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?

@QueenieButcher

Surprised that no one has mentioned the emotional upheaval on children and teens - even tiny children know that we mustn't go near others to keep safe - and older children have have the frighteners put on them over Christmas with awful news about a mutant virus at every turn and not even able to go anywhere or see grandparents or friends for the whole holidays (here in Tier 4) for fear of catching something - but then we expect them to go into school in January like nothing has happened and just get on with it? Is it any wonder than some children with struggle with that mixed messaging and feel extremely worried and stressed about going back into the classroom and the possibility of bringing something home to people they love?

I don't know anyone who frightens their children like you describe. We only saw my grandmother outside this Christmas. Going back to school my teen only has me to bring it home to, I'm in my thirties with no covid risk factors and I've already had it. DS understands the difference between giving it to an elderly person and a healthy adult.

I would support a short national lockdown including schools but I wouldn't want to see them closed for more than a couple of weeks. I'm not worried for the health of my dc as things stand, but I do think teaching staff should be vaccinated quickly and vulnerable families should be able to homeschool if they wish. The South African variant concerns me and my opinion would definitely change if this took hold in the UK and was proven to cause more severe illness in children.

I’d be more worried if they closed

It’s a travesty that people think school and socialisation can be shelved for a disease which has no impact on 99.9999999% of children

Anyway, both mine have had it.
One had a fever for approx. 5 hours. The other had a ‘bit of a hangover’ for a day (also asthmatic).

It’s not a dangerous disease of any description for children. In fact more children will have died due to suicide because of lockdowns than covid. For those that are worried, what is it you are worried is going to happen?

I’m sure it is but The risk of a child a) catching covid at school b) then passing it onto their parent c) that parent then dying, is incredibly tiny.

I don't think you understand risk.

Your chances of being in a car accident are small. If you drive fast on the highway, they are no longer 'incredibly tiny'. If everyone drives fast on the highway, they are not remotely 'incredibly tiny'.

But keep telling yourself that if it helps you.

@OppsUpsSide and you dear are entitled and rude! Don’t dish what you cannot take... I reacted to a comment.

Many parents in this country see schools as a free child minding service.***

The harsh reality is it’s a shit situation ALL round. People need money what would you rather a job loss or a risky job?

“Many parents in this country see schools as a free child minding service”

This comment really tops it. The bloody cheek there’s plenty of teachers having to send their OWN kids to school in order to get to work like the rest of US!

Go get a job in ASDA if your so hard done by!

@ZenNudist

No. Risk negligible. Not being in school much more worrying. All the hand wringing about teachers could get it. Teachers can accept risk to supermarket workers, nurses, doctors, bus drivers, bin men, i.e. anyone who has been working through the pandemic. Teachers just as necessary. Most of my friends who work in school understand this. I do understand that they would rather not be in school if vulnerable thats reasonable, otherwise the risks to younger healthy teachers also negligible.

The thing with teachers, you see, is that

-they don't have PPE

• no social distancing
• 30 - 35 kids in the class (with no masks probably)
• secondary kids 2.5% positive, highest % of any age group in the UK
• hours and hours of face to face exposure daily

Government figures actually suggested that teachers have equivalent or higher infection rates to other key workers (including frontline NHS workers). Possibly higher as the figures for teachers were collected over 6 weeks and the other figures over 8 weeks.

Added to all this, we now have a more infectious (?70% more according to the headlines) virus that may affect children more re transmission and possibly symptoms.

Face it, this isn't great.

It’s a disease that Over 99% of people will survive. So my other worries are more pressing.

I’m sick of seeing this 99% number. Someone the other day put that in to context. If I gave you 100 smarties and told you one of them would kill you, would you still eat one?

For those that are worried, what is it you are worried is going to happen?

Oh just turn on the news. Or google public health.

Personally, I'm concerned that health services won't be available for my children's other conditions and like many others, there are various conditions within the family.

