Anyone else dreading kids going back to school

[MysteryMama]

Ive kept my DC safe and isolated since March. They’ve barely seen another person during this time.
Homeschooling was a bit of a flop, I won’t lie.
But I’m literally lying awake at night, worrying about them going back. The media is saying it’s safe, etc. But I’m not convinced.
Don’t get me wrong, they’ve driven me to the brink of sanity most days, but I’d rather them be safe and healthy. DC2 is prone to viral asthma and all the DC were born very prematurely(no real ongoing health issues though-but I’ve seen them on ventilators before and I still have nightmares about it)
Anyone else considering hiding from the world in a cave with their DC?

Well I am in my classroom! I couldn't remember which fob I used to get in but did get in eventually!! There are spiders in my cupboard but everything else seems as it was!

We don't know about home learning. We have told we have to have it in place by October and it has to be 'high quality' but beyond that? I am looking at my planning I have ready for September and adapting that for home use. I really hope we don't need it as I hope we can stay open safely.

It will be the usual teacher thing of whatever is going on in the background we face the children with a smile and positivity.

Just going to flush all the toilets so we don't get the back to school water smell!

We are in Scotland where the schools have been back for nearly 2 weeks . DGS14 says it is great to see his friends and is happy to be back . The classes are in “ bubbles “ but it is still early days and I know his school is seriously thinking about making masks compulsory when moving around the school and in areas where they can’t socially distance . Teachers are doing their best but as DGS said it doesn’t stop the girls hugging each other !
In Dundee one school had been closed until 31st August due to 22 cases , another school has a whole class isolating at home and another school also has an outbreak .
It’s worrying however it’s not realistic to keep schools shut indefinitely.

I should also add that there are classes isolating in other areas of the country .

OP you have kept your kids isolated since March, really???? Surely they must be very depressed and anxious children right now - why have you done this??

Not only is it unnecessary but it's detrimental to your children's mental wellbeing.

@Remmy123 I don't think that is a very helpful post to be honest.

OP I have done the same as I was in the 3rd trimester and then baby born, so we haven't really been out. My son has seen friends in the garden and they have social distanced. Don't feel bad for doing what you felt right, you will also have someone who makes you feel like you have done the wrong things. Listen to yourself x

My post is helpful.

The media and this forum have quite frankly scared the sh*t out of people enough to keep their kids prisoners in their own home since March when it is totally unnecessary!

@Remmy123

My post is helpful.

The media and this forum have quite frankly scared the sh*t out of people enough to keep their kids prisoners in their own home since March when it is totally unnecessary!

I have to agree with you on this. 6 months is a very long time for children to be so isolated. OP could you spend the next week or so before school getting out and about a little so there first experience isn't a full classroom?

Yes. I’ve loved having them home and I don’t feel that whole classes are safe. I’d be much happier if there was distancing and smaller groups.
Educationally mine have benefitted from the 1:1 support at home.

I feel like they need the social interaction though.

I still haven’t 100% decided whether to send them straight away.

@Remmy123

My post is helpful.

The media and this forum have quite frankly scared the sh*t out of people enough to keep their kids prisoners in their own home since March when it is totally unnecessary!

I think that your last paragraph is true. The government have spent so long scaring the shit out of people to get them to comply with lockdown they are now struggling to get people to assume even a small level of risk.

No. My dc have reached peak excitement levels about going back (akin only to Christmas), they hated that they couldn't go in when we dropped dc4(5) off for the 6 weeks he got to attend reception in June/July. I've enjoyed having them here but they need to socialise properly with their peers & get back in to classroom/group learning.

The house is going to be deathly quiet though as dc5(3) will be going to nursery for half the week too.

Op, if your children are young could you organise a couple of playdates for them before they go back to school? Could you visit a local playground? I think it would be helpful for all of you to start taking small steps out of your isolation. I know this will feel scary but it will honestly do you all the world of good and will make school less overwhelming for your dc.

I stand by what I said. Just because the government scared you and told you to do it, just because everyone else has also done it to their kids, too - doesn't make what you've all done - what you're all still doing - OK.

Children are more likely to be struck by lightning than to die from COVID. they always were. The odds are published. You can check for yourselves.

[quote Raindancer411]@Remmy123 I don't think that is a very helpful post to be honest.

OP I have done the same as I was in the 3rd trimester and then baby born, so we haven't really been out. My son has seen friends in the garden and they have social distanced. Don't feel bad for doing what you felt right, you will also have someone who makes you feel like you have done the wrong things. Listen to yourself x[/quote]
Why isn't it helpful? The OP and people like her are doing their children more harm than good and need to be told so. A few year ago everyone smacked their kids and didn't think it did them any harm...

