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Original poster

So how the F are we meant to work?

656 replies

Littlewhitedove2 · 30/12/2020 18:25

3 primary age kids. One parent left who won’t leave their house except the shops much less come anywhere near me or the kids. Inlaws in a similar position.
Primary school closed. It won’t be 2 weeks - it will be far longer than that.
Husband full time work.
I work part time as much as I can around school but not critical worker.
How do women work now?

OP posts:
DishedUp · 30/12/2020 20:43

To say no one gives a shit about the impacts of school closures is really unfair.
Schools have been open up to this point, they have stayed open way beyond the point of being safe for teachers.

They have stayed open and we are now in a situation where covid is out of control in some areas of the uk. Where hospitals have no beds. Where surgeries will have been cancelled, including where cancer treatment will be cancelled as theres no beds and no staff. I wish I could take the person who said have covid for a break in hospital around ICU.

The NHS is expected to step up, teachers have been expected to step up. Why the fuck shouldnt other employers be flexible with their staff?

I understand having dc at home is a very difficult situation but right now I dont think theres a choice. Because if theres no hospital beds people will die and not just of covid.

Macaroni46 · 30/12/2020 20:44

Got to laugh!
So many threads clamouring for primary schools to close. The minute it's announced, people are complaining!
For what it's worth, I'm a primary teacher and so relieved that my school is still open.
But the constant flip-flopping of opinion regarding schools being open or closed pisses me off!

Original poster
Littlewhitedove2 · 30/12/2020 20:45

@DishedUp

To say no one gives a shit about the impacts of school closures is really unfair. Schools have been open up to this point, they have stayed open way beyond the point of being safe for teachers.

They have stayed open and we are now in a situation where covid is out of control in some areas of the uk. Where hospitals have no beds. Where surgeries will have been cancelled, including where cancer treatment will be cancelled as theres no beds and no staff. I wish I could take the person who said have covid for a break in hospital around ICU.

The NHS is expected to step up, teachers have been expected to step up. Why the fuck shouldnt other employers be flexible with their staff?

I understand having dc at home is a very difficult situation but right now I dont think theres a choice. Because if theres no hospital beds people will die and not just of covid.

I get this and I think I could just about get over the awfulness of doing it (and it was hellish last time for me) if I thought the government didn’t just squander the gains of it. But when we have made extreme personal sacrifices and then it feels like it’s been squandered, then asked to do it again?
OP posts:
Circumlocutious · 30/12/2020 20:46

@Macaroni46

Got to laugh! So many threads clamouring for primary schools to close. The minute it's announced, people are complaining! For what it's worth, I'm a primary teacher and so relieved that my school is still open. But the constant flip-flopping of opinion regarding schools being open or closed pisses me off!
Or, you know, there could be two camps of opinion, rather than one monolithic group that keeps changing its mind.
Original poster
Littlewhitedove2 · 30/12/2020 20:46

@Macaroni46

Got to laugh! So many threads clamouring for primary schools to close. The minute it's announced, people are complaining! For what it's worth, I'm a primary teacher and so relieved that my school is still open. But the constant flip-flopping of opinion regarding schools being open or closed pisses me off!
I think it’s more the case that those who don’t have primary kids and still have to work want them closed. Most who have young kids and work would not want this
OP posts:
MessAllOver · 30/12/2020 20:46

@Macaroni46. I think most people will have been on one or the other side of the argument, not both.

TheKeatingFive · 30/12/2020 20:46

Why the fuck shouldnt other employers be flexible with their staff?

Many of them are fighting to stay afloat and praying that they don’t have to make (more) staff redundant in the worst economic conditions in living memory.

Attictroll · 30/12/2020 20:47

Reading all of these posts and knowing I will be back to getting up at 5 am to try and for it all in again - I really don’t think the government really knows what it is asking people to do. I am struggling to mentally prepare for it all again the exhaustion of constantly juggling schooling, parenting and working with no real mental break.

Chessandcheese · 30/12/2020 20:47

OP if you work PT can you not do your work when the kids are doing theirs or sleeping? I'm confused as to why a PT worker can't fit in around their children. Unless your children are SEND I don't logistically see why you can't school them until this is over, it will be difficult, but it is manageable. Set them work to do and get them to do it. If they don't, then they don't get any treats etc.

Doingitaloneandproud · 30/12/2020 20:48

@MintyMabel

How the F are they meant to learn anything?

They aren’t. It’s early primary, a few weeks off isn’t going to do much damage and all their classmates will be in the same boat.

Nobody is expecting you to deliver a full curriculum, just find stuff to keep them entertained.

A few weeks? Like the last time which became months and months. When schools went back the majority of children were behind. It's damaging their education and they deserve better. I'm a lone working parent, from home but I actually have to work. Add in home schooling and it becomes a nightmare. I can't be furloughed, I don't have annual leave as i accrue as I work and they ask you use the majority before the end of year.
DianaOfTheLakes · 30/12/2020 20:48

really do appreciate all the comments saying Keyworkers children can still attend school etc.. but that doesn't take into account school buses not running, no wrap around childcare, no neighbours, friends, family that single parents have previously relied on to make working full time on your own work. Unless you have been in this situation, as lots of us now are, you really have no clue just how horrific this is..

One thing that occurred to me is that you said you manage a care home. I don't claim to know how care homes work but as a manager, could you work school hours from the care home and then top up with some other hours at home (you could get admin, budgeting etc done from home maybe?).

