To dread homeschooling

[Johan23]

I’m in Scotland where the schools don’t go back to the 11th, and for a week it will be remote learning (I imagine it will be longer). In the last lockdown my son was still at nursery, so we didn’t have to homeschool.

It was still a freaking nightmare working from home as he wanted our attention all of the time.

Our work is going through a ridiculously busy period, and we are all expected to just “get on with it”. But, I am totally stressing as I really can’t bear to go through all this juggling again.

You really don't need to worry about homeschooling for a p1 for one week.

I hear you, we have 2 and 5 year old, last time was an utter nightmare. Know you are not alone, millions of parents are in sane position Employers don't have any option but to be understanding.

I’m in England but can’t see them keeping the schools open to the same extent if it spreading so much. Have three children in the nursery/infants/juniors age range and the last lockdown broke me. I shudder remembering it, staying sane, looking after the children and getting work done. It just didn’t work as a thing, the kids suffered and I dread it.

I don't know if it's any consolation but I'm already feeling incredibly anxious so much so I feel sick. I'm not usually an anxious person but the thought of going through the same again is horrendous.

I can handle a week. But it's the indefiniteness for no discernible reason (cases are so low here). If it is a risk for primary children they need to tell us. If they're just covering their arses for the Christmas fuck up then that's indefensible.

Last time my husband WFH on a morning then me in the afternoon. Then we both worked 8pm to whenever in the evenings. It was horrible but it worked. We managed to do the bits of our jobs that needed immediate contact with other people in our daytime ‘shift’.

I, like you OP, an sceptical that schools will return on the 18th but on the other hand they will need to allow some way of parents being able to work considering not as many will be working from home or furloughed this time around and not everyone just has AL to take or can afford to take unpaid leave indefinitely

Well we are in tier 2 will a low number of cases. In the two schools my children attend only 3 cases and open fully from September.

Today they send an email out saying no return in years 7 - 10 unless KW - what the heck! What are they playing at. I could understand if tier 4 or high number of infections or high number of bubbles bursting.... it's so wrong.

I am in KW group and even then had to reply by noon today to secure a place for children from Jan 5th - so exactly what are the teachers going to be doing. I'm sure the gardens don't need attention since weather pretty grim - it feels like they just cannot be bothered to work. The rest of us cannot just shut up shop - I mean it's not even a high infection rate area.

@SkySports my area of Scotland just moved to level 1 last week, neither the primary or secondary my DC attend have had any cases since their return in august yet here we are with schools closed and plunged straight to level 4

I'm in England so officially not been notified of primary closures yet, but if this happens again, I will have to focus on my job, which whilst it isn't a key worker role, is relevant to the COVID effort (pharmaceutical related). Whilst i do my job, I will need to put my trust in DD's school to do theirs, and provide something approaching an adequate online education, despite them having failed so spectacularly to do this last time.

I think this is the nuance that is ignored so often in the schools open/closed threads....I don't need school to provide childcare and I'm very happy having DD at home. I do need school to provide the education that she is entitled to, in a format that doesn't require me to teach whilst also doing a full time job of my own.

@Johan23

I’m glad I’m not the only one dreading this. A few of my friends are sending their kids to grandparents or working part time: I’m technically part time (32 hours per week), but lately have been working 40 hours a week due to a big project

Indeed, lots will be sending them to vulnerable grandparents so parents can work .... so schools close and sacrifice the elderly instead! Teachers are under 65 so not the age range with the most deaths (over 80's) not even close to it. I have lost all respect for teachers this last year. From the rubbish home schooling attempt in March (weekly email) to a few months back to school for children properly in Sept to this. The school pressurised us not to use KW provision in March since they were short staffed (why exactly since only a handful of kids in) and many of us didn't use it - juggled working hours etc but now I won't and will take that KW space and give them something to do.

I am livid with schools and the rubbish they delivered last time. I wish I could afford private schooling since they at least seem to get zoom classes up and running - our schools says it isn't safe! Another excuse.

[quote AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]@SkySports my area of Scotland just moved to level 1 last week, neither the primary or secondary my DC attend have had any cases since their return in august yet here we are with schools closed and plunged straight to level 4 [/quote]
Oh heck - tier 1 - why on earth close schools then. Stop the pay and furlough the staff then since most not doing anything.

It is so wrong.

I feel for you, and wish I knew what the answer was. My DS has been out of school since March, doing remote zoom learning with his school here in Mexico, with no end to home schooling for the next few months😩. It has driven me crazy and I am in the fortunate position that since August I have been a stay at home mum and don't have to balance work and school. So I have absolutely no idea how to help, but sending flowers 💐 . Is there no one sympathetic in management or HR at your work who you could talk to regarding flexibility over your work and trying to balance everything?

