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 these are profoundly disabled children. Why do you begrudge them having the support they need and their families need. Do you also begrudge children who have medical needs requiring daily nursing support?

Their families could just say we can no longer cope and they need to go into residential provision - as I said no foster carer would accept the role. That would mean far more people being required to work with the child.

As the staff caring for the children at school next week (over 25% of school expected in) said:

'We are prepared to risk our lives for the children of those families who have no alternative but to risk their lives but go into work (NHS), or without whom lives would be at risk (social services, food distribution). We'd also be willing to suffer the consequences of catching COVID-19 if it kept our most vulnerable children safe from the harm they face. But we're not really prepared to risk our lives for families who are simply protecting a higher income, or who would simply prefer to have a child cared for in school.'

I don’t begrudge it at all under

What I begrudge is repeatedly putting my life at risk because someone CBA to parent their child.

Our local authority states that of only 1 parent is a key worker, then they expect the other parent to look after. So it's looking like both parents must be key workers in order to use the service.

(The example that really got one member of staff - teacher but also responsible for two self-isolating elderly parents - was the family who were keeping the 'easier' child at home with a parent working from home, while sending the 'difficult' child into school for 5 days)

dawnofanewmillenium after reading donkeys other thread I have to agree she is absolutely taking the p**s sending her child in. If I was a teacher I would walk out if this sort of crap continues.

It depends on the age of the child. Parents working from home with young children are not going t be able to work and provide childcare. From around 10 or 11 they should be more self sufficient.

My DDs school has put a notice on the website to say anyone who filled out the key former to attend school on the designated days asked for should attend from Monday. I would have preferred an individual email confirming dd place. On our class WhatsApp most parents can wfh, think there’s 4/ 5 others from her class going in next Week. I’m NHS frontline working full time & my DH sole self employed in the building trade, if he doesn’t go out work he won’t get paid! But in the next few weeks depending on his clients circumstance may change. With Easter coming up I will take 2 weeks AL so DH can hopefully continue to work. My Dmil normal looks after my DD in the holidays few days a weeks but shes works as in GP surgery she won’t be able to help to high risk.

Parents working from home with young children are not going t be able to work and provide childcare.

No one is expecting them to be as productive as usual, but they will be able to WFH whilst looking after their children.

Goose, my colleagues are not going to risk their lives because a parent at home cannot work out a way to balance childcare and wfh for school age children, either because they have insufficient control over their children to provide the necessary periods of quiet, or are sufficiently selfish to want to preserve their own evening / night 'downtime'. Sorry.

"What I begrudge is repeatedly putting my life at risk because someone CBA to parent their child."

I am absolutely sure the sort of child I am talking about wouldn't be in your school.

It depends on the age of the child. Parents working from home with young children are not going t be able to work and provide childcare. From around 10 or 11 they should be more self sufficient.

But then it depends what kind of work the parent is doing at home? Essential work can't really be done from home.
Regardless, surely the health and well-being of your child is paramount - which means self isolation.

Parents working from home with young children are not going t be able to work and provide childcare. From around 10 or 11 they should be more self sufficient.

under normal circumstances. This sint normal circumstance. Plenty of people are managing it.

Not easy, but it needs to be done.

@goose1964 - utter rubbish! I set up my own business (which I still do whilst working part time in a school) whilst looking after my then five year old son AND a mum with Alzheimers. And I'm by no means unique. It's called getting on with life. These aren't 'normal' days so normal rules don't apply. Either, as a parent, you have to buck up and get on with it or your family falls. Are parents really saying they'd prefer their kids to go into school - with all the potential Clovid 19 infection - whilst they work at home in peace? Seriously? Because that's their choice. Find a way of working at home with young children or send them into a potential lion's den of infection. That's it. They either buck up or give up.

They have obviously missed the bit of the guidance that says in addition to working in those industries, you must be business critical to continuing to provide that public service. So literally the people they need to keep the lights on. A lot of nurseries near us are saying anyone working for those types of companies qualifies, but it’s wrong. And they are allowing parents to send their children in when one is a ‘keyworker’ based on that very loose definition, and one wfh or a SAHM. Our DCs nursery are remaining open to all which I am very shocked by and which I think is unbelievably irresponsible. I’m taking DC out permanently in protest at their behaviour.

Remember that as soon as your child coughs, they will be sent home anyway. And the more children there are in school, the quicker the virus will spread. So what are you planning to do to care for your child when school sends them home?

Perhaps not under but I am in school while parents send in their teenage children. And I am at risk and so is everyone else I come into contact with.

Both my husband and i are key workers my older 2 children will be going to school on the days i work, my dad will be looking after the youngest 11 months whilst they are at school but doesnt really want all 3 whilst I'm working so this is the best option for us as a family as my husband is working full time 6 days a week to cover others who are self isolating in his work. The school have said they can go every day but I'm only using it for working days which is 2 a week

It depends on the age of the child. Parents working from home with young children are not going t be able to work and provide childcare. From around 10 or 11 they should be more self sufficient.

I've been working from home with a toddler (20months) since Tuesday, when he was sent home from nursery after he started coughing. I have to work early in the morning and into the night, work furiously during his afternoon (90 minute, usually) nap, send emails whenever he's distracted by something, and rely on screen time to get another couple of hours in (in 30 min bursts). He appeared during a conference call, which was embarrassing, and I had to end another one because he started shouting. It really isn't great. But it's nothing compared to what staff in hospitals do, and I think it would be appallingly selfish of me to risk spreading the virus further and making their jobs harder so that I could keep watching TV in the evenings and have less stressful days. I technically could, too - DH is a teacher, so we have one 'key worker' - but I won't. If necessary I'm going to have to tell work I can't do full hours, if I can't keep on top of it, and take that financial hit.

I’m wondering if schools are going to be flexible about teachers WFH, so that teacher’s children are put into schools as little as possible.

The problem is, there’s no consistent approach.

Some schools are being sensible and genuinely only having parents with no other option send their child in. Others are encouraging children to come in.

(He doesn't have a new continuous or dry cough, by the way - he has the phlegmy cough he's had for weeks - so we're social distancing but not self-isolating, but I can see why nursery were twitchy about it)

It depends on the age of the child. Parents working from home with young children are not going t be able to work and provide childcare. From around 10 or 11 they should be more self sufficient.

You are misunderstanding... no one gives a shiny shit, suck it up or spread corona fgs

(He doesn't have a new continuous or dry cough, by the way - he has the phlegmy cough he's had for weeks - so we're social distancing but not self-isolating, but I can see why nursery were twitchy about it)

The corona has been around for months... follow the rules ... sweet jesus

It’s very simple.

The rest of the uk need to follow Scotland’s guidelines. The parents must BOTH be key workers that don’t have any other option but to work! There are 3 categories And you need to fill out a questionnaire with your job description and full details. We have also been asked to produce id when attending school.

People who are taking the piss wouldn’t get through the doors. I’m surprised that there are people who would choose to continue to send there children with choice??? are you the same people who still socialise and don’t care..who don’t understand how serious this situation is?