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Covid

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Original poster

Are you sending child back to nursery in Jan?

46 replies

ActonBell · 28/12/2020 12:13

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!

OP posts:

IntotheWoods84 · 28/12/2020 14:28

We are in almost an identical situation to you. It’s so hard. DH is CEV and we’re watching and waiting. Had our child at home from early March to September and it was really tough to juggle with work. All of our mental health suffered.

New strain is scary and we are in SE. Hoping vaccine will come along soon - he’s priority group 4 so maybe a month or two?

I think we’ll probably send our child into nursery if it’s open. We’ve minimised all other risks - wfh, shopping deliveries, effectively shielding since March. It’s a massive risk but our nursery is pretty good at safety precautions and bubbles. They’ve not had a case since March. It’s such a personal choice though - I would weigh up the risk with your partner’s condition and research around how covid interacts with it, maybe speak with a consultant. You never know how covid will effect you but good to get armed with as much medical insight as you can! Good luck.

Original poster

ActonBell · 28/12/2020 14:39

Thanks @IntotheWoods84 and everyone. I think we’ll speak to DH’s specialist nurses again - they’re very good. It’s a long term rare thing he has so there are a lot of unknowns but they were more optimistic a few months into the pandemic and moved him from CEV to ‘just’ CV on the basis of some early indications that it wouldn’t affect people with his condition as badly as they feared.

We do have a lot of flexibility- projects with long lead times, and fewer fixed commitments during the day than some other roles - but it does all start to build up over time and can quickly feel unmanageable. It’s so hard as it feels like we’re so close to DH being vaccinated and it would be awful if we got it through nursery before then.

Nursery have been very good with their measures and haven’t had any cases since March.

OP posts:

AshGirl · 28/12/2020 14:54

@IntotheWoods84

New strain is scary and we are in SE. Hoping vaccine will come along soon - he’s priority group 4 so maybe a month or two?

We are in the same position and DH is CEV and has been advised to shield as we are Tier 4 in the SE. Cases have gone up rapidly and our local hospital is under a lot of pressure.

Pretty much the only risky thing we do is send DS to pre-school (he was also out for 6 months from March to September) and we would do almost anything to keep him in if we can. He has SEND and needs the specialist support he gets at pre-school.

It's different for everyone but we will prioritise continuity for DS for as long as we can

Meredithgrey1 · 28/12/2020 14:57

Definitely. Not even a question for us.
Not only because I think the benefit outweighs the risk (for us, no vulnerable people in the family), but also because work would not look kindly on us taking her out and expecting allowances to be made (DD is 18 months, if she was at home with us we couldn’t continue to work in the same way) when we could just send her to nursery.

peanutbutterandfluff · 28/12/2020 15:04

No dilemma here, 2 y/o is going as long as he can even though my partner has been re-furloughed. He benefits so much from it.

Spiratedaway · 28/12/2020 15:15

My son going in tomorrow

Vindo · 28/12/2020 15:15

Yes, but no one is CEV. Neither of us can WFH though so the only other option is going to grandparents and it's a bit much for them long term.

Ilovegreentomatoes · 28/12/2020 15:22

I really think there will be a national lockdown soon as SAGE are calling for it and I think all education settings will be shut apart for key worker children.

petiteheat · 28/12/2020 15:27

It's never occurred to me to not send DD to nursery, she will be attending for as long as she's able to. I'm a sahm so I don't need the childcare but I view it as early years education (and a replacement for all the toddler classes which have all closed). We're not cev or particularly at risk, though. We're in Tier 4 so there's not much else going on to allow her to socialise with other dc, and she's an only child, so it would have a huge impact on her development if she couldn't go.

Ilovegreentomatoes · 28/12/2020 15:31

I think parents need to mentally prepare for them to be shut and then it will not be such a shock when it happens.

MarshaBradyo · 28/12/2020 15:33

Better they look at the data and see it wasn’t necessary last time.

No cases so far at our nursery.

Hardbackwriter · 28/12/2020 15:35

@Ilovegreentomatoes

I think parents need to mentally prepare for them to be shut and then it will not be such a shock when it happens.

Erm, ok? The OP is just asking what other people will do, obviously no one will send their child to a nursery that is closed to them so I don't really see the point of your post.

Flev · 28/12/2020 15:36

DD is due to start nursery in January - she desperately needs some contact with other children her own age as its been 9 months now and she's only occasionally encountered another child in a playground. We can't risk her development any longer. It does mean we won't see grandparents even for a walk until they're vaccinated but her needs have to come first now.

Original poster

ActonBell · 28/12/2020 16:12

Thanks again for all the responses. Seems like there is a clear consensus.

Just to underline the dilemma for us is that we are having to weigh the risk to DH against the benefit to DS (with of course work responsibilities also part of the picture). If DH wasn’t vulnerable I would feel more at ease sending him, at least at the moment.

OP posts:

Sitt · 28/12/2020 16:50

@Ilovegreentomatoes

I think parents need to mentally prepare for them to be shut and then it will not be such a shock when it happens.

Thanks for that, anyone would think we hadn’t been living with uncertainty about childcare for the last 9 months or something . Did you manage not to smirk as you typed?

YorkshireIndie · 28/12/2020 17:00

I have to work. I can not work and keep a child entertained. We take as much precaution as we can including wearing masks at drop off and pick up, not going into building but dropping off at the door and LO gets washed when he comes home

InterfectoremVulpes · 28/12/2020 18:21

DD (almost 2) will be going as long as nursery is still open. We both work and she needs the interaction and freedom to run and climb like any toddler.

ConfusedcomMum · 28/12/2020 18:29

I will. My DC had covid 2 weeks ago so I'm guessing there's a very slim chance they'll get it again in the immediate future. They missed the last week of term because of it and I really hope they didn't spread it to anyone else 🙈 (luckily I kept them off due to a runny nose but who knows how long they had it beforehand?). Guess I will find out next week....

Hall84 · 28/12/2020 19:05

My 10 month old is going tomorrow. She loves it and has settled so well since October having only been to a handful of real life groups. I appreciate it's more difficult with a vulnerable family member but our alternative if/when nursery shuts is working in shifts so 5-12/12-7 if our employers can be that flexible. One of us was always on leave last time childcare settings were closed so the thought of managing it does worry me. That said, everyone else has had to.

Tumbleweed101 · 28/12/2020 19:17

I work in a nursery and we’ve had no cases so far. We have done everything possible to minimise the risk to children, parents and staff. It is never going to be completely risk free but I feel the benefit to them in having interaction and friends is worth it. I would probably be wary about children visiting vulnerable family members though if they do go to nursery simply because the virus can present quite mildly in children.

Incrediblytired · 28/12/2020 19:31

We’re in tier 4, both high risk due to underlying health conditions and provide care for two CEV people. So a very similar situation. DD also has a health condition but we are both key workers so a place will be provided for her even if they shut.

I’m worried about it to be honest. Yes she needs social interaction but she also needs parents. A huge dilemma but I’m not sure my work would take kindly to me having her home whilst wfh...which would be unmanageable

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