@SkySports honestly I don’t know what is going on anymore and the stress of it all is unbearable wondering whether I’ll be entitled to key worker place this time. I am NHS and DH is agricultural engineer, he wasn’t classed as a key worker in the beginning back in March but then the criteria changed and he was, farmers still need buildings for their animals. Plus there won’t be as many people able to work at home or furloughed this time so it’s going to be a nightmare for lots of
People

@Deliaskis

I'm in England so officially not been notified of primary closures yet, but if this happens again, I will have to focus on my job, which whilst it isn't a key worker role, is relevant to the COVID effort (pharmaceutical related). Whilst i do my job, I will need to put my trust in DD's school to do theirs, and provide something approaching an adequate online education, despite them having failed so spectacularly to do this last time.

I think this is the nuance that is ignored so often in the schools open/closed threads....I don't need school to provide childcare and I'm very happy having DD at home. I do need school to provide the education that she is entitled to, in a format that doesn't require me to teach whilst also doing a full time job of my own.

I agree. I would also add that whatever job the parents have, it doesn’t have to be a “worthy” job to “deserve” a school space for their child. Needing to earn a wage to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table is a more than reasonable motive for wanting to be able to focus on their own job.

[quote AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]@SkySports honestly I don’t know what is going on anymore and the stress of it all is unbearable wondering whether I’ll be entitled to key worker place this time. I am NHS and DH is agricultural engineer, he wasn’t classed as a key worker in the beginning back in March but then the criteria changed and he was, farmers still need buildings for their animals. Plus there won’t be as many people able to work at home or furloughed this time so it’s going to be a nightmare for lots of
People[/quote]
I totally agree with you.

The think is everyone needs the NHS/supermarkets/transport/famers to keep on going. If they shut the schools and don't provide places for KW places then none of the vital services will carry on. So they have to keep schools open or lay off the teachers and pay others to provide childcare and online education. I cannot move forward from how useless our schools were here last time - surely they won't be able to do that again!

@SkySports the government have told secondaries to only open those years to key worker children. Complain about the government!

THIS

Whilst i do my job, I will need to put my trust in DD's school to do theirs, and provide something approaching an adequate online education, despite them having failed so spectacularly to do this last time.

I don't trust mine - they were useless and lazy last time. They need holding to account more if online education goes ahead. I really hope that the good schools that actually bothered to provide effective online teaching and did it well are able to teach the others how to do it.

[quote Tomatoandbasil]@SkySports the government have told secondaries to only open those years to key worker children. Complain about the government![/quote]
The government are also influenced by the constant shouting of unions and teachers saying that they must close or they will drop like flies.... you know all the over the top rubbish that they have spouted for months and months.

The secondaries aren't arguing that they should stay open are they - probably quite happy with them being told to shut to all but KW again. Last time our teachers in our 2 local schools worked 1 out of 3 weeks - I mean seriously furlough them on furlough pay if that's the limit of effort given.

@SkySports it’s only a week of key worker provision to allow the schools to set up mass testing and then close contact testing. Schools aren’t exactly thrilled about having to organise this over the Christmas holidays.

[quote Tomatoandbasil]@SkySports it’s only a week of key worker provision to allow the schools to set up mass testing and then close contact testing. Schools aren’t exactly thrilled about having to organise this over the Christmas holidays.[/quote]
So if only a week why did they say until the 18th in the email? The 5th to the 18th isn't a week!

Are they all doing the week or all different?

I'm not even trying again. DD refuses to even try at home. Being a parent is a relationship, being a teacher is a skilled professional role. Our school don't offer any live lessons and the materials they provide are beyond poor. If they want blended learning they need to do it properly.

My dcs will both be at school. Dd2 is y11 and dd3 in year 6. I couldn’t cope with homeschooling dd3, some of the work is even beyond me.

In Wales the online provision in the latest closures was just as awful as March-July.

I'm in England & dreading them announcing that primaries and nurseries may close again. Last time PIL couldn't help out either so DH & I had to juggle wfh with looking after DC (then 5 & 2). It was dire & exhausting. We both managed the bare minimum as we couldn't work either of our full hours - we had very understanding employers - but just felt we were doing a shit job at everything from work to parenting to homeschooling. The school is great when they're in but the work provided was just paper based sheets & suggested activities. There were no online lessons at all - the one online zoom call they attempted towards the end was utter carnage!
DD has been back at school since June & no cases at her school at all. Whilst cases are rising, we're in the South West so have been one of lowest rate areas throughout.
You're not alone!

What makes it worse is that my DC school was catching children up who had fell behind the last time and were still trying to do this up until they broke up for Xmas on Friday so they could be back to square one