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Original poster

Pull kids out of school

78 replies

Mummyworriestoomuch · 25/09/2020 17:57

I'm in county Durham. Most schools in my area are reporting cases now. My kids schools haven't yet but I'm really concerned it's just a matter of time. I'm conflicted. One one hand I want to pull them out and wrap them in cotton wool but on the other hand I don't want to disrupt their education any more than necessary. I just don't know what to do.

OP posts:
swg1 · 25/09/2020 18:43

For example @murdercaughtoncctv appears to have created an account solely to comment on this thread.

Mumsnet HQ, this looks suspiciously astroturfy.

Original poster
Mummyworriestoomuch · 25/09/2020 18:44

I think I'll hang on a bit longer. See if we can make it to half term. It's really getting bad here though. The next town over has quite a lot of cases and hubby works in that town. Thankfully he works alone.
Youngest child's school has already set up plans and devices for closure so they must be anticipating closures.

OP posts:
Worriedmum999 · 25/09/2020 18:45

This bit in that surveillance report is the most worrying bit for me...

The highest increases were noted in the number of incidents in educational and workplace settings in comparison to the previous week. The majority (65%) of the incidents in educational settings were confirmed as COVID-19 outbreaks.

Someonesayroadtrip · 25/09/2020 18:50

We are in lockdown from Sunday (Swansea) and our schools will still continue. I know I'm in the minority and I realise the reasons why they need to stay open but I really wish they would close or give us the option of pulling them out for while.

We can't see my mum who is immune compromised, so that's hard.

I am not well, waiting on a 2 week referral which is way over that now and I'm just panicking they will get it and then I have to self isolate and will delay any diagnosis even further and I seriously can't go on like this.

I realise my reasons aren't real reasons, but I also have 4 in school I'm different classes so it's 4 times the risk and two have additional needs. One in particular doesn't understand social distancing and sucks his thumb etc, so I feel it's only time.

I actually quite enjoyed home educating too. It was hard work but I loved that time together.

Keepdistance · 25/09/2020 18:52

Yes it's like the care homes and schools are feeding off each other. I guess that's the staff linking the. Or lack of tests or people going to work places with colds as they arent the main covid symptom.
Makes you wonder what the daily cases would be without the education (not just outbreaks).

ivfbeenbusy · 25/09/2020 18:52

Nothing nasty or unfriendly about my comment at all???

Keepdistance · 25/09/2020 18:53

Yes as a minimum rising areas you should be allowed to home school.

Streamingbannersofdawn · 25/09/2020 18:54

Well I'm with @ivfseembusy I don't have the luxury of a decision. I've got to go to work and I cant do that and look after my children as well. I try extremely hard to be friendly and understanding but most of my friends getting anxious about their children being in school are at home ready and waiting to step in with the homeschooling. Frankly its getting on my nerves.

Shitfuckoh · 25/09/2020 18:55

@swg1
Totally agree. I've noticed some posters just seem to post to tell people they are anxious etc. Shildon looks like it's going through a pretty rough patch numbers wise at the moment Sad

@Mummyworriestoomuch

I'm also hoping we make it to half term.
DS2 has brought home a lot of log ins the last couple of days for 'online learning' apps etc. Feels a lot like the few days in March before it came 'real'.

whirlwindwallaby · 25/09/2020 18:56

I think it would depend if your disabled relative or child is high risk if they catch Covid or not. Also if you are the primary carer for your relative or a secondary carer able to self isolate from them if you have a child home with symptoms.

Original poster
Mummyworriestoomuch · 25/09/2020 18:57

Oh that's a very worrying report.
I think I might start some planning myself.

OP posts:
swg1 · 25/09/2020 19:07

@Streamingbannersofdawn @ivfbeenbusy

I also don't WANT to homeschool. I've come to the realisation that another period of this means I might have to throw the towel in for 6 months and call it a career break and there have been a great deal of tears and swearing over this.

But in certain areas where the transmission rate is extremely high it's starting to look as though we'll be surfing from one self-isolation to the next and it's not going to be better working from home self-isolating with KidA for 2 weeks, and then isolating with KidB for 2 weeks and then self isolating because I have a cough. That's also not a tenable situation.

(And because this is mumsnet and someone will say the father should help - he died. Some of us really are on our own with this one!)

Given the choice of kids being home because of endless repeated periods of self-isolation, and kids being home because we're home-schooling I'm eventually going to pick the latter. Not because it's easier - it's not! But at least then I'd know what we're doing, be able to plan lessons and we'd be able to leave the house which we can't do when self-isolating!

Nellodee · 25/09/2020 19:10

That's a good point - I was thinking that there wasn't a lot of difference between part time learning and partial closures, but I forgot that with the partial closures you're also stuck in the house.

Shitfuckoh · 25/09/2020 19:12

@Nellodee
It's the being stuck in the house that concerns me the most!

