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.

When SAHP has their own health condition and can just about manage to look after their child for 3-4 days so long as that's followed by a long rest (e.g. Easter when it's 4 days childcare / 4 day rest / 4 day childcare) and longer school holidays are carefully managed.

There will be non key workers in this situation. It sucks but this policy isn’t in place to make life easier for people, it is in place to keep the country running.

I think that this thread is proving that a certain section of society don't do inconvenient things from choice - they have to be made to do it.

It's why everyone was in the pub last night for their last hurrah, for example.

To make idiots stop using gyms, pubs and bars they had to close them.

To make idiots keep their kids at home, they'll have to close them, as they have in other countries.

Only then we all lose out, because those keyworkers and vulnerable children using them responsibly, won't have access.

I feel like I need to keep reiterating that I have no issue whatsoever with staying in work to care for the children of people who need childcare so that they can keep working in those important, key industries.

I believe that the UK already has more deaths at the same stage of the pandemic and is already behind the curve of (all?) other countries in implementing distancing measures.

This kind of scaremongering is unnecessary and unhelpful.

YANBU
Finding it very hard to deal with the big range of attitudes to all this
My kids probably would benefit from being in school in terms of the fact that their dad will be working from home and on lots of calls so will not give them much input. He is worried about his job and our home could be at risk if he doesn’t try and keep deals going.

I will be at work in my keyworker job

BUT of course I am not using school because they can be cared for at home to a basic level.

YANBU

My sister and her OH are key workers with 3 kids, they will only be sending the youngest who is only 6 and can’t be left alone all day with older siblings and only one day a week, they’ve juggled work so it’s as minimal as possible. This support should be a last resort not a whoo hoo my kids are still at school

This kind of scaremongering is unnecessary and unhelpful.

I think it’s true though

But soon all the 'I can't possibly' people will find that, actually, they can.

When social distancing fails and their childcare setting collapses. Then we'll all wish we'd tried a bit harder at this point.

Thank you for providing care for my child in the next few weeks (yes I know you don't really have a choice). I'm an A&E nurse & my husband is a pharmacy technician. We still need to work out what happens after 3.30 but the fact that there is free childcare for my child is something I am very grateful for. THANK YOU

To be fair, NHS, police, fire and shop workers don't have to deal with parents in the same way, do they?

Exactly this. Work in a school and it would break your heart when you see how some parents treat their children. Never have my eyes been opened so much when dealing with parents.

It's very clear from this thread that a lot of people don't understand the difference between 'inconvenient, a bit shit, very hard' and 'only option', which is why saying that DC should only go in if it's the only option isn't as clear cut as it should be. 'DH won't be as impressive to his boss or won't make as much money' is not 'we have no other option'

This kind of scaremongering is unnecessary and unhelpful.

I think it’s true though

To add, it strikes me as very necessary when this thread is full of ‘my husband’s uninterrupted conference calls are more important than social distancing measures’.

When social distancing fails and their childcare setting collapses. Then we'll all wish we'd tried a bit harder at this point.

And this is the point.

Like the pp who is a key worker with a partner who isnt, but couldnt possibly not work.

When child care collapses, because people who didnt need childcare insisted on using it, what does she do then?

Let his business go under or remove herself from working in the NHS.

Like I said before. Her choice will be to fuck the country (if enough nhs staff cant work, that's what will happen) or fuck her family over and he stays at home.

That consultant should actually be entirely supportive of you OP.

I really don't understand why people who don't need to send their children in would. Schools were closed for a reason. Each school seems to be handling this differently. I'm a teacher and volunteered to go in as part of the rota. My head wont allow it as I am a single parent, cant get my daughter to her primary school as the bus has been withdrawn. He won't let staff take their children in and to be honest I'm thankful.

When social distancing fails and their childcare setting collapses. Then we'll all wish we'd tried a bit harder at this point

I suspect the UK will go down the route of France, where schools are entirely shut. Key medical personnel (and other KWs) who have no other childcare option are not working. The army are supporting.
There is lockdown.

