How can businesses slowly re-open if schools don't go back?

[trumpisaflump]

I've been thinking about this all day. A few of my friends are taking great delight I think in forecasting that schools won't go back until August (Scotland). And even at that it will be part time classes to allow social distancing. So an I wrong in thinking if this is correct them business will not be able to return as families/parents will have children at home?
It's been going through my mind all day and I don't know how we can have one without the other. Any ideas?

I'm pretty sure schools could cope with, say, half the usual number

If the 2m rule was lowered to 1m then having half the kids in would work. But if the 2m stays in place then my classroom would only fit a quarter of the usual pupils in.

EasterIssland, as usual those employees with particular skills which are hard and expensive to find would be more protected from losing their job than those whose skills are more common. So your employer may well find a different way for you to be able to work and manage childcare. But for someone easily replaced their employer may be far less accommodating.

Strangers for childcare.

You get recommendations, interview them, have a trial week, do dbs checks just as if you were hiring an au pair. It’s just as idea for those worrying themselves - there are more students avail than usual, many who are training in suitable fields. Obvs only if other options are not available.

Why would it be women that lose out?

1. Lot's of women earn more than their partner, some men are sahp
2. It's up to the couple to decide who works, in their scenario it may be better for the lower paid to stay employed if prospects are better. This could be a woman.
3. Couples can decide to both work pt around family commitments.

How much do nannies cost, out of interest?

dev

Did you not read notmynigels post.

Men are not here posting about childcare worries it probably hasnt even occured to them and their jobs are always so bloody important that they apparently can't work from home even thoughtheybare currently doing so just fine and men are granted that privilege far more than their female colleagues are.

You keep banging on about moving with the times well the times are that it takes 2 wages to cover a household with basics and that women are still the default childcare which is why it will be millions if women lumped onto the benefits system whilst people delude themselves things have changed in that respect..

sarah

Yes, it can take 2 wages to cover a household, but many manage on a lot less.
Men don't post about childcare because some women set the bar very low ito their partners.
If women are default childcare it's their own bloody fault.

I wish women would stop blaming everything else for their shit partners.

We have millions of children living in poverty so no not everyone does manage on alot less

And even when separated, single mums are viewed with disdain whilst single dads hailed heros . That's when the bar has been set high and the uninvolved dads cut loose.

And if the dad doesnt step up then what is the mum supposed to do? Walk out and leave them in an empty house?

There are not many who could pay their bills if they have to go from two incomes to one and for the majority, a nanny is not affordable.

Sarah

If the dad doesn't step up then you leave the Dad in an empty house.
Parents need to be responsible for their own children, that's the bottom line.
Kids need to be cared for and if that means the parents aren't able to outsource care whilst they work, then they have to change their lifestyle, it's not rocket science.
The world is changing and we all have to adapt.

Parker

We could have easily chosen a life where two incomes were needed to pay our bills, and we couldn't afford a nanny neither.

And that leaves the women having to go to work where exactly?

You seem to have a problem with kids being on childcare. You do realise that even your so called solution of "adapting" is impossible right now. Because you can't just not pay rent nor can you just not show up to work and if you dont make your rent or Bill's them that will result on legal action being taken and/or bailiffs showing up at the door or eviction or whatever.

This wasnt some advanced warning where you have 6 months to find an alternative job or sell up /downsize

Many people may have already reduced their outgoings as much as possible as a result of illness or disability or maternity leave etc

@Devlesko - we chose a work life with both of us working as we both trained for careers we enjoyed. Luckily the UK has good childcare provisions to help with this. Our lifestyle needs two incomes as that is how we want to live our life’s. We are lucky through this pandemic that our DC’s are at Uni and past needing childcare.

Childcare will need to be back in operation if people are going to be able to back to work.

Sarah.

Of course, I have a grown up dc facing issues without childcare.
We have lost most of our income, mine 100% dh 70%, and are living on next to nothing.

