Are you taking your dc out of school early for Christmas?

[FestiveFannyGallops]

Mine officially finish on the 18th but I'm taking them out on the 11th to protect myself
(Clinically extremely vulnerable) and my elderly mum who is with us over Christmas. There have been 7 cases in ds's relatively small primary in the last week and at dds' secondary not a week goes by without a year having to isolate. It's been a shit year for everyone and Christmas is the one thing we've had to look forward to. We are in tier 3.
Anyone else doing the same?

No way, but we're not vulnerable and I don't want him missing any more school than necessary.

Nope- not much point here, as both dh and I are teachers and we aren't seeing anyone at Christmas. I can totally understand why people would do this though, if they have elderly, vulnerable relatives who they really need to see.

No, DS is in Y11 so needs to be in school. He finishes on the 16th and we may delay seeing GPs until after 14 days are up.

No. I am not closing my DC away for 2 weeks so that they can see elderly relatives for a day or two. They have already isolated enough this year. I couldn't anyway as I have to work so we are choosing to not see family at Christmas, but I wouldn't do that to my DC anyway.

I do however suspect the choice is going to be taken out of my hands as I suspect there's a chance schools where I am will be closed anyway, which seems a sensible decision to me anyway.

Mine are beyond that now but I wouldn’t. They’ve missed too much already. Christmas doesn’t start on the 11th. You aren’t at greater risk on the 11 than now and your children are currently in school. It feels like encouraging them in playing hooky.

Yes. 3 out of 4 grandparents shielding, havent seen them since summer and it's the only way that we can be safe to see them over the Christmas "window".

No - they need to be in school (particularly if they have already missed lots!). If you're CEV, you're presumably already taking precautions when they are at home - these also need to be made if you're seeing your elderly mother.

Absolutely not. My DC have missed far too much school this year already. Its one Christmas that we shouldn't mix, its not really that difficult for the majority. With the vaccine imminent for the vunerable, it seems silly to take DC out of education for a roast dinner.

Nope. Missed enough school already. We won't be visiting elderly great grandparents

We are bubbled with my mum as we are both single but my dds have hardly seen her since March and they are very close. It's about minimising the risk for us as much as possible as otherwise my mum will spend Christmas alone.

No. DD (primary) is at last at a school where it makes a difference educationally if you go or not. I am not wasting that.

No, but I completely understand people in your position who are.

We won't be mixing over Xmas but, if we were planning to, I would do the same thing.

My.elderly mother has chosen not to come to us at Christmas as DS is coming home from uni in a Tier 3 area. It means she will be alone for Christmas but she prefers that than risking Covid.

My DC have now left school.but if they were still school age there is no way I'd allow them to miss more school.

Mine are home isolating until Wed 16th due to cases in their classes. I’m not sending them back for the last 2 days. Not planning to see anyone indoors over Christmas but would like to be able to go outside for walks at least.

No but fair enough in your position

No, as have missed enough school already this year.

I'm cev but given that DD needs to do her GCSEs I am just crossing my fingers every day that she's not bringing it home. Like a Covid advent calendar...

January will be more risky after the Xmas get togethers. I just hope the pressure on the hospitals mean I can get my ongoing chemo slots. They're already stretched because the wards have to be socially distanced.

Sorry didn't mean to kill the thread! As you were folks

I am not but I can understand if people are, and I am usually very hot on not taking holidays in school time. DS’s class are currently self isolating, the other class in his year started today, and I am very aware that when he goes back later this week it is entirely possible that between then and the end of term they might have to start self isolating again - and that will be over Christmas. We are making plans in case this happens so it would not be a complete disaster but it would be a shame not to see our family.

I was thinking about it. But son is in year 11. He was supposed to do mock exams last week but they shut the year for 2 weeks. They'll be back for the last week and school have moved some mocks to that week, so he really needs to go and do them.

I think I'll let them miss the last half day. Seeing family on Boxing Day and I know we'll not manage 14 days isolation but can't help thinking every day we can isolate will make me less worried. I'm a secondary teacher and I've just had covid and DC are both at secondary.

No, because my CEV husband is already exposed by living with our school child. We will however be keeping her home for the first week back and have negotiated an authorised absence for this.

Thinking of doing the same for the same reasons (my mother is on her own and too far away to just pop by, we want to be able to get her to come and stay with us for a week over Christmas). The last time we were able to do this was in August where it was easier for my household to isolate for 2 weeks before we brought her to stay with us for a few weeks over the summer holidays.

It means a lot to her to come and stay but it means a compromise from us - isolating before we see her...I feel pretty bad having to take my son out of school but the alternative is a very unhappy mother.

I imagine the school won't be supportive of this choice and I expect we will be fined.

Definitely not.

No because if I did we would all have to stay in the house 24/7 until Xmas which really isn’t worth it as far as I am concerned
I would rather have at least some fun in the run up to it than sacrifice everything for 1 day