crisis can bring out the worst in people. Seeing how friends and family have reacted has been an eye opener. You really think you know someone until something like this happens.

Please tell me why your profession matters more than nurses who are saving lives?

Ffs, our profession doesn't matter more, that's the whole point! We are here to act as emergency childcare to support nurses and essential workers. We should all be following government guidance that if at all possible children should be at home. We are trying to follow the government rules because if we all do so lives will be saved. We are being met with some serious push back from parents who are still not yet facing up to how serious the situation is.

Interestingly, those on the front line (mostly nhs staff) are not the ones trying to take the piss. I suspect that is because they are fully aware of the seriousness of the situation and are desperate for social distancing to work.

Oh and I’m actually not unsympathetic to you donkey

But that sympathy doesn’t extend as far as someone’s life.

Your life being difficult for a few weeks doesn’t compare to somebody else’s ending prematurely. See what I mean?

I posted this elsewhere but more relevant here:

I've seen loads of "I'm a key worker, so back to school kids" posts on FB, of people taking the absolute fucking piss. Half have a partner who is a SAHP or who, like my DH (in IT), is able to WFH. Its not going to be easy and we'll have to juggle our hours a bit and try to ensure the kids don't get too noisy while he's on a conference call but its doable, even in our tiny house.

I know a SAHM (who has a couple of rental properties) has filled out the key worker form wanting a place. Her husband, who always WFH anyway and frequently fields the kids, has an IT role for a company who possibly supports banking infrastructure.. She might need school to babysit her kids while she "goes to sort out a tenant".

Practically anyone can squeeze themselves into keyworker catagory somehow. I work in a GP surgery and come into contact with patients all the time, as well as having to clean the isolation room. I'm pretty much guaranteed to get it at some point so don't want my children to spread it around my own local community. The clinical admin part of my role could be done from home if only the IT infrastructure were able to support it at the moment, but there are times when I'm on reception fielding patients, chaperoning or donning scrubs for the occasional HCA duties.

Don't get me started on the precious secondary parents who can't possibly leave their little darlings at home for a bit while they work, or are griping and moaning because there won't be a school bus to take them in.

If you have a partner who can possibly WFH, or non elderly, healthy relatives nearby, I'd seriously consider sorting something out. The letters state quite clearly that the arrangements are a last resort.

Good luck!

We are in a similar position at our school, lots of SAH parents now want to send children in. Some schools are taking a harder line than others. To be fair though, who will the parents complain to? The government have said they will back school’s decisions and the guidelines that cover 1-2 parents as key workers are open to interpretation. Some parents are used to stamping their feet and getting what they want, but I don’t think this will wash in the current climate.

@Dawnofanewmillenium went to a specialist nursery from the age of 13 months. On weekends had the help of very medically vulnerable grandparents which rules them out (and school explicitly said I wasn't to use them because long term they are my support). Holidays now they still go to provision.

@DonkeyKong2019

@SarahInAccounts protecting vulnerable children is crucial.

They can be protected at home. The DCs of health workers have to be the priority, how can you think otherwise?

This is no time for people to demand their rights. It's time to look after your own for the greater good.

PinGu
Our school cleaning team have been amazing 🌟

So you don’t really ever parent your own child at all, do you?

Shocked to hear that there isn’t an age limit on DCs being allowed to attend school. If not SEN, then children over 13 can and should be able to be left at home with no adult supervision.

And it's not a few weeks. It will likely be until September. And it wouldn't be difficult, it's a very genuine safety risk to two children.

@DonkeyKong2019

You are incredibly selfish and wrong.

You know what? If you're not a key worker, and you lose your job, I'm sorry, but we don't need that job right now.

66,440,000 x 0.8 x 0.07 = 3.7 million

This is the amount of lives that will be lost if this gets truly out of control. This is the REAL worst case scenario.

We need to not just "squash the sombrero" but stop this thing dead, until we find a vaccine. Compared to the sombrero, the amount of cases the NHS can actually handle is the red trim at the bottom. The 7% death rate is actually fairly optimistic, if we end up with basically no health care whatsoever until this is over.

And when we are through this, THEN we rebuild the economy.

My sister from another country with similar policy said there were 5% of children going to school

YANBU.
My son was offered a place as he’s on an echp. We declined straight away rather the staff just look after the key workers children (if both work or are single). So many people are taking advantage. I’m on a ASD group on Facebook and the amount of parents who are sending them (and most have other health conditions) is ridiculous! They need to restrict it more and I think they will as time goes on.

@Dawnofanewmillenium

No issue with that if you’re a lone parent to a six year old. None.

I DO have a massive issue with the parents of fourteen and fifteen year olds, key workers or otherwise, who insist on sending them in confused

Surely only a complete idiot would do that.

YANBU. My sister is a key worker, but because she can work from home, she is keeping her kids of school. I wonder if there may be more advice in the coming week from the government.
I do think they are hoping that people will be sensible, time will tell I guess.