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.

I think a vet should be on the list of key workers.

I work full-time as front line NHS. For the next few months I expect to work more than full time. Happy to do my bit. I have preschool aged children however who need to be cared for. My husband is by far the higher earner. We wouldn’t be able to pay the mortgage without his salary. He can’t work from home with 2 small children for months on end when I’m out of the house for 12+ hours- it’s just not possible. My annual leave has been cancelled for the foreseeable future and my rota is likely to change at very short notice.

If we were both home workers we would split the childcare. Since I can’t work from home and we can’t manage without his salary I would have to reduce my hours significantly so that he could continue to work at least 50% of the time (which my line manager has told me is “not an option”. Or we would cancel our nursery place and get a nanny to our home. Since our nursery stays open I can work as required. I’m very upset at the prospect of barely seeing them for months on end but recognise the need right now.

@corna. I'm in the same boat, I fully expected to be working from home next week and for me and husband to work shifts while looking after kids but now my local gov employer has said I'm a key worker (I'm really not) and need to come into work every day. I need to send my kids to school to set an example!

Apparently if they let me work from home then more critically needed people will go too. Also apparently I might be needed at some point to do a more critical role. I think having everyone in the building just increases the risk to those critical people.

I'm happy to be called back in the minute I'm needed to do something on the frontline. I'm so frustrated and angry with leadership.

YANBU at all. The children need to be at home and as safe as possible, only those where there is no other option should be allowed to school. Life is going to be hard enough as it is without putting them at extra risk!

I'm a single parent key worker, so can send him in, but am keeping my son home purely so that the stretched resources of teachers can concentrate on the vulnerable or echp who have to go school.

Question for those who are sending their kids to school - what are you doing with the kids outside the school hours? I’m assuming you have to go in for a normal day 9-5

"Ever tried to WFH with a demanding toddler?"

"When SAHP has their own health condition."

"How are people going to work from home at the same time as look after/educate their children?"

If you are honestly saying that there is no alternative to sending your child to school, that you'd still do it if it was your own child at risk of dying, then you are using the system honestly and this thread isn't about you.

YANBU

I would charge them a nominal amount, with it being repaid if absolutely needed.

"I will be sending my child in as I am a key worker. I am encouraging other key workers to do the same. Teachers must play their part. Stop moaning, all I seen is teachers moaning since this has started."

Moaning about people prioritising themselves over effective social-distancing and risking lives in the process? Yes, I'm going to carry on doing that I think.

I know a parent who is on maternity leave and sending her dc to school as dad is a key worker she seems pretty smug about this

OP - I honestly think that very few children will be at most schools. In DS2's year there is only 1 child going in (son of doctors) out of 40 and none in DD's year.

I am a doctor. I will be working in the frontline, at danger to myself.

My children can still go to school. Less than 5% of their school will be attending.

Don't be jealous of me, I am absolutely petrified about what I am about to face with my colleagues.

People should only send their children if they have no other option, it's in the best interest of everyone. They will be risk of spreading which will defeat the purpose of closing them.

The government advice was that children could go to school if one parent was a key worker AND they couldn’t be kept safe at home

My children are at secondary school and the number of parents planning to still send their children in is shocking. Secondary school children can stay at home, they do not need to be sent into school to ba babysat.

I think some parents think they will be better educated at school and so are planning to send them in. One parent in my school who has a 12 and a 14 year old said she’d be sending her two in. How is this helping the social distancing? It should only be on offer for primary school children in the main, maybe tear 7 and 8 in exceptional circumstances.

Suggesting 14 yr olds won’t be safe at home is ridiculous.

If there is an adult who can care for the children at home, then the children should be at home, otherwise it makes nonsense of school closures and social distancing.

I'm classed as a key worker but I only work 3 days. We've managed to work around it with DH reducing his work days to keep the children home with us where we feel they are safest.

I'll still go out to work so still a risk of contagion but following the gov advice of keeping them home where ever possible. We're losing our financially but so are most people!

@EggysMom the point of keeping schools open isn’t so people who work from home can manage. If that was the case it would be ‘schools stay open for children of parents who are working from home’

If you are a key worker and have a partner who isn’t then that partner should be providing the childcare around their work. Like most people are having to

I’m really cross about this. Two of my son’s friends have parents where one could look after the child (with difficulty like the rest of us) but instead they are sending them to school because one is a key worker.

The other parents - car salesman and garment technologist.

Meanwhile all children are going to miss out on months of education. I completely agree it was necessary to avoid the spread of the virus. Yet a large number of the school will still be attending each day, for childcare not education, so still mixing together and spreading germs.

YANBU

The more people in that building, the bigger risk to the pupils that have to be there and the staff needed to look after them (and their families).

Pupils should also only be going in when the parent is at work (or on nightshift to get some sleep). Time at school should be being kept to the bare minimum.

I'm a teacher too OP and as DH cannot work from home (manufacturing but not a key worker) I was really worried that I would have to send my 2 to school as I thought I might have to be in.

It’s disgusting scuba

I’ve seen two parents on here planning to send a fifteen year old in.

Apart from anything else, they are risking their child’s health and how bloody horrible and embarrassing for them to be forced into an empty school to hang out with a load of teachers in full uniform while their friends are at home. Way to make your kid the weirdo of the year.

I have a friend who is dr so entitled to send kids into school but is going to choose not to - the other parent is going to stop working altogether and home educate. Obviously they are privileged to be able to do that. They felt that there was no benefit to staying in school and it actually poses more of a risk. Other friends have both of them working in the NHS and no other option, so they have to expose their kids, put them in this babysitting service potentially with staff they dont know, all the while working all hours and dealing with awful situations.

YANBU
DH and I are both doctors. We'll keep DS at home as much as we possibly can, and as DH's dept are going to a full shift rota, he has requested a shift pattern that does not clash with my working days.
TBH, we'll both be working 12 hour days, so school hours with no wraparound care would still leave us stuck.

We will have a problem if colleagues become sick and we need to increase our working hours.

YANBU!!!

We have over 25% coming in Monday.

Do numbers attending have to be submitted to the government? Maybe they'll review the rules when they see that too many are still going to school.

People are going to have to face fact that they really will need to take time off work to care for their children. Yes, they will be lose money, businesses will suffer, motes won't be paid but it's better than dying!

YANBU.

My husband is a key work and I will be WFH full time with my 2 DC at home. They are fairly self-sufficient so I should be able to manage. It would be very sellfish of me to use up that school slot.

On the other hand, one of my friends is a part time key worker and her DC are going in, even though her partner is WFH, because he won't be able to "cope". Fucking diddums. We all have to do our bit.

Some people just don't get how serious this is.
The Government has tried to avoid panic by playing it down and say 80% will only get mild symptoms etc but mild includes pneumonia.
I fully expect that we will be in lockdown fairly soon with only key workers going to work anyway.

People need to read between the lines, people were told to avoid pubs / restaurants at the beginning of the week. That gave pubs / restaurants a chance to start closing themselves up.
Businesses were told to let people WFH. That's a chance for them to set up home working if possible.

Friday we had list of key workers, and a way of supporting employees.
Pubs are now closed.
What else needs sorted before lockdown?

LaureBerthaud I agree vets should be on the list. Living creatures should not suffer.