How will you cope logistically / financially / mentally if schools are still PT in September?

[Bollss]

Just wanted to ask, really... Get an insight into how many families this will totally fuck things up for.

For us, if school is PT whatever we do we will be under massive financial / mental / logistical pressure.

We both work FT, and neither of us can WFH. I have so far been furloughed but am starting a new role where I won't be able to do that (NHS).

I guess there's a possibility key worker provision will still exist but I'm not certain.

If it doesnt, and we get say 10hrs a week (based on Scotland's plans!) Then really our only options are... One of us taking unpaid leave (which we cannot afford), finding a childminder for the 3 days a week ds isn't at school and having to leave work early for the other 2 days (no childminders pick up from his school) which will cost us more than a full time nursery place does now. Or keep him in ft nursery until school goes ft (which we could only afford to do if he keeps his funded hours half of which we haven't been able to use)

How will you cope? Will it affect you? Do you have any better ideas than my crap and expensive ones

We are looking to move private. Chatting with some friends with children in private schools and some seem to operate 5 days a week, possibly because of smaller classes and more space. Some schools seem to be under financial strain and may merge classes though. So not sure how sustainable are they.

Another option is to hire a nanny. Potentially nanny share with another household in similar situation.

Either will be expensive but we also both work FT with no intention to quit our jobs.

I know we are extremely privileged to be in this position. I am afraid this will hit working women in general really really badly. Some mums I know are already considering to quit their jobs.

If schools aren’t back I’ve already told my line manager I will have to consider resigning. We need DH’s salary (it’s many multiples of mine).

I work part time, 3.5days a week. If we get 10hrs/2days, my husband could potentially cover 0.5days. We’d be forced to rely on my parents (in their mid 60s) for the final day. But then goodness knows if we’d be allowed to do that.

I'm predicting that the burden and fall out from all of this will largely fall on women.

Hopefully if it comes to this schools will 1) have to prioritise full time working parents who can’t work from home and 2) will allow friends to look after other people’s children/relax childminder registration requirements temporarily. I mean the government came up with the furlough scheme so hopefully they will come up with something for this type of situation. It also sounds to me like you would get a key worker place, maybe get in touch with the headteacher of your child’s school
now so they know your situation?

@BackInTime

I'm predicting that the burden and fall out from all of this will largely fall on women.

It definitely will. I feel like we're going backwards in terms of women in the work place.

I shall resign and we shall have to manage on DHs salary. It will be really tight we will have to make serious cutbacks

@Randomnessembraced

Hopefully if it comes to this schools will 1) have to prioritise full time working parents who can’t work from home and 2) will allow friends to look after other people’s children/relax childminder registration requirements temporarily. I mean the government came up with the furlough scheme so hopefully they will come up with something for this type of situation. It also sounds to me like you would get a key worker place, maybe get in touch with the headteacher of your child’s school now so they know your situation?

That would be a good solution. I hope they realise there is a definite need for some kind of intervention!

Not a bad idea at all, I think I will do that. Thanks!

I have just reduced my hours by 12 hours a week which obviously has financial implications luckily nothing we can't do with out at the moment. We have school places for our children as we are nhs/keyworker but I was totally burn out by it this week hence the reduction in hours.

I was considering quiting which I may reconsider if we don't get back to normal by January as school aren't teaching key worker children and I feel they are massively disadvantaged as I have had no energy to even consider homeschooling on top of work. Husband is great however he is now seeing the ramifications of covid and working every hour possible and on the edge of burn out too.

I would consider a nanny but I just they are going to be very sought after.

I am lucky, I know. I have proved that we can deliver everything fully remotely, so I know I will be supported. We have one boy at private school (reopening soon) and one now at online school and loving it. DD year 1 is the trickiest she has a tutor now and is enjoying outschool classes so hopefully if she can get back in the classroom a bit j will somehow survive. Financially it is quite a big hit paying for their education but it feels worth it as I was heading towards burnout.

I'm predicting that the burden and fall out from all of this will largely fall on women.

Exactly this. I will have to give my job up. Took me years to find the perfect job; school hours, term time and good pay. I am already struggling but just thinking if I make it through to the 6 weeks holidays. If it carries on in September I'll have to give up work up and I really don't want to

(deliver everything for work remotely I mean!)

I’m a single mum, work full time, my ds is 12 in August. I can’t leave him all day every day, it just isn’t fair, not long term.

If my boss won’t allow me to work from home, at least part of the time, I’ll lose my job.

No idea how I’ll pay the mortgage. I’ll set up on my own if I have to and work early mornings and evenings. There has to be a way to survive, I’ve just got to find it

OP you will be entitled to a key worker place if both parents are key workers and neither can work from home.
The schools (normal educational side not the kw side) cannot prioritise children based on what the parents do - every child will deserve a fair share of the available teaching time.
It will be really hard. I think women need to take as big a stand as we can in our own relationships to make sure our jobs aren't sidelined arbitrarily.

