What would I do about the school run?

[CandleWick4]

So this a theoretical question at the moment. At the moment I am the only person who can take my two DDs to school. No grandparents to help, DH leaves for work before we are even up so it’s just me.
I don’t go out and about much, don’t go to the gym, pubs, cafes etc so chances of me catching the virus will come from the kids and DH. In the event that I do come into contact and would have to self isolate what would that mean for the children? What would you do? Would I have to keep them both home for 2 weeks, would you just walk them to school anyway? It’s been playing on my mind a bit and not sure what the answer would be.

I still took my son to school as I had no one else to take him . There’s no other option for me

Well if you dont go out and you say tou would catch it off the kids or husband, then it wouldnt be just you self isolating

How old are they? Im in this position now and a single parent - self isplating due to close contact. I have to isolate but the kids done and i have to work from home - my support bubble is taking the older DD to school (shes 4) but the baby is staying with me because i dont want to risk my chilsminder having to shut, theoretically he could still go and the childminder could collect from my car.

If your child is old enough you could park the car outside and they could walk into school from there? Maybe with another parent if too young or a TA could collect?

One of my children has just had to isolate, my older child took himself to school. If he was too young to do that I would have called the school and asked for permission to park in the school car park to do the drop off.
Depends on ages of children really. If I didn't drive and had no one else to help then I'm not sure, possibly asked for some leeway to drop children off later so I could walk them there with a mask on when the school run rush was over, if I needed to use public transport then they'd have to have the time off.
Not ideal but we have to do what we have to do.

Keep them at home, get them to walk to school on their own (depending on age) or ask another parent to help.

Or ask DH to temporarily change his work hours.

If you don't go anywhere you could catch the virus it's likely they will have to self-isolate at the same time as you anyway.

@RedskyAtnight

Keep them at home, get them to walk to school on their own (depending on age) or ask another parent to help. Or ask DH to temporarily change his work hours.

If you don't go anywhere you could catch the virus it's likely they will have to self-isolate at the same time as you anyway.

Yeh it’s just a theoretical question because I was thinking about it this morning and suddenly realised I wouldn’t know what to do in that instance. They’re lower primary age so couldn’t go themselves. I suppose I’d either still have to take them or keep them home (I don’t have a support bubble or a neighbour/parent I could ask really)

My plan would be to drive them...I could stop almost opposite school & they could then walk themselves in with me watching (8 & 6 but 8 is a very sensible one!). I’d have to do the same if one of the dc needed to isolate but not the other.

I’d also talk to school & see how they could help eg by letting me drop off a bit earlier or later.

Of course I’d still be breaking the law but it’s important to me they go to school.

In the gov.uk guidance, there is section called Living with Children. It says paraphrase "follow the guidance to the best of your ability, but it may not be possible with children."
That implies to me that you can take them to school, masked up within the guidance. When there is no other alternative.

Easy with kids that age - keep them at home and ask school to provide home learning.

We’d have to talk to the school.

Dd is 6, we have no family here and only recently moved to the area so we don’t know a single soul here, Know no other school parents and the only school with a place for her was 2 miles away, so probably no other local parents anyway.

She’s too young to be allowed by the school to walk through the large entrance and playground on her own and has to be picked up from classroom door.

We’d have to rely on school to get a member of staff to walk her in/out of where we’d parked the car I guess, but that’s varying locations depending how busy it is, sometimes quite a way from the school (school carpark is currently closed and covered in building stuff)

Could your dh change his work hours temporarily?

You wouldn’t be able to take them as you would be in quarantine but your DH would be able to take them.

I would just have to take them. I don’t drive I’d have to walk. I’d ask the school if they’d collect the kids from me at the gate rather than going into the playground and maybe arrange to drop them off slightly later so there would be fewer people around. Sucks but it’s either that or they don’t go to school.

Your husband should.

A lot of single parents are facing this predicament without anyone.

Surely your dh does it. why would you inconvenience school staff etc when you're a 2 parent family

If you have symptoms (or a confirmed infection) then EVERYONE in the household isolates. Kids stay home, dh wfh.

The rules really are quite simple if you dont over complicate them.

Your husband would need to do it.

Taking them yourself and putting others at risk should only be the very last resort, not the easier option so DH doesn’t have to take time off work.

I’m a single parent. No one at all available to take my kids to school. (Too far to walk, too young for buses) I would have to drive my children and let them walk themselves in. In your situation your husband should be taking them.

I'm in the position now only it's 1 of my DC that has to isolate due to contact with a confirmed case in his nursery.

Single parent, I don't drive so can't even drive up to the school & let him out right next to it. We're in a local restrictions area so no mixing of households but even if there was the option, there's no one I could actually ask to take him & collect as the person in my 'support bubble' is vulnerable - can't risk it knowing my youngest could have it but be without symptoms etc.

Keeping 1DC home until the isolation period is over - although battling with the school as apparently they aren't going to authorise it! The other DC gets transport so no issue with him getting to & from school.

@Hercules12

Surely your dh does it. why would you inconvenience school staff etc when you're a 2 parent family

So realistically it would be difficult for DH to change his work hours. Not impossible but difficult. Also not sure what you mean by saying I would inconvenience school staff?

Would also again like to point out this is theoretical and just a wonderment I had.

@Ffsffsffsffsffs

If you have symptoms (or a confirmed infection) then EVERYONE in the household isolates. Kids stay home, dh wfh.

The rules really are quite simple if you dont over complicate them.

The issue was if I’d been in contact with someone who tested positive - not tested positive or had symptoms myself

@Nettleskeins

In the gov.uk guidance, there is section called Living with Children. It says paraphrase "follow the guidance to the best of your ability, but it may not be possible with children." That implies to me that you can take them to school, masked up within the guidance. When there is no other alternative.

Thank you that’s helpful.

Wow. at Boris floundering in response to Keir Starmer! It isn't NHS test and trace, it is private!

And Keir Starmer has said very clearly that he thinks that test and trace should be handed over to public agencies that know what they're doing?

Really sorry, but posted on the wrong thread