Original poster
Mummyworriestoomuch · 25/09/2020 19:16

@swg1 thank you. You've put that across way better than I could have.
So sorry you're doing this alone

OP posts:
swg1 · 25/09/2020 19:16

Yep! Right now our routine is if it's not pelting with rain I pick the kids up and then we pick one of the tiny local parks to go to until I start turning blue. I'm trying to get fresh air and exercise in while I can. But between Weds last week and Mon this week we were self-isolating due to me having a cough until I could get a test and honestly by Sunday the state of the house was just enough to make me cry.

(Better now they're back at school!)

Original poster
Mummyworriestoomuch · 25/09/2020 19:16

@swg1 thank you. You've put that across way better than I could have.
So sorry you're doing this alone

OP posts:
Lemons1571 · 25/09/2020 19:21

@Streamingbannersofdawn

Well I'm with *@ivfseembusy* I don't have the luxury of a decision. I've got to go to work and I cant do that and look after my children as well. I try extremely hard to be friendly and understanding but most of my friends getting anxious about their children being in school are at home ready and waiting to step in with the homeschooling. Frankly its getting on my nerves.
I would find new friends Grin

I also find the parents I know who are ready to step in with homeschooling tend to have younger children. A Level Physics anyone?? No didnt think so.

Frouby · 25/09/2020 19:25

Mine are staying well ever school is open. And if it comes to a keyworker only situation mine will stay in as I can be classed as a keyworker. They absolutely love being back at school, my 6 year old is devouring his learning and engaging in a way I have no hope of replicating. Year 12 dd is loving being back with her friends and peers. I also started uni this week and while the online stuff is engaging and thought provoking for an adult invested in her education as a child it would be pretty inadequate.

The risk is minimal to children. Unless you are ecv the risk is minimal to you. We aren't seeing my mum at the moment as my aunt that dmum cares for is ecv, so I have been popping up and having a coffee in the garden. We don't come into contact with anyone who is vulnerable. It's notnjust the education its the sense of normality they are getting that is so important.

glowworm93 · 25/09/2020 19:26

Is your disabled child particularly vulnerable to covid? That would influence my decision. My sister is disabled but no more vulnerable to covid than I would be.

I'm in a high risk area (actually slightly higher risk than yours looking at the figures). Honestly, hell will freeze over before I pull my DD out of school voluntarily. None of us are high risk and I value her education far more than I fear the virus, which is likely to be mild for us if not asymptomatic.

Obviously I'm still following all the other guidelines to reduce transmission, we rarely go out if not essential, socially distance, wear masks, wash hands etc etc.

But then if there is anything this situation has taught me it's that people see this virus VERY differently and you just have to find the decision which feels right for you. I totally understand that you may reach a completely different conclusion to me.

Beebityboo · 25/09/2020 19:39

I've just re read the newsletter and it seems they're threatening home visits for children that are off also. This has never been in a newsletter before and is purely a bullying tactic to scare parents into sending their children in. We are in a high case area.

Original poster
Mummyworriestoomuch · 25/09/2020 19:41

Someone I am in close contact with is vunerable. I'm not saying any more than that because it's going to get quite outing if I say more

OP posts:
Totteringtime · 25/09/2020 20:15

@ Mummyworriestoomuch, yanbu. You’re making a rational assessment of the specific risks to your family and responding accordingly. This is going to be a tough winter any road, and we too are trying to plot a course with the highest chance of a reasonable long term outcome. By next winter they might know more, developed more treatments, made a basic vaccine and more of the population may have some immunity by then. I have teens in secondary school, including one with chronic health condition who struggles with normal illness, never mind something like this. I also have chronic condition that makes me vulnerable. Working from home and supporting their home learning during lockdown had me in tears. They are both back in school now, happy to see their friends but worried about catching covid. It’s 30 kids in the same classroom all day with no social distancing, so perfect for transmission. We sit in different rooms at home with the windows open, which isn’t sustainable over the winter. So the best course for us as a family would be organised home schooling for the winter months, returning late spring if things have settled down, but the school says they’ll lose their places if we switch to home learning and won’t offer any support. We have signed up for online school starting in November, if infection rates keep rising and there’s no change in school’s attitude. Surely if the government gave funding to schools to set up a remote learning option for families in this situation, it would create more space for social distancing for those at school and give continuity of education for anyone studying at home at any point. But at the moment we’re heading for covid hokey kokey, and I don’t want to play

Bluelinings · 25/09/2020 20:20

@swg1

Are there people from UsNotThem who have certain things set as keywords now or something?

I'm definitely noticing that certain threads bring up a pack of people who are more intent that NO ONE should ever pull their kid out of school than actually working out the posters circumstances and what's appropriate for them.

They’re very well organised aren’t they. I don’t see why it bothers them what other people do. Especially people with vulnerabilities.
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