Are you sending child back to nursery in Jan?

[ActonBell]

We’re facing the dilemma again of whether to send DS (3.5) to nursery or keep him home given rising cases and the new variant. We’re in a tier 3 area, DH is clinically vulnerable because of underlying conditions. We both work full time but fully flexible hours. At the moment both working from home. DH has Fridays off and works a weekend day instead.

In the first lockdown it was just about manageable but in that situation the decision was made for us as nursery was closed. We actually took him out one week before lockdown as we were getting concerned.

This time DH thinks we should keep him in because DS is so settled and happy in his regular routine. I think with the new variant and DH being vulnerable we need to be more cautious. The trouble is, if we take him out now he could be out for months again and I’m not sure how we will cope.

Interested to hear what others are doing. Thanks!

Not clinically vulnerable here but I am 7.5 months pregnant. Definitely going back if they're open!

Definitely but not cv

Defo going back. He has never been happier and they have had no cases and are managing it well.

I'm 7 months pregnant and DH has asthma- we will probably send DS back for now but keeping a close eye on cases. We will pull him out if necessary (even though as key workers we would be eligible to send him in still even if nurseries did shut)

Our situation is very similar to yours- not CV but both DH and I are higher risk due to underlying health issues. We pulled DS out a week before the first lockdown.

If the nursery is open, we will send him. Firstly because working around childcare was really hard. But more importantly because DS found it really tough being isolated (only child)- he actually sobbed through loneliness at some points. He’s so happy being with his friends again. He’s also starting school in September and I’d like him to benefit from all the lovely developmental activities he will do at pre-school before then. We can try our best at home, but it’s not the same.

I'm really worried about this and don't know what to do. I'm CEV and with this new variant being more transmissible between children I really don't know what to do. Stats a week ago showed 27% of cases in my region were new variant. Yesterday I saw it has gone up to 45%.

No choice, there’s no way we’d be able to keep working with the little one at home, so yes.

We're in the same position and my almost 4yo has been home since the beginning of November because they had cases in his nursery group. We've been talking with the nursery manager who's been amazing, and the original plan was to send him back after the holidays, but since the new strain happened I started having doubts. We will definitely send him back in the spring, but maybe keep an eye on the cases for a couple of weeks in Jan to see where we are.

We are really lucky as I don't really work (have some freelance work that I can do in the evenings), so I can play with my son all day, but he would benefit from being with other kids, so I would love for him to be able to return soon.

My almost 3yo has a rare genetic condition that has her on the ECV list but even her consultant agreed it was over zealous for the condition to be included. So in the past we've just taken sensible precautions.

That said she wasn't in nursery then and I couldn't in good conscience send her back at the moment. We are tier 4, cases have gone from 116 per 100k to 619 per 100k in 6 weeks. I also have two primary aged kids so I'm kind of hoping the decision is taken out of my hands and the government close the schools.....

In Scotland, so it's out of my hands, as they have been forced to close until at least the 18th Jan.

However, I would send him in otherwise. The nursery have made a lot of changes to minimise the risk. I also felt that he was a bit neglected between WFH and home schooling of his older sibling last time. Finally, it's impossible to facilitate a zoom social life for a 3yo in the same way as you can for an older child.

I am really hoping his nursery does go back on the 18th.

Definitely sending ours back because we can't work properly with them home.

I'm also a manager and whilst I obviously understand if people have no childcare due to being required to isolate and am effectively giving people masses of extra paid leave, if you chose not to use childcare that was available I'd be less sympathetic and definitely expect normal output. If you can manage that though, it's up to you!

It’s a real dilemma isn’t it? It would be so hard to manage with work but we did just about manage last time. We’re very lucky in that we have flexible and understanding employers.

He would miss the social aspect hugely if he doesn’t go back. Up until he turned 3 I wouldn’t have said there was much difference for him but since he went back after lockdown 1 we’ve seen how much he loves playing with other children. He comes out bouncing every day.

A further added complication is that I may be pregnant... we’re not sure what’s going on at the moment. I may have miscarried but may not and I can’t get any clarity until I speak to the GP.

So, we could have DH who is CV and me in early pregnancy. But trying to work full time whilst looking after a 3 year old in the first trimester sounds like an absolute nightmare.

I am on maternity leave. We would cope without nursery but he has benefited so much from this past term and they have managed the situation well. I will send him as long as they will take him

Yep, I'll be sending ds without a doubt. We are tier 3, new baby due in a month, I don't know how I will cope if they close. Ds is so sociae, it was like a lost version of himself in March - june

If they are open DD will be there without hesitation, we need to work and she loves it. I can’t work effectively with DD at home and I’m the main earner. DH works shifts so he could possibly do some childcare but not much.

I’ll be sending DD; I’m on maternity leave so I don’t have to but it does her so much good and she’d miss it so much.

Yup. But no vulnerable people in the house

We'll be sending our nearly 4 year old in until (if) they close. There hasn't been a case in her preschool room yet, but I'm sure this is only a matter of time.

I am 6 months pregnant and we both are WFH at the moment, but it was so difficult to work effectively in the first lock down and DD missed social interaction so much.

She's already a bit restless and talking about her friends at nursery and she's only been off since Xmas eve!

Will your employer be as understanding as last time if you're now making the choice rather than forced to have them at home? I would send them in, DS will be going as long as they're open, I can't cope for long with WFH and looking after him, and have a sinking feeling they might shut at some point.

Yes my 4 year old will be going back to preschool. I teach in a secondary school so am more likely to catch it from there anyway. His social development is important and staying home would be a disaster for him.

Yes, because I feel the benefit to my child and to us as a family outweighs the risk. However rates are relatively low around us and our nursery has been almost entirely untouched by Covid so far. I think if I felt the virus was out of control locally and there was a high risk of him (and therefore us) contracting it, I might reconsider. Even then it still wouldn’t be entirely clear cut though.

I'm intending to send my DS and I think he is classed as vulnerable even if they do close. The detriment to him by being off is worse than the risk to our health

Im definitely sending my 3.5 year old back, hes going stir crazy already and only been off a week.
Hes so sociable and misses his friends and truly loves going, he came on so well when he went back in june. And im already worrying about if he will be ready for school in September hes a little behind on a couple of things
Husband is on furlough at the moment so he could stay at home if cases got really bad. Touch wood the nursery has fairly untouched so far, a couple of positive cases and near misses but nothing in his group.

That said said none of us are cv, im high risk but i work in a hospital pharmacy so for me theres exposure either way

I will definitely be sending DD (4 in March). She only does 2 mornings a week anyway but she needs that time socialising with other kids.

Assuming they're open we'll be sending him at the beginning of January as we'll both be working. Work were pretty nice about it all in the first lockdown but can't imagine they'd be impressed if I just voluntarily stopped having childcare and also DH was home then and won't be now until schools close. I start maternity leave midway through Jan so we could re-evaluate then but I'm very reluctant to stop him going even when we don't need childcare as I really don't want to disrupt his routine around the time the new baby comes unless I have to.