[quote Maryann1975]@Sparklestar1
If you think teachers are the bottom rung of the ladder, you should try early years. I think we come even lower and as the majority of us work in the private sector, we don’t even have the benefit of knowing we will get paid if we or someone in our household catches COVID or has to isolate.[/quote]
I never said teachers are the bottoms rung of the ladder. I think the teachers are doing an amazing job and particularly proud of the way the teachers have handled key worker club during lockdown and also kids going back to school. Due to all there efforts and sticking to guidelines and putting great procedures in place my children’s school didn’t have a single Covid case when they went back to school up until Christmas break. It’s scary for teachers not knowing what the families of other children have been up to and putting them at risk but we can’t lock everyone away forever. I worry about the impact on my children mentally. They are 4 and 7 and social distancing etc is their normality that they find it strange now seeing people close together on tv shows. They have been conditioned and it’s not going to bode well for many children’s mental health now and further down the line.

I’m more worried about their mental health - particularly yr 7 dd who has lost the last few weeks of primary school and transitioned into senior without the support usually in place. Almost all extra curricular clubs have stopped and she can’t see any of her friends. She used to be busy every single night after school playing instruments, drama clubs, sports clubs etc etc and now she’s disappeared into her phone. Who knows if she’ll ever get back to where she was?

For a virus that is less likely to kill her than a bus.

Yes that’s right let the old people do whatever they want and lock down the kids...so long as we protect the elderly.

Not in the slightest bit worried, no.

I think most people would if there was a guarantee of it only being a short period. However the fundamental issue is that no country in Europe (maybe the world) has managed a successful exit from lockdown.

Calm down love you’ll give yourself a hernia

@Maryann1975 Absolutely agree. No one ever mentions early years in these threads.

I am more worried about my youngest DDs asthmatic childminder than I am about the staff at school tbh. She helps my daughter wipe her bottom ffs and changes the nappies of the babies in her care.

She doesn’t want to close because it is her livelihood. There is no pay for her if early years closes, no home learning. I have asked her if I should consider a nursery instead and she won’t hear it.

@OppsUpsSide

Calm down love you’ll give yourself a hernia

fuck off

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

Many parents in this country see schools as a free child minding service.

I've always seen it as a service to educate my child, which I pay for through taxes

I know. If I was looking for childcare, I would want all three children in the same place. From 8-6pm. Food all provided. Fun activities. 52 weeks of the year. Except holidays.

I send my children to school because I want them to be educated.

Oh and now we have a vaccine I do think teachers should be second in line after NHS staff.

@herecomesthsun bit unnecessary but if it makes you feel any better 🤷🏻‍♀️

@MintyMabel

It’s a disease that Over 99% of people will survive. So my other worries are more pressing.

I’m sick of seeing this 99% number. Someone the other day put that in to context. If I gave you 100 smarties and told you one of them would kill you, would you still eat one?

and if you personally had a higher risk of dying? what would be ok? 5%? 10%? 15%?

that is the situation for people who were shielding

Definition of gaslighting right there.

[quote OppsUpsSide]@herecomesthsun bit unnecessary but if it makes you feel any better 🤷🏻‍♀️[/quote]
it makes me feel a lot better telling covidiots to fuck off thanks

And why aren't more of you concerned about getting long Covid?

You should be.

Mumsnet is SO poor at anticipating (except Brexit prepping, you were very good at that). In March, people were asking 'should I go on holiday?' and screeds of folk were saying 'Yes, why shouldn't you?'. Why fucking shouldn't you. Perish the thought you should alter your plans to shirk a global pandemic.

As for children's mental health, I very much doubt there will be a psychiatrist available to treat children's mental health once the mental impact from bereavements, long covid and NHS workers' trauma have made their way through the system.

This is about schools providing childcare, in the main. Vulnerable children (unlikely to have mothers on MN) are not excluded from school during lockdowns.

@herecomesthsun I didn’t think she would have a sensible comeback... the audacity wanting parents to be on a reduced wage BUT wait why don’t teachers give up their jobs or change to a lower role

I’m guessing it’s not as easy as that and they probably want to keep their usual salary!

@MintyMabel

It’s a disease that Over 99% of people will survive. So my other worries are more pressing.

I’m sick of seeing this 99% number. Someone the other day put that in to context. If I gave you 100 smarties and told you one of them would kill you, would you still eat one?

That is such a crap way to assess the risk.

If you are over 80, have 2 co-morbidities then the Smartie analogy might just work, but also the IFR is 0.4% overall, not 1% (and obviously is very different across the age groups)

The majority of people who are dying of Covid are very sick and old. Not children

@herecomesthsun you do realise my comment was in response to Littleyell who had tagged me in a comment?