Those wanting school open - are you not worried about your DC?

[Hicksville21]

Just that really. Do you not think it’s time to keep our kids home safe until this wave passes?

Nope. Far more worried about DD’s mental health and exam prospects at NOT being at school.

@Armi

For those who always use a child’s mental health as a bargaining tool on these threads, I would point out, from personal experience, that it’s significantly more catastrophic for your mental health to lose a parent than to miss school for a period of time. I would imagine the mental health implications are even more terrible if the child is the source of the infection that kills or disables their parent.

It’s also pretty tough on mental health to have your teacher die, or be extremely poorly.

Plus, it’s a pandemic. Schools won’t be shut for shits and giggles. Get some perspective.

But if you take the stance that it's best to keep your kids home to protect them from losing a parent, you'd need to fully lock yourself down too, to be consistent. So no more supermarket trips, no more support bubbles, no trips out to anywhere you can't guarantee social distancing, etc. Is it worth doing that?

@BunaBoom I had a further look at the 'facts' you posted and they are of course wrong. This paper includes a list of the preexisting conditions and they are indeed the conditions you would expect.

[quote donewithitalltodayandxmas]@BunaBoom thats shocking I mean fractured bone ? I always thought underlying condition was things like diebetes , heart failure that kind of thing not a fractured bone or a fall [/quote]
It is. She is wrong. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/942091/Summaryyreportethnicityyand_comorbidity.pdf

@Crazycatlady83 a bit off topic, but it's not possible to catch shingles from someone with chickenpox. Shingles is the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, which lies dormant in your body after infection.

You can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles though, so it may have been coincidence, or she may have given it to you rather than the other way round.

Nope. Dont send your kids if you are worried but dont question others who want to.

I’m terrified of schools closing. The March lockdown was horrendous for my youngest dc and subsequently for the rest of us. Her school were absolutely shit, despite her being vulnerable, we had no contact with them for 2 months. I’ve had various other parents saying they had no contact from school at all from March to July, except a couple of emails with arrangements for September. That is unforgivable.

The alternative to school for many children is not great. Despite being vulnerable, dds school didn’t check on us at all for 2 months. How many children were neglected during the spring/summer and just had to get on with it. With no one checking they were ok and giving them something positive to think about.

My children are highly privileged to have devices for them to use, we can provide WiFi and quiet spaces for them to learn. A warm, comfortable home with plenty of food and Dh and I have enough education to help if they are stuck (not degree level, but can manage). Until every child has that, schools need to stay open.

However, if parents wish to deregister their children and home educate, that is an option (I’ve always believed in home education if it works for the family). I believe oak academy is still running? I don’t think it should be up to the schools to provide online lessons to children in this instance, but schools should be funded at pre pandemic levels if numbers drop.

So, to answer your question, no I am not worried about sending my dc to school and will send them as key worker children if they do close the school to the majority (but I’ve also spoken to lots of other key workers who ‘managed’ last time, but in the event of another closure, will take up a key worker place).

Nope. Not worried. Schools need to be open.

BunaBoom Is there a reference for this other than somebodies Twitter account?

I would point out, from personal experience, that it’s significantly more catastrophic for your mental health to lose a parent than to miss school for a period of time.
Demonstrating how awful a lot of people are at risk assessment. The likelihood of the child bringing home COVID, passing it on and that leading the the death of their parent is, in the vast majority of cases, minuscule compared to the impact on schools being closed for an extended period of time again.

I’m so torn on this, but I do think the head teachers should have a lot more discretion on which staff are in school and which children, I am shocked to see staff with health conditions and over 60 mixing all day with 30 children and no PPE.

I’m a lone working parent and whilst my daughter was at home with me in the last lockdown (trying to do my bit) being out of school had such a bad affect on my daughter that her class teacher suggested that if schools close again I use a key worker place for her (which I can lawfully do) as during lockdown she developed anxiety and returning to school has been really hard for her. I am really worried about the health of school staff and think head teachers shoots be able to decide if and when to switch to online lea based on cases in the school and staff levels. It shouldn’t be decided in a national level . It’s outrageous that the department for education is dictating to local authorities and schools who are best placed to judge

As healthy children no I'm not, extremely low risk to children.
I am extremely worried about their education and mental health though.