There's no problem with kids being in childcare, when it exists.
There's obviously a problem that needs addressing when it doesn't.
The answer atm isn't to open up schools, nurseries and after school clubs. Or for businesses to remain closed because some workers have problems with childcare.

My dil took the decision to leave work as was a Key worker and pg. No maternity pay as left too soon, but was scared of catching the virus.
They will cope, have cut back and cutting their cloth accordingly.
Another dc and partner both furloughed unsure if their jobs will be there, just taken on a mortgage, their first home, they too are worried.

But, we have to adapt, one way or another. The alternative is to flounder. If that means more women leave useless men who won't parent their children or consider their partners working hours, then that isn't a bad thing, surely.
You can't expect businesses or schools/ childcare facilities to put staff at risk so that people can work, when they have a parent refusing their responsibilities.

Real world if too many businesses open up before schools and childcare people will take chances and Grandparents will be desperate to see grandchildren so will more than likely risk assess and decide the risk is low.

You talk like it's a choice.

If your minimumise outgoings as much humanly possible by that I mean you live in a damp studio flat shower in the rain , have no tv or running water or car and live 24/7 in jumpers from charity shops to keep warm and it's still costing more than what's coming in then theres no where to go but the streets is there. Thats not a choice there is no "adapting"

Parker
That was your choice, I'm sure if your children were needing childcare now, and it isn't such good provision, you would have to adapt somehow.
Either by one of you at home with kids, both cutting hours, wfh, paying a nanny, etc.
If you lost income, you'd cut your cloth accordingly? Not carry on with the same lifestyle you afforded before, because it was what you wanted?

Sarah

If you offer the min payment for bills, set up a schedule of repayment companies are usually ok, as long as you are paying something. Also, look at mortgage holiday.
You should be able to claim UC as well.

Those saying there is nannies ... how many nannies are there ? That many that would cover kids in nurseries and schools ?

UC takes weeks to set up. We applied in march and haven't been received anything to even say we are getting anything yet. still over 2 weeks til we do.

Having been on benefits for a yr after a redundancy there was only so much towards rent you received. There is no garuntee it will even come close to what you owe.

Any holidays have to be paid back along side your usual payments so if you have nothing to start with then you are just getting more and more into debt.

There are 2m people on universal credit. Most would like to sit in you a house and play with a toddler or 5 year old rather than pick veg in a field for 12 hours a day in the rain. So yes there will be tons of people happy to do childcare and plenty will be pretty good at it.

Schools are there to provide education, not child care.
Of course, many parents work without having to sort child care for the hours their kids are at school, that's the way it is and should be.
But schools cannot open earlier than is safe, just to offer a child care service for parents to return to their jobs. That isn't the purpose of schools.

Here is another thought on social distancing in schools, old fashioned kids sitting in rows, with a perspex divider between them.

The richer in society may be able to hire a live in nanny or au pair. Most people won't.
The virus will divide rich and poor more than ever before and it will be women that suffer the most as their jobs will be seen as expendable if childcare remains a problem (whatever anyone on mumsnet may say!)
It's another statistic to add to the problems and heartache this virus has caused already. I feel so sorry for people with children trying to work too.

Xenia, I can see your problem solving about childcare , but people would have to be checked first ( which costs money) and many just wouldn't trust anyone else to have their child who wasn't a proper childminder already. It could work well in a more community minded place where everyone knows each other but inner cities might struggle and safeguarding is a big issue already without random people looking after children. I'm not knocking a bit of community spirit but there are other things to consider too. The schools could get involved more but they would probably say they have enough going on already etc.
Don't know , but I hope something can be sorted out for people.

Xenia

Unless you are prepared to leave your family and live onsite you won't get a job picking veg in a field.
You need to be an Eastern European and work for the gang master.
By the time accomodation and food is taken off, it's far less than min wage.
The farmers are refusing to pay British workers.

I think safeguarding will go out of the window tbh, the80's Desperate times call for desperate actions.
It had got a bit OTT, maybe a positive will be less bureaucracy.
If parents will choose deregulated childcare is another matter, but beggars can't be choosers.