Do families not matter??

[Keepgoing88]

Ok so I can see that shops need to open for the economy but looking at it from most families points including my own what has really changed...?

Many kids still can't go to school, my kids can't play in the park, have any indoor meets, no soft play, no cafes (but hopefully outdoor soon...). After over 11 weeks in lockdown nothing has changed much for us.. oh but from Monday if I want to go to Primark i can....

Sorry rant over

[MoreW1ne]

I believe the argument can be more nuanced than that. Safety in one workplace does not necessarily affect safety in another. It doesn't/shouldn't need to be an all or nothing in my opinion. We may not agree there, nonetheless have a nice evening.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

I have no issue with people getting back to work- but if the argument is safety then the keeping schools/ kid focused activity shut argument falls flat.

[MoreW1ne]

Not quite but I like how you've constantly fixated on one area and not addressed or explained why you dont value the person needing their job for an income.

I value the person working in the pub who does have a need, who ironically might actually be a parent and therefore needs to support their family.

[megletthesecond]

Nothing will change for me week either. We have no family nearby and neither of the dc's will be at school.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

So you put an adult going to the pub in the same bracket as a child going to school/ zoo? You see both as a “want” and neither as a “need”?

[MoreW1ne]

I'm not sure where the refence to statistical evidence came from? Not that you provided any anyway.

My point was and remains that other people should be able to restart the important parts of their lives and shouldnt be restricted just because some parents are currently angry about schools not being fully open. That includes people who might enjoy a trip to the pub in a few weeks!

My sympathy isn't limited to just children as many posters on these threads seem to be. I'm merely pointing out that perhaps their (your?) sympathy should also extend to those currently unable to work in other sectors.

[Cheesypea]

Well i can go shopping in primark and leave my child alone 'home schooling'.

[bluejelly]

Isn't transmission much more likely indoors in prolonged family situations?
Sorry you're missing your family though. I do too but have met a couple of members outside.

[MadameMarie]

The economy takes priority. Families need a good economy.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

It’s not my opinion it’s statistical evidence.
Also regardless of having children can’t people have sympathy for them. As I stated it’s not about my child- she’s not even 3 yet- I feel tremendous sadness for primary school / secondary school children etc. I don’t have to have one to
engage logic and understanding of their situation.

[MoreW1ne]

But you are still putting your opinion above others. What about people who don't have children or don't want them. (Yes I get this is a parent's forum so inherently bias but other opinions do exist).

Common sense might dictate that those who could safely return to work (in this case primark workers) should be allowed to.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

The title of all these daily threads should really be "I'm so angry now that the government are not considering me to be the most important." it’s not about me it’s about children. All children!
Children- the lowest risk category making the biggest sacrifice. There is a world of difference between an adult and a child, mainly developmental and comprehension. My child has no understanding of why her life has been altered and I fear for their futures! That’s not selfish that’s common sense

[jessy2018]

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Children have been forgotten - I see no reason why our outside farm can’t open when the older generation can play golf. I see no reason why children couldn’t return to school on the odd staggered day when people can go to work. I don’t see why we can’t trust parents to sensibly distance their babies in a baby singing class when adults can play tennis! The children were already having their futures scarified for the sake of the elderly, now it’s just a piss take.

This.
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
When I think about all the things that they could so easily open which would make such a difference to young children and families it makes me want to sob! They have been totally forgotten.

[MoreW1ne]

Of course families matter. But plenty of people are making sacrifices at the moment, not just families.

I also wonder when people have these ranty posts if they consider how their opinion comes across.

What your essentially saying is that your situation is more important than someone working in retail/hospitality/other. Why shouldnt staff at primark have the opportunity to go back to work and keep a job if its safe for them to do so? Why do they have to wait for your child to be back at school/attending play meets ect.

The title of all these daily threads should really be "I'm so angry now that the government are not considering me to be the most important."

Yes we should be discussing a more expansive opening of schools, but everything else shouldn't have to wait for that.

[Alex50]

@OnlyFoolsnMothers I agree what’s the point of schools being closed when people are still protesting today, if they had to be back to work and school this would have finished by now but this will go on and on, people getting angrier with little to do.

[RedskyAtnight]

it's not in anyone's interest for people to end up in the queue for a supermarket simply to buy clothes

There are no queues into supermarkets that sell clothes if you go at the end of the day (towards closing time). People tend not to go then as they've sold out of some food items, but clearly that's not an issue if you're not food shopping.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

If teachers weren’t going to be paid they would soon abandon social distancing. Plenty of parents are happy for their kids to return as normal as they can understand statistics.
As for social distancing, if thousands can merge together in central London then I think my 3 year old can attend nursery with 6 other children!

[StatisticalSense]

@Xenia
That's the problem. Unless teachers and parents are willing to disregard social distancing in the classroom, which the current evidence shows they will not, it simply won't be possible to get more pupils into school without major structural changes to the education system that will take time to develop and roll out. To get all pupils back into school whilst maintaining social distancing will require the conversion of thousands of buildings into make shift schools and the training of thousands of people as makeshift teaches, as well as the acceptance and support of unions in allowing more unqualified teachers into the classroom and asking qualified teachers to support them. Such measures will take a number of months at the very least and realistically are unlikely to be completed in the time that the virus will pose a threat. It clearly doesn't make sense for other industries which are already ready to open in a Covid secure way to be forced to stay closed until such changes can be made simply because some parents view schools as more important than those industries as realistically the choice isn't between such industries and school but rather between nothing being open and something being open.

[BigChocFrenzy]

"teachers and heads and local authorities tend to be very left wing"

No, just following Tory government advice

If the government said to forget about social distancing, but let staff wear masks if they wanted, they could advise schools to reopen ft and it would happen

The government don't dare give this advice, in case it leads to deaths - v unlikely imo,
but they want to make head teachers responsible if it does happen in any school

[TinySleepThief]

Not everyone can afford to do their food shopping in the supermarkets that sell clothing, and it's not in anyone's interest for people to end up in the queue for a supermarket simply to buy clothes.

Well of course you would queue for the larger supermarkets to buy clothes if you literally had none. No ones saying do the whole shop there but if you or your child genuinely had no pants then what other choice would you have?

[Xenia]

Hard to say why - perhaps because only 8% of workers have school age children with no non working parent at home? Or because teachers and heads and local authorities tend to be very left wing so are not allowing the schools fully to open. We should just let children go back without distancing and take things as they come for the greater good. full classes, All at once.

[BigChocFrenzy]

Pubs before schools ?
Crazy priorities

In Germany, where I live, schools opened 4 May, before even most shops were allowed, parks were open
and this was several weeks before pubs, restaurants, gyms, hairdressers etc

Why has the UK government put education last ?
Because it doesn't bring in (immediate) money to the economy ?

[Qasd]

Oh and our local crazy golf has reopened if it’s looks “adult” it’s good to go!

[Qasd]

Not at the moment know but it’s going to be interesting families are not unimportant for the economy from holiday clubs to family dining to theme parks! I am starting to wi see if the fun but paid for stuff will come back before schools do given the need to save the economy and not worry about the future workforce!

[StatisticalSense]

@TinySleepThief
Aldi and Lidl don't. Not everyone can afford to do their food shopping in the supermarkets that sell clothing, and it's not in anyone's interest for people to end up in the queue for a supermarket simply to buy clothes.