No.

OP please seek reassurance from your paed ( if kids are still under one) or GP.

My DS was extremely premature, had all sorts of serious lung related issues (all resolved) and has asthma now.

I’ve spoken to his own paed and a couple of my colleagues specialising in respiratory medicine. At the very very beginning we weren’t completely sure, but there is a lot more data now and we agree it is safe to go back to school.

@ktp100 Jesus. NOONE is "likely to die from Covid". No one! There is not one group who are over 50% likely to die. This sort of scaremongering shows clear lack of critical reasoning.

Not even slightly worried

If you are over 90 with multiple health conditions you have a greater than 85% chance of recovering from covid. In actual fact, it's likely to be higher as that number doesn't include the over 90s who have had covid asymptomatically, like my 93 year old neighbour who didn't know she had it until she was tested before going into hospital for a routine operation. There is nobody who is 'likely' to die from covid, as @unchienandalusia said, even if you're very very unwell you still have a strong chance of a full recovery.

I am genuinely angry at how much people have been unnecessarily scared by this. We have all lived with the 'threat' of viruses all our lives without even thinking about it very much. Yes this is a new virus, but the 'threat' isn't hugely increased, there is no need to act as if certain death is around the corner.

I know I've said it a few times before but I think it's really worth repeating - 11 million people die from infections (viral and bacterial) every year. Dying from an infection is a common thing, and yet most people don't give it a second thought. Just because there is a huge ongoing pathological fixation on this virus doesn't mean the situation has suddenly changed from 'totally safe' to 'absolutely deadly.' There is one more thing out there that might be a problem, but that most likely won't cause you any issues. There's no harm in being cautious, but shutting down your whole life, denying your children contact with other people and education is a massive, massive overreaction and at some point does have to be considered abusive IMO. If a parent was so frightened of chicken pox or hand foot and mouth that they locked their healthy children away for months and wouldn't let them go to school,they would very quickly attract the attention of social service and the attitude would be that the parent's health anxiety was causing serious problems for the children. This situation is different, as the anxiety has been created and grown by the government (which in itself is an absolute outrage) so I think more understanding can be given to people's unhealthy behaviour. But at some point action will have to be taken to ensure parents aren't harming their children with their unfounded fear.

www.facebook.com/117118184990145/posts/3613710935330835/?extid=PbeycwLLt9rlSCX1&d=n
Well this is reassuring

OP I have already posted about this school . It caters for children with additional needs therefore more vulnerable which is why it has closed . ( I know someone whose daughter works there). Other outbreaks are being dealt with by the relevant class being isolated .
Children need school . DGS 14 is much happier being back with his friends .

I completely disagree people have been scared by the gov mesaging.
In fact most people were scared because the gov have been useless and we clearly cant trust them!

But i do agree that if you are going to send them in next week then you do need to get out and about a little.
We went to the zoo yesterday and that was a mistake though. It was rammed! More full than i have ever seen it. you couldnt look at anything as someone elses kid wanders up looking too.

However imo it's likely the scottish closures are due to not requiring under 11 to SD. (And probably tourism).

We are going to have so many anxious, mentally scarred children going forwards. It’s really alarming.

We are going to have so many anxious, mentally scarred children going forwards. It’s really alarming.

Yup. I'm going to be in my 70s when the corona cohort are in charge of the world.
I'm hoping I die in my 60s, because it won't be pretty.

@blue25

We are going to have so many anxious, mentally scarred children going forwards. It’s really alarming.

I'm more worried about the anxious, mentally scarred adults that around right now tbh. I wonder if this is the result of a much more careful, risk-conscious generation? No way would I want to go back to the days of no car seats and smoking in pubs, but it does seem at least somewhat likely that years of focus on preventing risks has contributed to this current generation of adults being so focused on one solitary risk that they can't see at all the damage they're doing to themselves and their children.

Who knows? Maybe once this generation of children are adults they'll be so anti risk management that they're completely reckless. I hope at least that they're able to see that shutting down the whole world for one virus is absolute madness and that they're able to forgive my generation for it. Given the current attitude to 'boomers' I'm not entirely hopeful about that.

We are going to have so many anxious, mentally scarred children going forwards. It’s really alarming.

Agreed, as someone with OCD the messaging around hygiene in particular has been extremely damaging.