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.

*People saying "I couldn't possibly work from home with a toddler" remember this.

If you are on the phone with a client, and suddenly have to run off to deal with a pea nose interface emergency, the world will not think you are uprofessional.

Everyone will understand.*

Exactly, most of us are in the same position and as I said earlier, if you work somewhere not willing to make allowances for this situation and therefore putting people at risk, they should be held to account for it.

For my part, I have a 8yr old and a 1 yr old. DH and I are having to coordinate things so 1 of us is available for the children. It's a pain, but not impossible.

@todayisnottuesday
For those on you moaning on here about the amount of kids still needing schools -unless you have symptoms/ comorbidity/ high CV risk - why don't you offer childcare to take the weight off teachers if you are that bothered?

Hahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahhaha

breathes

Haahahahahahahahahaha

Thanks for cheering up a pretty miserable thread.

I still think single parents should be prioritised over couples even when both are key workers. Then again, I also think it's unfair that only one parent needs to work to qualify for benefits in two parent families, it puts the children of single parents at a disadvantage.

This isn’t true across Scotland. Each local authority has its own policy. Where I live it only has to be one key worker but if the other parent is working from home the child is not allowed to attend school. The WFH parent is expected to provide the childcare/education

m.youtube.com/watch?v=tQD4B_hmdvo

@ScarlettBlaize

What's funny about it?

@LaurieMarlow my 9 month old is crawling, trying to pull himself up on everything, is into absolutely everything, not a baby that can just "chill" or watch TV he's on the go all the time. How is my OH supposed to do a 39hr week at home whilst I'm doing a 54hr week at work? It's not possible. He would never get anything done, up and down from his desk constantly as well as changing nappies, milk feeds and 3 meals a day. We can't afford for one of us to take unpaid leave.

@todayisnottuesday
I suggest you read the thread and see some of the reasons that people have given for why they can't look after their own children - such as being pregnant, or having a husband who needs to make work calls, or their child being violent and impossible to manage.

And then come back and tell me again with a straight face that, as well as both my (severely asthmatic) husband and I attempting to work from home, full time, and look after our small primary-school aged children, we should offer free childcare to these people.

And then explain why.

Haven't rtft yet but,

A vet said : I should be on the list. Are you saying my job isn't important? It'll be important when I'm putting your bloody dog down

I absolutely agree with this. Vets are an essential service

I would offer to go into schools.

Except I am not experienced pr CBS checked, not first aid trained. No experience looking after large groups of kids or procedure.

And besides which.....as a key worker....I am also going to work!

I'm a frontline Police officer. My husband is NHS. We were eligible for a place but chose to not for this very reason. We both work full time shifts and have changed our shifts around slightly so there is always someone at home. It's not going to be easy and we won't have a day off together for months, but we think it's important to do the right thing.

Fullmoon28

Is you husbands employer not allowing any kind of leeway to take account of the current situation then?

@fullmoon28 - what's the alternative though? Send your 9 month old child into a room with children who could have this infection? This isn't just a cold. It ultimately comes down to your choice and your ability to find a way through it all or keep your fingers crossed that your DS doesn't pick it up from the childminder/nursery. It's stark but that's the choice for everyone at the moment.

I am not a teacher, but if I was I would work if it meant that I was saving a child from abuse or parents not coping, or one from losing their entire income or home due to a parent not being able to work.

But the entire point of this exercise is to minimise children in schools to slow the spread of the virus.

Ideally no children would be in school.

There are some for whom there is literally no choice. Their parents are needed on the front line. Fine. All the others should be at home.

The best thing we can do for vulnerable children is curb the spread of this asap. That involves everyone being responsible, regardless of how tough that is for them.

Vets dont have to work 9-3 though. Not many places do these days 🤷‍♀️

Just chatting on line to friend's DD who is a SEN teacher. She has told the HT that she will go into work but will observe social distancing while supervising the children.

She says she should not be expected to use restraint if a DC starts acting up as it puts her in an unsafe position and thus her own children. The HT is "thinking about that".

That aspect hadn't occurred to me. I would hope her HT is understanding and agrees that DCs in need of restraint really shouldn't be there for their safety and that of the other DCs and staff.

my 9 month old is crawling, trying to pull himself up on everything, is into absolutely everything, not a baby that can just "chill" or watch TV he's on the go all the time. How is my OH supposed to do a 39hr week at home whilst I'm doing a 54hr week at work? It's not possible.

Jesus, wake the fuck up.

All schools and nurseries in Ireland were closed last Thursday. People are coping because they have to. Read this thread for suggestions.

My daughter is going to school because hers is an independent specialist school and the school is carrying on as normal, so no outside pupils and timetable unchanged. I wouldn't have sent her to school for childcare though even if having an EHCP made her entitled.
Obviously if staffing becomes a problem then the school might close anyway and if dd has symptoms then she stay at home.

@letmeinthroughyourwindow I just didn’t understand why you were talking about children at risk of dying

@todayisnottuesday you'd put your own life and your children's lives at risk to stop another family from losing their incomes (along with half the country ffs)?

Someone needs to Saint you immediately!!

"Mother Tuesera"

Sorry but I wouldn't.

As I've said many times, the banks aren't going to repossess half the homes in the country. The gov have offered to pay 80% of wages.

This is about the selfishness of employers.

Already we've heard about people who aren't even Keyworkers, who were working from home, being called back because "now the schools aren't closing". We've heard about employers willing to lie so they can have staff in.

It's ridiculous, and it's risking peoples lives.

It needs to be made absolutely clear that we will NOT be teaching the children that come in.

They will be supervised in doing the work their teachers set by someone who might not be a specialist in that subject.

We WILL be providing work for students at home and be accepting work to mark from them.

If you send your child in it will NOT be school as normal. They will find it frightening and unnerving, especially the littler ones.

if I was I would work if it meant that I was saving a child from abuse or parents not coping

Absolutely. We have actively identified all those children we believe to be vulnerable in any way (not just SEND with EHCPs or with social workers - every single vulnerable child we can think of. We have actively INVITED them into school next week. We would risk our lives - we are risking our lives - for those children in a heartbeat. Sadly, takeup is low amongst these parents, for whom getting children into school is perhaps more difficult than not.

I get that they would resent parents who may be taking the piss though
Resentment is a slightly tame word - remember that because teachers and childcare workers are working specifically so that healthcare workers - amongst others - are able to work. That means we are more likely to be looking after children who are already infected, and thus are more likely to become ill - with its attendant risk of death for the older members of the profession - than the general public.

"their child being violent and impossible to manage."

Don't worry love you wouldn't last 5 minutes.

I wish I could edit my post because Tuesday actually said she'd risk it to stop one parent from losing their incomes.

Tuesday why don't you volunteer? I'm sure there are literally thousands of parents who'd love to have you right now!

Selflessness isn't dead after all.

I am not a teacher, but if I was I would work if it meant that I was saving a child from abuse or parents not coping, or one from losing their entire income or home due to a parent not being able to work

I am a teacher and I do this day in, day out.
What these children need is for normal service to be resumed ASAP so schools can continue doing this day in, day out.

That means doing every we can to shut down the spread of this virus.

My patients with people using this situation to virtue signal is wearing thin.