"My head wont allow it as I am a single parent, cant get my daughter to her primary school as the bus has been withdrawn. He won't let staff take their children in and to be honest I'm thankful."

It's great that your Head is being supportive of you, but no idea why he won't let you take your dd to work with you. There are no rules or stipulations about this.

I’m a TA at a SEN school, so need to go in. My dc is a pupil there with an EHCP. My eldest is a GCSE student.
I’m a key worker, so in theory they can both attend school. But I’ve been fortunate that I’ve cut back my days so my dh & ds can juggle the child care for my EHCP child, so that she doesn’t have to come in with me.
Schools including SEN are not fully staffed, hence the reason you should keep them at home where possible.

No one is ENTITLED to a place!!

For those worried about their SEN child’s routine, their routine as they know it is going to be far from normal. Classes will be combined and the teaching staff will vary, probably on a daily basis.
They will not receive their normal education.

So for this reason my SEN child will stay at home!

I see your point OP , but It such a difficult situation and there has not been time to analyse every child ( whose parent wants them to go to school) situation. Saying that a child can be left at home with their key worker mother’s unemployed partner, the partner may not be the child’s father, may not have known the child long ( talking generally here not saying this is always the case). So leaving them with them potentially for long periods could be a safeguarding issue.Sure most kids have a biological father somewhere but even he is known to them, a decent chap who lives nearby ( and he may not be) that is introducing the child to another household and so in itself could spreads germs.
However I do see that some people will unfortunately take The proverbial and that is a shame.

Our school said that it was first prioritising the children who had two parents who were keyworkers and those keyworkers who were single parents. Once they determined how many of these there were then they would look at others if space. A few friends who were keyworkers (police/ nurse/ supermarket worker) realised they couldn’t send their kids in as their partners weren’t keyworkers. It really should be only the kids who HAVE to be there. Safer for everyone that way.

I know someone who works as a music teacher in school. Like one to one music lessons. Last week they were moaning saying one to one had finished and they had no money coming in. This week apparently they are a “teacher” so a keyworker and will be sending their child to school 😳 made me cross.

I'm a keyworker (I work in mental health but have been deployed across to Children's social care), my DH isn't. We are both working from home at the moment. I am keeping my 3 primary-aged children at home, because the advice says "if you are a keyworker AND can't keep them safe at home".

My children's school has 30% of children going in. Lots of these can keep them at home. One woman is wfh (non-keyworker), has a 10 and 16 year old (no special needs), and is sending them in because her husband is a keyworker. (Not frontline, one of the suddenly declared keyworker roles). Another has a husband who "doesn't do childcare," so even though he is wfh she is sending her daughter in for 5 full days a week so she can do her p/t job.

Do people not understand that this is about not spreading the virus.

It's very clear from this thread that a lot of people don't understand the difference between 'inconvenient, a bit shit, very hard' and 'only option'

Exactly.

The way in which it was implemented in Ireland made it a bit easier I think. Everything shut at once, no exceptions, so people had to get their heads around it damn quick.

It’s really fucking hard. But necessary.

*My children's school has 30% of children going in. Lots of these can keep them at home. One woman is wfh (non-keyworker), has a 10 and 16 year old (no special needs), and is sending them in because her husband is a keyworker. (Not frontline, one of the suddenly declared keyworker roles). Another has a husband who "doesn't do childcare," so even though he is wfh she is sending her daughter in for 5 full days a week so she can do her p/t job

Do people not understand that this is about not spreading the virus

These people are bumping up numbers, which means genuine KWs children are more likely to catch and pass on CV.

It’s this that will mean we have to shut completely.

Our school have been clear to parents that it could be forced to close if parents aren't considerate.

So that's a school closing because of some inconsiderate parents, OP.

I find this eye opening.
People claiming they are key workers when they aren't!
Let's be honest, other than Doctors and Nurses, and a few workers who need to keep our national core areas : electricity etc, food, most people aren't THAT Key!

Oblomov20

The govt list isn’t helping with that though, because it’s so extensive.