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.

Right. I have to work with children who have complex SEN needs everyday. Along with a class of 28 other 4 year olds too. Actually trying to fucking TEACH them something.
Sometimes I'm completely on my own doing it.
IT'S FUCKING HARD.
Sometimes I do a crap job, sometimes I shine.

But I manage it. And people will have to do the same at home, with their own children.

Yes it's shit. Yes it will be really really fucking hard, and yes some days you might want to cry all day with the stress of it (I know this feeling all too well).

But I'd choose stress over SPREADING FUCKING DEATH every day of the week.

Ours have to mrsmc and I hate the fact they are having to come in for the ten children of selfish, idiotic parents.

YANBU.
I am classed as a key worker. I didn’t think I would be. My partner is not and can work from home. We’re not sending our kids in. We’ll manage between us. It’ll be fecking tough, but so what? Those school places are needed for people who genuinely have no other choice.

There are loads scarlett, seriously

YANBU I work in a school and will be in. Both of us are key workers. We won’t be taking up school places for our 3 as Dh will be working from home.Boris needs to be more stringent and do post check ups with fines when this is all over.

If a parent is at home children shouldn’t be in.

And those with responsible teens don’t need care either.

Apparently we’re both key workers. Like bollocks are we. Both WFH and more than capable of having a kid around at the same time.

There are some truly selfish me me me people out there. And they’ll be the first to complain when they get sick.

I think there really won't be that many children in at all. I'm am a secondary teacher and we have only had requests for 5 children to come in so far! And my daughter's primary head told me they have had requests for less than 20%, and most of those only on a part time basis.

@CleanUpWoman you get to send them home. If that's how much it affects you for 6 hours a day then surely 24 hours a day isn't sustainable?

Suck it up, buttercup, it’s a pandemic.

sleepless even while one child turns up staff are being made to come in.

I know, it’s insane, but that’s how it is.

Dawn I’m sending my 15 year old in because it could save her life and I will make no apologies for that, it is not always black and white

One thing I will say is I work in HR for local government. We were going through our list of staff yesterday and it's amazing how many women have husbands working from home who won't keep their kids off school because they don't think he'll cope.
I think this will be repeated across the country unfortunately.

Go on dispair, please enlighten me as to how attending school could save her life.

I didn't ask, but the school contacted me to offer a place to my youngest son. He has ASD and his behaviour has spiralled out of control recently. I am a single mother with four children, three of whom have ASD. I can WFH part-time. Things have been so bad with my family that I was referred to social services. I said no to start with and then family persuaded me it was for the benefit of my two younger children. I asked the school if he could just come in 1 or two days. They haven't replied yet.

He's been suicidal at times, he can be violent and his behaviour has affected his twin sister hugely so she's also struggling. My family are nearly all self-isolating. Their dad is self-isolating at present. In the school holidays I can end up so affected by the situation that I am non-functional from migraines. I still don't know if it's the right thing to send him to school. I would never have asked or applied.

@letmeinthroughyourwindow as I said, I'm 10 weeks pregnant. I have HG. Even in work last week I was sleeping on a chair in the office during lunch. School expects us to do live registration morning and afternoon.

I have 110 kids to mark the work of every week including u6 and year 11.

So fuck right off. How fucking dare you.

I think it has to be 1 keyworker to allow people on night shifts to sleep. Especially if they only have a small house/ flat! I can't imagine keeping children quiet enough to allow a Dr or nurse enough sleep to be safe! Or a truck driver for that matter...

Yeah I get to send them home because guess what, they're not my kids.

I can’t believe parents are home and still sending their kids in. Try and actually be a parent for a change? You choose to have kids! Your responsibility. You can still work from home and look after children, the other countries are coping with it. Piss poor attitude!

No. Kids should stay home unless there’s absolutely no way at least one parent can be available.

Yanbu....I am so cross I have to go to work in a school and therefore send my three kids into their school/nursery because some parents are abusing the keyworker and absolutely essential criteria

I'm going to back away from all this for a while. @Dawnofanewmillenium, stay safe, and I suggest you do the same, we need to protect our sanity as I think this will rumble on 😘

GENUINE cases, I'm honoured to look after your kids to help you keep the world turning.

I absolutely will not make any apologies for sending my child in. I also know the LSA who supports my child has specifically volunteered to go in for her and her words were "she needs it more than 95% of the other kids we have in"

YANBU

The govt guidance is ambiguous. In one place it says kids can go to school if one parent is a key worker. In another it says they should stay home if at all possible.

Bluntly, govt has passed the difficult task of dealing with CF parents over to the schools.

Keep him off, accessorize, PLEASE.

This is the school effectively saying you are so shit at parenting they are better off doing it.

I said earlier in the thread she has complex mental health problems and I am sending her in on the advice of both her school and CAMH’s

never you need to be signed off, in that case.