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Original poster

Isolating as a contact - how to do school run?

82 replies

Lemons1571 · 24/09/2020 07:23

If I was a contact and told to isolate by T&T, how would we do the school run? No friends or family to do it, and no other parents from our school are in our area to ‘share’. My choices seem to be:

I can’t do the school run because I’m not allowed to leave the house. Keep DS off and get fined for non attendance.

I do the school run, do not leave the car at any point, drop DS on the kerb outside the school. Hope this would not result in a fine. Or get fined for breaking isolation. Maybe it would be the bit in the guidance where it says they recognise not all measures can be followed if you have children.

DH do the school run, but he’s a key worker (education) so he doesn’t have annual leave, and has to be at work 8.30-3 and this is not flexible. Or would he have to force his employer to allow him to do this? Lose pay?

Or am I damned whatever I do, and should just pick the option with the smallest fine?

Anyone else been in this situation? It’s putting me off going anywhere or seeing anyone!

OP posts:
Fidgety31 · 24/09/2020 07:27

Get your husband to do it and use breakfast / after school club
Or you do it and just stay in the car

StormyInTheNorth · 24/09/2020 07:28

Doesn't the whole household have to isolate, because of the liklihood of DS and DH having it due to living in close proximity?

I don't know. The rules have changed so much and I am so confused.

boobybum · 24/09/2020 07:36

I’d contact the school and ask if you can access the school car park to drop off DS for the isolation period.

TheClitterati · 24/09/2020 07:40

@Fidgety31

Get your husband to do it and use breakfast / after school club Or you do it and just stay in the car
schools around here aren't running breakfast or after school clubs
Original poster
Lemons1571 · 24/09/2020 07:47

It’s if I’m a contact, I have to isolate but the rest of the household can carry on as normal.

No breakfast or after school club available here yet. That would solve it, as DH could drop him off at 8.

Glad to see the car option is not thought of as too terrible. We could do that ok, as DS is old enough to walk from car to school. I wouldn’t leave the car at any point.

OP posts:
shellysheridan · 24/09/2020 10:21

I would ring the school and ask for advice. There may be other parents in a similar situation. They may be able to meet him from the car

BluebellsGreenbells · 24/09/2020 12:33

Isolate means you keep away from everyone. Separate bathroom. Meals delivered to your door. Clean kitchen if you’ve used it.

You shouldn’t be in the car with him.

Stay 2 metres away.

Jessuk86 · 24/09/2020 12:50

I’m so confused that you can share a car with your son if your isolating I think you need to stay 2m away from him if you want him and the rest of the family to carry on as normal! I’d be doomed if this happened to me as have a 3 and 2 year old no way will they stay 2m away from mummy so we’d all have to isolate Hmm xx

Lockdownfatigue · 24/09/2020 12:54

I can’t see school having any issue with you keeping him off.

Lockdownfatigue · 24/09/2020 12:56

But I would think dropping him off in the car and not getting out would be ok. There’s no way people are going to stay 2m away from their own children. And not everyone has more than one bathroom!!
If it’s the child isolating, nobody could expect you to stay 2m away from them!!

Mippi · 24/09/2020 12:57

Your DH would have to do it.

I know someone who is isolating at the moment and has had to keep her dc off school as no one else to do the school run.

NoSquirrels · 24/09/2020 12:59

Our school has asked us to contact them in circumstances like these, so that they can try to arrange something.

HoneyBee03 · 24/09/2020 12:59

I think it's unavoidable and you'd be fine to do drop off in the car. If you're also making an effort to distance at home (depending on DC age) you could wear face coverings in the car and keep windows open. I've seen a lot of people driving around like this recently.

ThatDamnScientist · 24/09/2020 13:01

I think you will find school would not be marking it down as unauthorised absence (don't they have a special code for covid related absences?).

Ratatcat · 24/09/2020 13:06

BluebellsGreenbells I don’t believe there is any parent that would stay 2m away from their children for 2 weeks. If that is the assumption it just won’t happen.

BluebellsGreenbells · 24/09/2020 17:55

I’m not saying it will happen! If you can’t stay away you all need to isolate.

CheshireCats · 24/09/2020 17:58

@BluebellsGreenbells Separate bathroom?? Because everyone has a house with at least two..... not.

ComeOnBabyPopMyBubble · 24/09/2020 18:02

@BluebellsGreenbells

Isolate means you keep away from everyone. Separate bathroom. Meals delivered to your door. Clean kitchen if you’ve used it.

You shouldn’t be in the car with him.

Stay 2 metres away.

You do realise some families live in studio/1 bed flats , don't you?

Good luck having a 2m distance spare at all,much less at all times!

BluebellsGreenbells · 24/09/2020 18:20

IF you can’t self isolate in a SEPARATE room then the whole family need to isolate.

It’s not a choice.

Isolate if you can, otherwise it’s everyone.

welshweasel · 24/09/2020 18:23

I’d be pragmatic and take him in the car.

StatisticalSense · 24/09/2020 18:26

You need to stay away from them so taking him in the car isn't an option (and for similar reasons it makes no sense to try and keep him off school as you won't be much use in helping with online work from a safe distance). You will need to look at whether the school has any flexibility in drop off and pick up times in the circumstance or otherwise try and arrange flexibility with DHs work or see if another parent who lives nearer to the school will mind him for a short while so that DH can get to work on time.

CaptainBrickbeard · 24/09/2020 18:28

Um, I didn’t know this. I have one child who is isolating due to bubble closure but my other child is allowed (and expected) in school so I’m taking both in the car and dropping off the eldest without either me or the isolater getting out. I read the rules we were given but had no idea this wasn’t allowed. He also hasn’t been staying 2m away from the rest of the family. He has no symptoms. Where is this guidance? I’m horrified if we’ve got it wrong.

Cloudburstagain · 24/09/2020 18:28

Could you drive to someone else in your son’s class ... there may be nobody near your house, but if you can drive to school you can drive to a classmate who can then socially distance walk your child to school?

MsMartini · 24/09/2020 18:29

Here is what the NHS says. It is not true that if you can't completely isolate from family, then everyone has to. It says try to avoid contact with those you live with as much as possible (if you are SI because of a contact).

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/nhs-test-and-trace-if-youve-been-in-contact-with-a-person-who-has-coronavirus/

Yetiyoga · 24/09/2020 18:32

@BluebellsGreenbells I don't think this is true. If the op had symptoms then that is different and they should all isolate. If they are contacted by track and trace then they have to stay at home but aren't expected to keep away from their own children. I think you are mixing up between isolating with symptoms and isolating after being contacted.