Social distancing in schools- mental health

[Myfriendanxiety]

Does anyone else feel that they would rather home school their children indefinitely than send them to a school where they have to social distance?

I really worry about the mental health of children if they are forced to sit alone at desks 2m apart from others without any proper play time or interaction. I just can’t see how this type of schooling is going to be beneficial to children and how it will create a positive learning environment.

My DS has another year before he starts school luckily- but if he were starting in September to a school system based on social distancing then I wouldn’t be sending him.

So fine, send us back, but don't tell me that social distancing is important.

My thoughts exactly.

Whether they will or won’t, should or shouldn’t reopen is way beyond my pay scale. I was just wondered what people’s thoughts were on sending children back to school if social distancing measures are going to be implemented and what impact people thought this may have on young people.

My 3 year old is missing his friends from preschool, but is quite happy being at home at the minute. I am thinking I would rather he be happy at home for another 18 months and then start school once vaccines are available and school can he how it used to be, than him go into a school where social distancing is in place. I want him to learn to interact with others and not be fearful of them. He is quite an anxious sole already so the constant reminds about not going near anyone, the lack of play opportunity and the constant hand washing reminders etc would really unsettle him and that’s not what I want his first experience of school to be.

Again, if the vast majority of the nation is socially distancing as far as possible, it should mitigate the bits of society that can't e.g school, prisons, hospitals etc. They dont care about individuals getting ill, its overall numbers so its accepted that many more of us will contact covid-19 and largely recover from it. Schools and nurseries will not stay closed for much longer, as it is detrimental not only to the economy but also to the wellbeing of the children. Staggered playtimes, remaining in the classroom for lunch, class rather than school assemblies and as much outdoor learning as possible will make it as safe as it can be. Far safer than it is for people working in aforementioned prisons and hospitals etc. It will be ok, I get that people are worried but if you think that the government will continue to keep schools closed to protect the health of teachers and children you will be very disappointed.

@TempsPerdu I am lucky that I’m a teacher and only work part time. If it came to it then we could probably just about afford for me to quit work and stay at home for 1-2 years rather than introduce my 3 year old to a socially distancing school situation. However I fully understand that others don’t have this luxury and it is really tough for them.

My eldest is 9, nearly 10. Her and her friends are very tactile, they're at the huggy, whispery stage. Trying to force them to stay 2m apart all the time would be very unnatural and I think detrimental to their mental health. I can see the impact on her already from not being with her peers tbh. I don't know which would be worse.

Opening on a rota system or similar to reduce the spread is one thing, but I would be very worried about any attempt to implement social distancing amongst the children who were actually there.

@SpudsAreLife84 I fully understand that and have known all along that the measures aren’t actually in place to protect us as individuals. It’s why the “stay safe” message has bugged me so much.

I am not particularly concerned about going back to work without PPE as I know that herd immunity needs to be developed and also that unless lockdown continued until a vaccine is in place then many more people are going to get the virus, and largely recover from it.

Again, if the vast majority of the nation is socially distancing as far as possible, it should mitigate the bits of society that can't e.g school, prisons, hospitals etc.

Whilst I agree that schools can't continue to stay closed indefinitely, once schools open, it's not going to be 'the vast majority' of society that will be socially distancing anymore. There are a lot of schools in the UK and a lot of people (children and adults) in each of those schools.

SpudsAreLife84

What about pick up and drop off (thinking primary here) There's the potential for 100s of parents, grandparents and carers to congregate at school. During the week before lock down we tried to stagger this, but it still meant 60 parents / carers collecting at the same time, and then waiting for older siblings. Which meant parent's chatting to each other, and children playing in the playground with those from different classes.

That's my feeling spudsarelife84 - the population on average needs to be socially distanced but not everyone can be for more than a short time. And that very definitely includes children. Reduce contact between groups, stagger drop off/pick up possible to reduce contact between parents but there is a limit.

I was just wondered what people’s thoughts were on sending children back to school if social distancing measures are going to be implemented and what impact people thought this may have on young people.

I think the point is that, especially in primary, SD is a moot point.

Talk about reopening schools - that's fine. I miss my class and trying to teach remotely is difficult. I'd be more than happy to go back!

Just take SD out of the equation and accept that it isn't going to happen. At which point we have to say, if SD isn't important for teachers and our families, nor children and their families, who, exactly, is it important for? And let them follow it on their own terms.

That's the honest conversation.

@ I totally agree. I think some have forgotten lockdown was put in place to slow the spread not stop it.

Whilst I agree that schools can't continue to stay closed indefinitely, once schools open, it's not going to be 'the vast majority' of society that will be socially distancing anymore. There are a lot of schools in the UK and a lot of people (children and adults) in each of those schools

I agree.

my school is already crammed to the rafters. my room doesnt have enough tables and chairs fir all 30 children to sit down, never mind sit 1 to a desk. Even if children themselves aren't at risk, they can still be carriers & we don't know who they have in and out of their homes. Apart from only having maybe 8 children at a max in the room at a time, the only thing that might make me feel safer at the moment is a full face visor, like a welders mask!!
it is preying on my mind a lot, & i wish i knew what the answer was.....

