Christmas - Is two weeks enough?

[wondersun]

I’m seeing a lot about breaking up early for school and leaving two weeks clear before Christmas (so that people can visit family worry free).

I just can’t help worrying that two weeks isn’t enough.

Given children are more likely to be asymptomatic (I think - compared to adults?) it seems like too much of a risk still.

For example they could start asymptomatically shedding the virus on day 7 and then another 14 days incubation would be required to give the rest of the family time to show their symptoms?

I know it reduces risks but if everyone is doing this up and down the country, then the consequences will add up.

Surely 3-4 weeks is the required amount of time?

Had to share my thoughts - if you’re thinking of an early departure from school I reckon it is worth considering 3/4 weeks in advance of Christmas if you can.

The 14 days is the time needed for that particular child to safely go back to school, it doesn’t take account of asymptomatic transmission within the family.

Isn’t four weeks til the Christmas hols basically now, though?
I work in a school and we break up on the 18th dec this year.

Honestly people who are doing this make me so mad

Complaining about kids missing school for months on end and then taking them out to enjoy a few days of freedom

Just wait like everyone else

Or make compromises

I also think it’s really selfish of parents - what child wants to miss out on those final weeks with all their mates so they can have dinner one day with their grandparents

So selfish

I’d much rather my kids have that massive build up and have limited contact with gps til later

I don’t think any kid would choose that given a choice

I couldn’t tho k of anything worse for my 4 year old then making her isolate from her friends for 4 weeks. She has had enough time away from her peers.

You’re suggesting children should miss another 4 weeks of school in order to see people for a few days at Christmas? Bonkers.

I’d much rather my kids have that massive build up

In school? No massive build up happening. No singing, no performances, no parties. We're having Xmas lunch, that's it. Also Lots of staff are even more on their knees than usual this year, with continued expectations of progress from children. We'll be cracking the whip until the end.

Is that much isolation really worth it for one day/a few days over Christmas for most people (I accept it’s different in circumstances of terminal illness etc)? Especially if there are more restrictions in January too. We will just be seeing family at Easter and over summer instead.

I just can’t help worrying that two weeks isn’t enough.

Which is more important - turkey or their education? If the former, then you are right, you should withdraw them from school now and not let them go back until they are 18.

I get that Rule I guess I just mean the build up or being excited for Xmas

I mean if kids stuff starts again on 2n d Dec my dds will still do a virtual Xmas dance show, schools still doing Xmas lunch, axman’s market in school and even without that just seeing their mates for two weeks beats visiting the gps for a day for most kids

Nobody can visit family worry free unless they literally lock themselves in their house for a month and never leave or mix with anyone - what’s the point?

Just skip Christmas for one year ffs it won’t kill you

I am unable to see my dad at Christmas as I work in a school, plus have a year 7 & 2 at uni. My mum passed away in May & my dad is struggling in the run up to Christmas which has always been a big family celebration with my mum at the heart of it. I wish to be able to see my dad to help get him through it. We are aiming to see him at New Year when at least it will be 2 weeks since I & my youngest will have been at school. We’re just desperately hoping we won’t be back in full lockdown at this point.
Many people with children at school have been having to stay away from grandparents. Personally I think schools should do online from Monday 14th.

DS' education comes first, and we'll see our family via Zoom. It's safer and we can celebrate in the summer when everyone has been vaccinated.

I don't understand the need to take risks for an arbitrary day.

Reading this I am honest beginning to wonder why some people bothered having kids in the first place.

@irispurple What do you mean? Parents and children are almost always in the same bubble so Lockdown shouldn't prevent parents and children ie under 18s being together

4 weeks off school for a bloody turkey dinner? The world has gone completely insane!!!

Recent research says that most people are most contagious just after showing symptoms. Asymptomatic people seem to be contagious for less time than symptomatic people. So your example is wrong anyway.

Plus, it's one year, they can have a nice Christmas next year if we don't infect all the old people.

You’re right in that two weeks means nothing in terms of protecting the people those taking kids out of school are planning to visit. They also don’t seem to be considering the other side of their Christmas plans, unless everyone involved in their big Christmas plans is also isolating for several weeks before or after Christmas then all they’re really doing is increasing the risks for everyone once everyone goes back to school/work. It’s a selfish plan in so many ways. I’d much rather my kids were enjoying the build up to Christmas with their friends than stuck at home for weeks on end. (Our school is doing a fair bit of festive build up, different to usual but still plenty of fun)

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

I’d much rather my kids have that massive build up

In school? No massive build up happening. No singing, no performances, no parties. We're having Xmas lunch, that's it. Also Lots of staff are even more on their knees than usual this year, with continued expectations of progress from children. We'll be cracking the whip until the end.

My kids school are still doing their Xmas parties in their bubbles. They are also doing a performance and it's being recorded for us. The only thing they've said is no Xmas cards. Why can't they do the normal things in their bubbles? I'm a teacher too but on maternity and know my school are doing the same. As close to normal as possible

@Coasterfan

4 weeks off school for a bloody turkey dinner? The world has gone completely insane!!!

Couldn't have put it better myself. Ffs.

Our local primary scholl has announced its closing a week early and will goto online teaching, the register will be taken each morning and non attendance will be classed as an absence. My friend is fuming, she is a single parent so now needs to try and sort out child care for the week before Christmas - her employer wont allow her any holiday.

All those if you considering taking your children out if school early to protect relatives you see over Christmas. Are you going to offer the same compassion to your children’s teachers and keep them home isolating for 14 days afterwards so they don’t pass on the virus to their teachers when they go back, after you’ve mixed with all and sundry? Best you’re not!

Bet you’re not, not best.

I think maybe the point of my post has got misunderstood - probably my fault for typing tired!

I wasn’t seeking to debate whether or not people should prioritise school or Christmas. I think I’ve seen a few posts on this.

It’s been a difficult year and I think people’s circumstances are all too different for me to comment. Some parents may even be able to educate their own children for a couple of weeks. Some parents may feel that their children’s mental health will benefit from the break. It’s a whole other debate in short!

I’m posting from the starting point that parents making the decision have their children’s best interest at heart and that everyone’s lives are different.

My concern is that 2 weeks is the length of time needed before a child can return to a bubble after isolation. It falls short in terms of asymptomatic transmission in the home between family members.

My example is correct, a child could be incubating the virus days 1-6 and then shed it asymptomatically. Yes the viral load might be lower but we tend to hug our kids! Then parents could be infectious but not displaying symptoms around day 14.

Whether or not you agree, some people will want to see family. I don’t think 14 days would offer as much protection as people would perhaps hope for. So if you’re going to do it anyway, maybe consider a few more days.

Any parent who does this is downright cruel, IMO. Keeping your children home without even a walk outside for nearly a month just so you can spend Christmas Day the way you want to. Awful awful.

Absolute madness. I have two young children, and we will be hunkering down for Christmas in our little unit ourselves without imposing a lockdown on them unnecessarily or risking our elderly relatives. It's a no brainer imo. I honestly don't understand why people have lost all common sense for one day of the year.

I think there are lots of reasons and I also think people would maybe be opting for lots of outdoor fun and nature rather than keeping their children couped up indoors for four weeks.

Purely posted as concerned that two weeks is not enough.

I think debating people’s reasons for wanting a proper isolation free break (not necessary for Christmas) could probably be the topic on another thread.

Is anyone else worried about people meeting up after just two weeks out of school.