Nah not at all, little fuckers.

Ignoring the deliberately wide eyed title however, of course I worry for them. But weighing up the odds, I am happy for them to be in school. They are happy to be in school (and nursery). The chances of them being properly ill are negligible.

And before anyone comments, I work in their school. I spend my mornings with a 9 yr old sat on my lap and my afternoons with 27 of them clambering round me. It is what it is.

Not about COVID. Children are less likely to catch it and if they do they shrug it off.

What I am worried is the effect on their education, well-being, mental and physical health from not attending school.

No. The difference in their mental health and happiness being in school compared to when they were at home with me full time is worth the risk. As a family we have no underlying health conditions so I’ll keep them in school as much as possible. They just didn’t thrive as much when they weren’t in school, learning and socialising. I completely underestimated how much they need it in their lives which was an eye opener for me. I have always appreciated their teachers but do so even more now.

@Madeupwithit

Nope. Not worried. Schools need to be open.

and if they close?

how long for

I’m more worried about their education, life chances and mental health. My dd2’s primary school didn’t have any cases from Sept-Dec. And dd1’s secondary school did really well (2 cases) until the last 2 weeks. Once we come out of lockdown, everything will just rise again - lockdown is there to buy hospitals some time not a long term solution to preventing them from getting it. I think the mass testing in schools is definitely what is needed and I hope it’s given an opportunity to be tried although reluctantly accept schools may need to shut to buy the nhs some time, I just hope it’s not too long.

I'm far more worried about their education and mental health.

I want them to have good outcomes and chances in life, they get this by being in formal education, having a daily routine outside of the home and being with friends.

Don't accuse me of wanting free childcare. Agree it's such a tedious attitude.

@GintyMcGinty

Not about COVID. Children are less likely to catch it and if they do they shrug it off.

What I am worried is the effect on their education, well-being, mental and physical health from not attending school.

not worried about the teaching staff? extra workloads for them compensating for their colleagues being off etc

Good to see common sense and a good understanding of the statistical risks prevailing on this thread. The ones talking about a parent dying, or a child making someone else in the family ill seem to ignore that children lose parents and infect their elderly relatives all the time and have done so frequently before Covid existed. But it never occurred to them before to keep their kids out of school to avoid those risks...

No, I'm not

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

So this thread started out specifically as 'Are you not worried for your children'. Then, when lots of people explained why this was silly, the goalposts shifted to 'Are you not worried your children may infect you'.

Which is a completely different question.

Well yes and no.

The discussions around this often focus on the direct risk to children which appears to be small (as far as we know, we obviously don't know potential long term risks yet).

A lot of us are really worried about the return of schools, but about the indirect risks, which could be really severe for children as losing a parent/s while you are still at school is shit for your education.

Also, I would prefer covid to be well managed by the government for the sake of the children whose lives will be greatly impacted by living in a society with a dysfunctional health service etc.

But if you take the stance that it's best to keep your kids home to protect them from losing a parent, you'd need to fully lock yourself down too, to be consistent.

Not a reasonable comparison at all, if you are a CEV parent with lung damage in a pandemic with a new pathogen that specifically targets the lungs. In that situation you would want to avoid the pathogen.

There are a lot of families who were shielding, we do not want our children to permanently lose their school places, neither do we want to get ill/die before we can be vaccinated.

No, I'm much more concerned for his education and mental health. DS is in year 10, so GCSE exams next school year, he won't be missing a day unless sent home and will be in as a keyworker child on Monday. He's also probably already had it as I have.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

Three and a half pages of responses, and only 7 posters mentioned risk to school staff. Lots of people concerned about themselves having it brought home by their children though. Oh, and one poster who said I do feel sorry for teachers who are anxious for whatever reason

You don't bloody deserve school staff. Selfish.

Well the question was around the children so people answered appropriately to that question. Sorry that we didn't all immediately answer a different question that wasn't even mentioned.

There are hundreds of other threads focusing on teachers.

I’m more worried about the effect on their education and well being and my sanity.