Would you send your child to nursery if you didn't have to?

[idontknow54789]

I'm currently on mat leave with DS2 and DS1 (3) goes to nursery. Cases are very very high in our area. Would you send DS1 to nursery next week if you didn't have to? I have no underlining health conditions and neither does DP but I'd obviously really rather not get covid with two young children and would rather not have to isolate if there's a case at his nursery. Plus it'll be quite unsettling for him to go back for a few days and it then be closed again. But I'd really like some time with DS2, my partner is back at work next week and we pay a lot of money for nursery for him not to go. Plus the obvious benefits of him seeing other children etc. What would you do??

@thecutback

I think it's unfair to send them in unnecessarily. The nurseries need more space for people that need to be there.

But she's paying for it? Fair enough if the OP thinks the risk is too great, but not as an act of benevolence

@RooMama I'm tier 4 England and our cases are around 218

If I was Wfh yes, if not, absolutely not.

I wouldn't, no. My maternity leave ends tomorrow, so having to send my 4yo and almost 1yo to nursery (in an area where primaries closed). I feel both worried and guilty about it. I wouldn't be sending them in if I didn't have to. Having my DS home from nursery during the first lockdown was tough with a newborn, but much prefered knowing he was safe at home.

Thanks everyone. Cases are around 900 here and that's before all the Christmas socialising comes out, so are really high. I'm still going to be paying if he doesn't go, it's a lovely nursery and don't want anything to happen to it. I think we're going to keep him off, and just see how it goes each week. I wish it would all just close for two weeks, get the cases down and then we know what we're doing

I have a 4 year old and she'll be going in. I also have a 6 year old who will be at school and an 18 month old who I have delayed starting nursery since September and he now probably won't start until the spring (even if I have to pay to keep his place).

The way I look at it is I, nor my husband are clinically vulnerable, we are likely to catch it from the older child being in school. I don't feel it's the right time to start the little one as I'm not working right now so I can entertain him but the 4 year old needs interaction. If I keep her off and then we catch it from school anyway or nurseries close and she's at home for even longer with nothing to do I'll probably kick myself. They've had an awful lot of being stuck at home with nothing to do in the last year, I really do worry about the impact of that.

We are paying a lot for a couple of days a week of nursery, the nursery have not asked us not to come in as they are a business and need to keep going and we have to pay the fees anyway. I think if they close it'll be for longer than a few weeks unfortunately, I don't want to make it even longer than it has to be but then again it depends on your view and I'm resigned that we will catch it at some point - 3 kids, high cases area in SE.

Fair enough. The fact is that I’m working full time from home and as my husband does shift work I cannot guarantee that attention. I’ve been doing it all year and I personally feel that he is missing it so we’ve made the at decision. One day in nursery is the compromise so I can ensure all my 1:1’s and catch-ups can at least be done without an 28 month olds interruptions.
What I didn’t mention is that we are both public servants so technically are classed as key workers. Although I am home based at the moment.

Either way. This is our decision.

Sorry, that’s in response to @thecutback

Work in a nursery and be intresting to see how many do come in. Management's been in over the last few days and so far hasn't been told many so far. Think if our primary schools had closed it'll be different but as it stands..open.

DD (nearly 2) will keep going for as long as they stay open. She is (quite literally at times) climbing the walls here at home and when we are both back at work next week neither of us will be able to give her the attention she needs.

Last lockdown she had just turned 1 and spent a lot of time in a playpen with some toys and the telly on. No way I'm doing that to her now - it was horrible enough at the time but at least then she wasn't walking, but it would be really cruel to do that now.

I'm an early years worker and July/August was horrendous for the children returning after five months at home alone. I do feel that early years settings are one of the safest.

In normal times, yes. Now, no.

We’re in London, we have a 6yo in primary and 3yo in nursery. DH and I both work FT.

We all had covid in March but I still have breathing problems and fatigue as a result and I am hearing of more people being reinfected so I am feeling rather cautious.

While primary schools are closed I won’t be sending the 3yo to nursery if we can possibly cope. It was tough in lockdown 1 but we survived. If any of us got seriously ill and we could have avoided it I would never forgive myself.

Yes absolutely. It's the best place for him so unless there is a reason why he can't go, he will be there tomorrow as normal.

I’m a SAHM, DD is 3 and currently does 2 days a week at nursery. We’ll be sending her in for as long as they’re open. Not at all worried about any risk to her, maybe marginally more so about risk to us but no one at home is CV. Even with the 15 hours a week kicking in as of this month we’ll still be paying £400 a month in fees and can’t really afford to do this charitably for nothing in return.

I’m a trained teacher and we do all sorts of cooking/crafting/messy play activities with DD when she is at home, but she’s an only child and it’s clear developmentally that the nuclear family isn’t enough for her at this point. She needs wider socialisation and life experience - it’s like a switch flipped maybe 4 or 5 months ago and she now talks about ‘friends’ and craves contact with her peers.

I also agree that if/once nurseries to close it will be for an extended period of time, so I’m keen to make the most of the socialisation and stimulation she gets there while we can. She has been off since 16th December and has repeatedly asked over the Christmas period when she can go back.

I am concerned for the safety of the nursery staff too, but they are overwhelmingly young and are taking every precaution available to them. Emails over the Christmas break have repeatedly stated that they are keen to remain open to all.

I'm annoyed that the government can close primary and secondary in high case area but early years can stay open.Do we not deserve protection as well? As usual we are the forgotten ones.

Let’s be honest - they aren’t “protecting teachers” or seeing them as more deserving - they are closing schools in an effort to avoid the NHS being put under even more pressure. They don’t much mind who it is. That said, I don’t think that early years workers have had the recognition they deserve. I also certainly don’t want anyone who is anxious about their own clinical vulnerability or that of their family members to feel forced to care for my child, and provision should be made for those circumstances.