@GrimmsFairytales drop offs and pick ups are 20 mins a day! My DDs primary school already didn't allow parents into the playground except YR/1, everyone else lines up along the perimeter fence on the road and children are sent out to them. There is no reason why you can't stagger collection times slightly so each year group is at 5 min intervals or whatever, if it needs to be done it can be done, it will just be different and people will need yo adapt and embrace the change and accept that it probably won't be like it was before for a very long time, if at all.

I think it’s quite traumatic for young kids to be constantly reminded of a threat

I like whaddya’s honest conversation idea

Spud I know how long it takes, and if you'd read my post you'd see we already tried to stagger the collection and drop offs before lockdown. 5 minutes isn't enough time to get one year group in + out, and doesn't account for those who are waiting to collect / drop off siblings.

I think there are a number of people commenting on here who are only imagining what a 6 hour day at school looks like.

Those people need to accept what the teachers are saying about it and understand that, as well meaning as your suggestions are, they can easily be challenged as unworkable. That's not about a reluctance to work (we're still working!) nor about finding a problem to every solution, but realistic.

Like I say, I'm not amongst the 'keep schools closed for as long as possible' crowd. Open them. I'm comfortable with that.

But don't pretend, or believe, that SD will happen.

And once children are back at schools, parents will arrange to congregate at the local park, or pop round to each others houses, or host sleepovers because what's the difference between them being at school together for 6 hours a day and that? Answer: there isn't.

And my hairdresser is a parent; my bandmates are parents/teachers; my friends are parents/teachers... if we are ok to be in close contact with each other for 6 hours a day, why not socially?

And, if I'm asking that, so will other parents.

@Chocolatecakeandpinkcustard
I totally agree re..stolen childhood

@Whaddyathinkofthis again, schools likely won't be socially distancing for all of those reasons, and that is ok so long as everyone who works in industries that can does so, it mitigates those of us that can't. I can't, haven't been doing so since this began, but because others are it's not impacting massively on OVERALL transmission and infection rates. It's a numbers game at the end of the day.

Social distancing won’t work in schools it’s also a huge ask for children to be able to go to school but not then allowed to go to the park or cinema etc with friends. Younger children won’t understand and teenagers are likely to ignore the rules more than now and if more parents are back at work they will be less supervision too.

I think school need to re open and I am worried about the health and well-being of many of my students who I think would be better in school. If we open p/t I worry however for the kids who have limited social circles who will be timetabled away from their friends that would massively impact mental health and I think would feel lonelier for some students than isolation. Being segregated from friends whilst in the same building (eg if breaks and lunches are within the classroom)I think as with most things you solve one problem but create another.
I think splitting schools into teams might work to limit infection eg 1/3 the school in with 1/3 of each dept with no crossover.
I am non teaching in a school and I literally don’t know how to do my job whilst remaining 2m from students. I will of course have to learn a new way but I already do a challenging job and this feels like another layer on top of that. Burn out for staff will be high.

Pickups would definitely be a challenge but certainly at our schools could be done to reduce- not eliminate- contact and reduce time spent in contact too.

For ours I'd do something like

• kids going to after school care leave first, using one or two doors per club (doable at ours). 25% of kids gone
• youngest two years, each class using different door
• siblings of youngest two years maybe 5 to 10 minutes later to minimise playground hovering
• repeat process for p3/4 plus sibs, then 5/6/7 ( oldest years are smaller for our schools so fewer classes)
• encourage parents to let older children walk home if possible
• facemasks for parents

Unless I have about 5 kids in my reception class there’s not a hope in hell of social distancing. They are a challenging class with a lot of communication issues and one severe SEN also. I could cry thinking about how confused certain children will be with the situation as it is. Some of my particular class won’t understand at all and it breaks my heart to think of them not being able to play with friends properly.
With that said... I do want us to get them back in some capacity before summer. But I really don’t know how social distancing can work in schools.

I'm perplexed why people seem to think kids will be stressed sitting 2m apart from their friends at school and yet at home they wont see them AT ALL! I'd rather see my friends albeit 2m apart than not at all.

I also agree with other PP, I dont have the skills to home school in every single subject- thats the entire point of teachers and why they specialise in different subjects.
I's far rather they got back to at least some form of normality at school than nothing

The harsh reality is by Sept we should be looking at getting the children back to school. We cannot stay in a lock down forever. It will do more harm than good... & as a result have a knock on effect on other things. We most likely will have a second wave of CV once the lockdown is lifted. What other choice have we got though.