This all makes for really uncomfortable reading. I cannot believe this is being allowed to happen.

Obviously it provides financial, logistical problems but then the massive obvious problem of less than half the education they should be getting.

@Mistressiggi

OP you will be entitled to a key worker place if both parents are key workers and neither can work from home. The schools (normal educational side not the kw side) cannot prioritise children based on what the parents do - every child will deserve a fair share of the available teaching time. It will be really hard. I think women need to take as big a stand as we can in our own relationships to make sure our jobs aren't sidelined arbitrarily.

My other half isn't a keyworker though he's worked throughout and can't work from home. He also earns more than me so we can't afford for him to be off really!

As much as I'd like to take a stand and say my career is just as important (and we both agree that it is) that just wouldn't pay the mortgage unfortunately.

I think if there is part time school, I might just about be ok. But I can wfh, and 10 hours a week would let me do 1/4 of my job in peace, and knowing that DS (8) is socialising and being educated would take the pressure off the rest of the time so I can let him mostly draw and read without having to push him to write and do maths.

If there is no PT school, I don't know what to do. I've had some pretty dark moments over the last few months

If it comes down to only children from ft working parents can access schools I will actually apply for jobs. I will be a ft mature student from September but will defer for a year if it means my children access education.

Whilst I feel for parents who work and rely on school as childcare some of us don't work or wfh and rely on school for education. There should be no priority given to children of working parents. Or indeed of children from vulnerable families really. All children matter and all children are entitled to an education. Worldwide. Not just the UK or in Europe.

Children in remote African villages are entitled to (rightly so) an education at least up to primary level. The UK needs to get its act together.

Hopefully if it comes to this schools will 1) have to prioritise full time working parents who can’t work from home

Why? Why should full time working parents who can WFH be penalised? I’m still doing the same amount of work as when I was physically going into the office. Homeschooling is impacting my job too.

We both work FT, DD is too small to be left alone the whole day. I guess hiring a nanny? Can’t see another solution. We both are in stressful, busy jobs and have to take calls etc during the day. I am hoping for 2-3 school days a week, I don’t think anyone will go to school FT in September.

I can’t even tell you how stressed I am about this already and how bad I feel when I have to ask DC to watch tv again so we can both take conference calls 😞

As a single parent I honestly don't know what to do if Sept is pt. I'm a keyworker, currently off but will be back by September definitely if not sooner. My youngest a school will only let you have a keyworker place if both parents are keyworkers. So I haven't asked them for a place. I am wondering if this still applies if you are a single parent as my children's other parent is not a keyworker and they are 50/50 at each house

I won't, in short.

I'm a single parent, job cannot be done from home but it isn't a key worker role so not entitled to a school place. DS is 7 so cannot be left home alone. No chance of me getting a WFH job as I have no qualifications in anything, I've only ever done unskilled jobs. I cannot quit work as benefits won't cover the mortgage. Can't afford a nanny and there are no childminders available locally due to high demand. Can't use grandparents as they still work full time!

The only thing I can think of to do is to try and look for an evening job after 6pm as then my mum could come and look after DS when she has finished work, but it's going to be very hard to get a new job in the current climate, plus I'll be absolutely gutted to leave my current job as I love it

We'll be OK if you want an honest balanced opinion.

I'm an NHS FT worker but never took up a keyworker spot as felt we didn't need to.

Weirdly I am having some work from home days which I never would have thought possible before thanks to phone and video consultations. Although I am working I can save the commuting time and help with lunch and chores a bit those days.
We are encouraged not to go in if possible in case of infecting a whole team. I am kinda loving the flexibility

DH has his own business which he can do from home. He is also saving the commute and has quit his office as it's a bit pointless paying rent. He is stressed but managing with what help I can give. We're saving money and it's pushed him to make some positive changes to the way he works ie cutting unnecessary meetings and mileage.

DD 2nd school is organising herself OK. DS KS2 primary not so much but will do a bit independently.

It's a bit shit now but doable and if we had a few hrs in school a day or a few days a week for DS it would be fine. We'd be grateful for that.

They are both on screens more than I'd Iike and bedtime and start time are slipping but it's not the end of the world in any way. Hopefully schools would get a better online offer (ours is OK in variety but lacking feedback)

We'll have to get an au pair, I guess a British one if people from other countries aren't coming over here! Maybe someone who would otherwise be going to uni this autumn but is deferring or something.

DH doesn't like having someone else living with us but unless he's prepared to quit his job (and I sure as hell am not quitting mine) I can't think of an alternative.