Mumof3andlovingit · 30/12/2020 20:49

@Seasaltyhair “ What about single mothers who have the kids full time? Who can’t work from home? Who have already been off multiple times because their kids class was closed down again and again. ”

What would those single mothers do of their DC were off ill with covid or another illness? What if school had to close for some other reason? We’ve had schools close for a week due to flooding or bad weather/snow etc

Mumof3andlovingit · 30/12/2020 20:49

*if

Sparky888 · 30/12/2020 20:51

@milkysmum you sound like a key worker so your kids still have a school place. ?

MessAllOver · 30/12/2020 20:52

Do any of your neighbours have older teenagers who want to earn some money? Even if they have school till 3, you might be able to get them in from 3 till 6 to play with the kids so you can catch up on work.

TheUnwindingCableCar · 30/12/2020 20:55

they are boys and unfortunately can’t really get on on their own.

Seriously? This isn't anything to do with their gender. Probably their age but not because they're boys.

Make their dad step up and stop being a martyr.

Iggly · 30/12/2020 20:55

I’m so angry at this government for not doing enough in the early days. Remember their muttering about herd immunity? Dominic dickhead Cummings and his trip to the castle? Allowing sports events to go ahead?
Testing is getting worse. Results taking ages to come through.

It’s a SHAMBLES.

I don’t want schools to close but seeing teachers get so poorly, I just don’t think it’s fair.

We are seeing the result of a decade of underfunding. If the NHS had been properly funded it would be better able to cope. Cheers neoliberal capitalism for sucking the life out of the public sector across so many countries.

glassbrightly · 30/12/2020 20:55

@Attictroll I completely agree with you. Had a zoom call with my parents and my DB who doesn't have kids a few days ago. They don't get what this means for kids especially the younger ones.

After desperately needing a break over Christmas, which we didn't get because we scrambled around to rearrange all our plans, and having now had nearly two weeks of trying to entertain kids in a small house, with a daily walk to the park which is so rammed it doesn't feel safe, I was at least looking forward to them seeing friends and having some stimulus that wasn't us.

Now I get to do it all over again, plus a 12 hour working day.

Circumlocutious · 30/12/2020 20:56

[quote Mumof3andlovingit]@Seasaltyhair “ What about single mothers who have the kids full time? Who can’t work from home? Who have already been off multiple times because their kids class was closed down again and again. ”

What would those single mothers do of their DC were off ill with covid or another illness? What if school had to close for some other reason? We’ve had schools close for a week due to flooding or bad weather/snow etc[/quote]
Agreed, it’s incredibly tricky to be in a situation where there is no ‘give’, no contingency, in your working situation - an onset of long term illness, school closures, change in personal circumstances. Not just single parents but two full time working parents who have constructed a lifestyle around their joint earnings.

Unfortunately I’m not sure what the alternative is, especially for single parents. They have it really tough. I do know of full time working couples who have pushed themselves to the limit with a huge mortgage and credit - fine as long as both can work but again, no backup plan.

nougatsquirrel · 30/12/2020 20:57

Reed.com says hiring plummeted during school closures and picked up when they reopened
Employers not going to hire people to look after children and do home schooling. There goes my new job post redundancy.

Timeturnerplease · 30/12/2020 20:59

Yes it is utter crap as a working parent, I appreciate that.

I’m terrified about sending DD2yo back to my ILs four days a week as they are in their 70s and I’m a primary teacher in an area where 5 miles to the North, West and South of us schools are closed.

If we went to closure I would morally have to keep her at home with me (bar her one day a week at nursery), but during last lockdown before they allowed grandparent childcare again that meant me working 5am-7am before DP went to work, multitasking during the day marking work/responding to queries/calling parents etc and then prepping and filming videos once DP was home until after midnight.

And for all those posters saying ‘oh your DP has to do his bit’ it’s got bugger all to with genitalia. If your DP is self employed he will have to be the one to go to work or lose income. If it’s you then vice versa. If he is the higher earner by far then he’ll have to focus on his work. And vice versa if it’s you. If he is the key worker who cannot wfh then he’ll have to do that. Vice versa if that’s you.

I’m now so tired I’ve lost track of my point (been up half the night worrying about safety of schools opening vs childcare) but I guess I just wanted to say solidarity to all working parents right now. It’s all a bit shit.

Timeturnerplease · 30/12/2020 21:00

(Also kind of wanted to say I don’t blame anyone for forming childcare bubbles during this time. Needs must!)

Original poster
Littlewhitedove2 · 30/12/2020 21:03

@TheUnwindingCableCar

they are boys and unfortunately can’t really get on on their own.

Seriously? This isn't anything to do with their gender. Probably their age but not because they're boys.

Make their dad step up and stop being a martyr.

Wow. A martyr. Really. Ok well if you would like to parent and homeschool 3 primary kids, until 7pm then work until 2am every day of the week please step up. Please bother to read my previous posts. Their dad does step up after work. He can’t do anything during working hours for fear of loosing our main income.
OP posts:
Nikhedonia · 30/12/2020 21:05

It's pretty shit for single parents who work full time. Furlough is just not an option.

I don't support the closure of schools at all, as I don't believe this is for "two weeks", it will be much longer and that isn't acceptable.

5zeds · 30/12/2020 21:05

One works early, one works late, lunch hours staggered, and you make up hours in the evening. Easier if one of you is already part time.