How the hell are parents meant to work?

[worzelsnurzel123]

With this latest blow from schools and yet further delays, I predict employers will cease to be “ fair” and they will run out of the patience BJ vaguely muttered about hoping they’d have. So what are the options?

1. Resign from jobs? This could have massive impact on income, likely to affect women and the future of women’s’ rights and progress in the workplace, creation of mental health issues and socio economic problems
2. Will some parents be pushed in to feeling the have no choice but to leave kids home alone? Esp those who are borderline age group eg 8-12. Not ideal at all. Clearly this will impact on MH, safety, parental work performance.
3. Leave kids with grandparents who are likely to be over 70 in many cases, shielding or vulnerable. Risks of passing the virus on would lead to guilt , worry on both sides.
4. Wait for everything to fuck up work wise, scrabble for child care here there and everywhere, lose employers good will due to time off needed and eventually get dismissed for poor attendance, breach of conduct and or poor performance

This is a disgrace. An absolute disgrace

From an article in The Guardian tonight:
With fears of a second spike in infections, the NEU is advising the government to develop a national approach to “blended learning” combining education at home and school, with increased support for disadvantaged children, including free internet access.

This is really worrying. Blended, part-time schooling in September has the potential to be as bad as homeschooling in terms.of juggling it with going back to work. Honestly, why are the unions doing this to us? I despair

@mumsnet - where are you?????!!!!! This is the biggest threat to working women who have children. It's destroying our mental wellbeing, our career prospects, our ability to feed our children. Are you lobbying MPs MSPs and the Welsh Assembly? What are you doing about the fact that we have to work and somehow look after our children at the same time?

I've fucking had it today. Life is shit and it's going to get shitter and no one is helping.

@BubblyBarbara

I agree with everyone saying we need to just get the schools open again ASAP. The numbers have fallen and even in the worst case of having a second peak (which is unlikely) us older people (I’m almost retirement age) have had a few months now to make our peace and sort our affairs out if the worst happens. But everyone else needs to keep living.

What the FUCK have I just read????

YOU might have "made your peace and sorted your affairs out," but the rest of us (of a similar age) aren't prepared to throw in the towel just yet.

@notalwaysalondoner

I think the policy makers forget that not everyone is like them i.e. able to work from home indefinitely with a super sympathetic employer who will only make people come into the office gradually between now and Christmas. I was recently doing some consulting for the civil service and they are running a scheme where you can literally apply to work fewer hours for the same pay due to childcare. One woman was working 7-12 every day but still being paid for a 40 hour work week. I think they just don’t get it’s not like this for many people.

And of course it will mostly be women who are left to sort out the childcare issue - I’m only 30 and even so all my friends’ partners are acting like their careers are more important and it’s the woman’s job to figure out the childcare. And these are all Oxbridge high flyers. So much for modern men... so women will be the ones begging for part time or to stay at home while men go back in and pat each other on the back for dedication and get promoted.

Wtaf? I have never heard of such a thing and would love to know... Personally, due to being a single mum with two kids, I work 0.8tfte with the paycut if not the hours cut to go with. Otherwise known as 80 hours a week for 80% of the usual (37hr) pay.... it's a deal. It's a steal but not for the worker, i can tell you

The lockdown and school closures have saved MILLIONS of lives

At what point do the millions of kids lives and futures become relevant?
At what point does their mental health become a concern? and yes bad mental health is DEADLY, i can use caps too.....

Looking at the rest of the world, the UK is becoming/already is a joke with the way schools been handled. From the outside it comes across as the kids future means nothing.

Utmost respect for all parents dealing with the shit show that is schooling right now.

@ThatLockdownLyfe

And the prize for missing the point most spectacularly goes to..

Can we rephrase this though. It's not women getting shafted as if it's some mysterious effect of the system. It's very simple, MEN are shafting women by impregnating them and then not taking 50% of the responsibility for raising their own offspring.

I'm not saying it's realistic in the current sociological climate but the solution to schools being closed is BOTH parents go part time. Not have one career come crashing to a halt while the other sails on as if nothing's happening.

Imagine, the number of available jobs would double instantly which can only be a good thing

Are you fucking JOKING? Both parents go part time and oh look the number of available jobs would double. Cocktails for everyone!

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/06/09/school-age-children-likely-hit-lightning-die-coronavirus-oxbridge/

@Ylvamoon The reason for that is because key workers get priority, so if a school has a large number of key workers and need several bubbles they may not have enough space or staff to open to several groups. The guidance currently says you shouldn’t open on a rota so if they follow the guidance there is not a lot else they can do. Which is what schools said when the guidance was released, not to be negative but just realistic about what could be done if guidance was followed.

My son was supposed to go back this week.
My mum looks after him now. Not ideal, probably breaking rules but I don't really care right now

And some schools just don't have the room. DS's school can only fit 8 to a classroom which means they can only accommodate year 6's and key worker's children.

