Social distancing from young children

[DBML]

Just wondering if primary teachers, nursery nurses and parents of younger children can offer some advice.

I’m about to start minding the children of key workers. I’m a secondary teacher, mainly GCSE and A level.

The children we’re having to look after are between (I think) 4 and 11.

Other than my son, I’ve never spent time with such little kids, but I imagine them to want hugs, get too close, want to hold your hand etc (more so the 4/5 year olds I suspect).

I suffer with OCD (diagnosed and medicated) so this would make me clammy at the best of time. With this virus around, I don’t want any child within 2 meters of me.

Equally, I don’t want to alarm, upset or not be comforting to these little children at such a confusing time. I do want to make them feel cared for.

So, how do I social distance from young children?

Tell them you have a personal space bubble around you . I guess you will be encouraging that with all of them anyway.

Are you able to decline to take this on, on the basis of your medical needs?

No, I don’t think so for OCD. I think they’d tell me to man up lol!

I don’t mind doing it, but I’m not used to little children and am quite a stern person naturally. I am more concerned about frightening them when they’ll already be unsure of the situation. A bubble around me sounds good.

I’m one of those people that when someone says to me “do you want to hold the baby?” I say “no thank you”

I used that a lot with young children when I worked in a school. Oops you’re in my bubble ! Take a step back 😂