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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:

RoseAndRose · 24/09/2020 23:05

If you are self isolating in the home, you should stay 2m away from the other occupants, and you should most definitely not be in the close confines of a car with them.

This is your DH's issue. He will have to do the childcare anyhow (as you are isolating within the home) so he will have to negotiate with his employer for the time he needs to do it.

Nellodee · 24/09/2020 23:06

The OP said this was a theoretical situation - I think this is maybe the time to set up some kind of reciprocal arrangements.

There is apparently only about a 10% chance of passing on the virus to someone in your household if you are positive, so if you are isolating and therefore only have at best a 10% chance of being infected yourself, there is only about a 1% chance that your children have become infected, which probably isn't vastly higher than community levels in some areas. I think many people think that if you have it, everyone in your house definitely will too, but I don't think that's actually the case.

Nellodee · 24/09/2020 23:07

Also, if you are sending your child in to school anyway, how is it particularly different if you send them to mingle pre school as well?

Updownin · 24/09/2020 23:10

Ffs the 14 day isolation is a precaution, not because she has covid. You just live your life normally at home. This thread is pure scaremongering.

Drop your dc off at school and pick them up just don't get out the car.

RoseAndRose · 24/09/2020 23:14

It's not scaremongering.

It is the requirements of self isolation. You need to be 2m away from the isolating person, ideally in separate and well ventilated rooms from the,. Even though each of the home nations has its own guidance, they all include this point.

If OP is required to go into self isolation because she is that close a contact of a confirmed case, then she needs to do what it says on the time and I salute. Including from her cohabitants.

If it were her DH, she would do all the child wrangling, so as the scanrio is that it is she, then the DH needs to step up

Pissedoff1234 · 25/09/2020 00:35

If you have to stay away from your own family if they could possibly come down with Covid then I assume you're all doing just that all of the time. As it's possible that anyone could come down with symptoms at any time.

You only need to try and stay away from someone with symptoms. Jeez, people like to go over the top.

Nquartz · 25/09/2020 06:35

To be fair, given the reports of how poor T&T is anyway the question is probably moot

Bupkis · 25/09/2020 06:43

@BluebellsGreenbells

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.

I can't find the bit of guidance that says this...ie everyone has to isolate if you can't stay 2m away from household members (In a t+t contact situation rather than having symptoms) All I can find is the bit that says Living with children Not all these measures will be possible if you are living with children but keep following this guidance to the best of your ability.*

RoseAndRose · 25/09/2020 06:44

You only need to try and stay away from someone with symptoms. Jeez, people like to go over the top

Thus is a specific (hypothetical) example of needing to isolate after a close contact.

People need to do what it says on the tin and isolate.

Bupkis · 25/09/2020 06:53

Ok I've seen the links to the NHS guidance...which, apart from advice regarding shielding people, is still a bit vague! The advice about shielding people is completely impractical for us - as it is ds who is shielding, he wouldn't be able to stay somewhere else and would find it impossible to stay away from the person trying to isolate!

TimeForLunch · 25/09/2020 07:06

I would see the car as an extension of the house, providing the isolator doesn't get out.
DD is at home for 2 weeks as someone she's never met in her year group tested positive. We are carrying on as normal around her while she stays home but I wouldn't think twice about having her in the car if necessary.

Torvean32 · 25/09/2020 07:11

@StormyInTheNorth

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.

The ruled havent changed

Isolating as a contact - how to do school run?

SexTrainGlue · 25/09/2020 07:13

There were 90,000 children required to shield first time round. Usually a parent (or the whole household) shielded too. Precisely because it is difficult to isolate adequately within the home especially when children live there too.

That's one of the reasons why the idea that we can just 'protect' the vulnerable is so heartless

Pissedoff1234 · 25/09/2020 07:39

I'm not suggesting that the (hypothetical) OP does not need to isolate. Obviously she does as she's been contacted by T&T.

My point was that if she has children then they are allowed at school says the rules. Makes sense as if everyone in a household had to isolate when one was contacted then there would be a lot more people.

The suggestion is that the OP would have to keep away from her own children even if she doesn't have symptoms. This could be the case for everyone. I work in a school so therefore could have been infected but not have symptoms every day. Do I not parent my children just in case.

The rules are simple. If you have symptoms then TRY to stay away from your family. If you've been contacted, you can't go out but your family can unless you then start with symptoms.

Concerned7777 · 25/09/2020 08:07

Laughing at the second bathroom and separate bedroom comment because we all have 2 bathrooms and a spare room dont we!

If you couldn't get him to school because you was isolating then school should mark his absence as though he is isolating too I highly doubt you'd incur fines for this reason but its annoying to have to keep him off school for 2 weeks for no reason (for him anyway)

Slightlybrwnbanana · 25/09/2020 08:11

Child has a father.

BluebellsGreenbells · 25/09/2020 12:24

I certainly have not read this and would not be isolating from my 6 year old if her school bubble closes

Then you isolate from society

OverTheRainbow88 · 25/09/2020 12:31

I don’t scan the bar codes if I’m just sat outside somewhere and don’t go in.

Also considering stopping eating out as not sure one meal out is worth the stress of staying home for 2 Weeks in case!!

Back to OP- I would ask OH to do it.

Bupkis · 25/09/2020 12:55

@BluebellsGreenbells

I certainly have not read this and would not be isolating from my 6 year old if her school bubble closes

Then you isolate from society

Sorry, but do you have a link to the guidance that says this is necessary?

ie - that if you are living with a child/person who can't isolate from the rest of the house, then the whole house needs to self isolate.

If you have a link, I'd be really grateful to see it.

AnotherCovidQuestion · 07/02/2021 19:06

What did you do in the end, OP? @Lemons1571

poppycat10 · 07/02/2021 21:25

@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.

Meanwhile, in the real world...

NerrSnerr · 07/02/2021 21:32

@BluebellsGreenbells are you making up your own guidance or can you link to where you have read about the whole family isolating if you can't stay 2ms away?

No wonder people are confused when people spout all sorts of bollocks.

NerrSnerr · 07/02/2021 21:36

To answer the question I would call the school and see what they suggest. Would he even be fined for non attendance if he can do home schooling? Surely if you're at home they'd prefer him to be at home anyway- I know at our school you're only supposed to send children in if all parents at home are working out of the home on the days they're in.

sausagerole · 07/02/2021 21:44

@BluebellsGreenbells really looking forward to the official guidance you're going to post to support your position... aren't you??

Ch3rish · 07/02/2021 21:50

This thread was started in September last year, I'm going to say the OP isn't in need of any advice over 4 months later

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