Also it isn't just primary school parents that will be affected. It's at least everyone with a year 7 and year 8 too. Who wants to leave an 14 or 12 "year old home all day every day on their own?

They might not get harmed but they still need someone around, support with some of their learning or just a chat. Their mental health would likely suffer... I don't get how anyone thinks that is a likely scenario.

Typo I meant am 11 year old

Blended, part-time schooling in September has the potential to be as bad as homeschooling in terms.of juggling it with going back to work. Honestly, why are the unions doing this to us? I despair

The virus is doing it to you, not the unions. The unions are asking the government to follow the science in schools as elsewhere. Even if the social distance is reduced (which would be a mistake) there would not be room for full classes in most schools.

Part time and blended is what is being planned. Blame science and the virus not the unions.

@KnobChops part time employees don't suit a large number of roles. It's way more expensive in terms of money, time, productivity and logistics to have part time employees.
Speaking as an employer I want full timers, not part timers in the majority.
It's a good suggestion but unfeasible in the main.

@KnobChops sorry meant to tag @ThatLockdownLyfe into that post 🙈

The whole situation seems to be getting more attention now. Article in Daily Mail (I know but...), discussion Radio 4 with ex-ofsted head and that's just what I have seen/hear with a quick glance.

If I went part time that would be my career over. It would never recover and I'd probably not be made full time again. Same for DH.

Plus we'd be fucked financially.
If it came down to it the sensible option would be for me to resign as we'd better off financially with DH working full time as opposed to us both working part time.
This is going to be devastating for women's careers

Do we know what stats are on kids catching Covid?

Got the 2m rule but again this rule is different all around the world and tbh I don't trust Boris as an authority on anything.

Everything about the government's response has been a shambles.

Delay

Unprepared

No consistent communication - masks no masks

confusing and inconsistent regulations about where you and can't travel and gather.

From huge superstores remaining open from day one (selling clothes and plants etc) but small independent garden centres and clothes shops remaining closed. No rule that those superstores can't sell clothes or plants and only food.

Feel free to add a comment on the Mumsnet campaign thread, see below

Also tweet email any one you think might be interested in publicising this on behalf of working mums.. Martin Lewis? News channels? Anyone else?

Campaign to highlight how mad WFH with kids is during lockdown www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_campaigns/3904046-Campaign-to-highlight-how-mad-WFH-with-kids-is-during-lockdown

Have the proposals for schools been properly analysed and assessed?

I appreciate this is a fluid situation and an unknown but it all appears very reactive still even after a few months.

Government need to present some sort of flowchart starting with:

Risk to kids
Risks to teachers
Risk to parents

Mitigation

I would expect them to have done this but I'd want to see it.

I want a rationale for the way they've catastrophically handled schools

@ThatLockdownLyfe

And the prize for missing the point most spectacularly goes to..

Can we rephrase this though. It's not women getting shafted as if it's some mysterious effect of the system. It's very simple, MEN are shafting women by impregnating them and then not taking 50% of the responsibility for raising their own offspring.

I'm not saying it's realistic in the current sociological climate but the solution to schools being closed is BOTH parents go part time. Not have one career come crashing to a halt while the other sails on as if nothing's happening.

Imagine, the number of available jobs would double instantly which can only be a good thing

Dp would quite happily go pt but as he earns significantly more than me it would just mean we were even more fucked financially!

It would literally not help us at all.

@fia101

Have the proposals for schools been properly analysed and assessed?

I appreciate this is a fluid situation and an unknown but it all appears very reactive still even after a few months.

Government need to present some sort of flowchart starting with:

Risk to kids
Risks to teachers
Risk to parents

Mitigation

I would expect them to have done this but I'd want to see it.

I want a rationale for the way they've catastrophically handled schools

And to add to that risk to other school staff, dinner staff, admin, cleaners.

And what happens for DCs still seen as needing to be shielded?

I’ve just heard a teacher ask why people aren’t angry at pub owners for not fully opening up but yet so many parents angry about schools not opening. Really is a pub comparable to a school. That’s coming from a teacher ! Parents are angry and so worried because this affects their families, a generation of children and their futures. Oh well ladies we may as well just hop in our time machines back to the 1950s. Get your pinny on and be sure to warm your master’s slippers for when he returns from a hard day at the office. Oh and make sure you fix that rictus grin and his favourite drink! Honey I’m home!

Oh well ladies we may as well just hop in our time machines back to the 1950s. Get your pinny on and be sure to warm your master’s slippers for when he returns from a hard day at the office. Oh and make sure you fix that rictus grin and his favourite drink! Honey I’m home!

This has been my life whilst on furlough. Dp is lovely and obviously doesn't expect it but I am literally at home all day! I want to go back to work. My work don't want me back yet (or probably at all!) Luckily I'm waiting to start another job but that might not be for weeks yet. I can't take it!

The only feasible way we could afford it is if they bring in some kind of UBI and id quite happily take that and get some kind of evening job to work round fucking stupid PT school hours!

But they won't do that because they don't care about women and children.