No school for us til 9th April at the earliest. Royally fucked off now.

[WeAreFromThePlanetDuplo]

Announcement just made for NI that most kids won't be going back to school until after the Easter holidays, and there's no guarantee of that. So fed up.

It’s not just about the academic though- it the social and emotional aspect of it all that kids lose out on....

@WeAreFromThePlanetDuplo

Announcement just made for NI that most kids won't be going back to school until after the Easter holidays, and there's no guarantee of that. So fed up.

I'm really sorry to hear that. That's very tough....and wrong IMO.

I'm in N.I. too OP.

I've been trying to take one day at a time and not think too far ahead but the news today has left me feeling floored.

I'm a SAHM, DH has been wfh since last Feb, so we haven't the worry of childcare. I can only imagine how much more stressful it is for parents having to work outside the home.

DS, an only child, apart from 1 socially distanced walk 2 weeks ago hasn't had physical contact with anyone his own age from about last October. Gaming online contact, but it's not good.

He's year 12 and been revising for tests due to be sat mid March but that's up in the air now.

We have the added stress with the Protocol problems too.
For the first time, I'm struggling tonight.

It's been since December so it really is that bad!!

OP wrote it to make it appear to be 5 weeks of school missed when it’s not. It’s 2-3 weeks depending on your schools holidays.

Right but assuming this shitty government don't change any of the mixing rules, all kids aged between 5 and 10/11 are still banned from seeing anyone outside their household. So actually, a whole extra fucking month- holidays or not - is not something to be wafted away by saying "two weeks of it would've been holidays anyway" when there are kids desperately depressed and unhappy because they cant see any of their peers!

Why oh why does everyone keep comparing it to last year. We are only where we were in September..we need to wait longer or we will be lockdown again by May. What a crock of shit. They have vaccinated the vunerable groups that they wanted to by the 15th February like they said. If the vaccine works then the pressure will come down on the NHS as this group of people led to 88%of deaths and 55% of hospitalizations. What justification is there for holding out. Just in case....you dont not drive just in case you have an accident. You dont stop eating just in case you choke.....arghhhhhhhhhhh some posters on this and others threads are just ridiculous.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Sorry It's not just old people at risk though is it. I have a child at risk....so quite frankly to be as nasty as you I couldn't care less about your kids mental health as long as mine survives covid because those kids with underlying health conditions clearly don't matter, but yet they do if their underlying health condition is related to mental health it would seem !

Point taken about some of those weeks being holiday anyway, but from DD’s perspective it feels like a really long time until she can see her friends and her teacher.

I'm really sorry to hear that. That's very tough....and wrong IMO.

It is very tough for many. But wrong? Are you a leading scientist with extensive knowledge of things like this?

If the vaccine works

The crucial point.

sorry, I forgot they were in school for a few weeks before Christmas
Brain fart.

@TwelvePaws

I'm really sorry to hear that. That's very tough....and wrong IMO.

It is very tough for many. But wrong? Are you a leading scientist with extensive knowledge of things like this?

Piss off

Not sure when everyone else's Easter hols fall, but ours start on Good Fri. So returning 8 March would give them just one day short of 4 weeks.

Which would make a HUGE difference to my children.

Point taken about some of those weeks being holiday anyway, but from DD’s perspective it feels like a really long time until she can see her friends and her teacher.

Yes, I get that. Some kids, and parents are finding it really hard. Some people have much harder circumstances to cope with than others. People, me included, are getting a bit shitty with each other at times on here. We all just want this to be over.

[quote gallbladderpain]@TableFlowerss

I've young children (YR & Y4) who have been unable to return to school since March 20 ! I've been home educating that whole time because i have a CEV child.
I'd sacrifice anything if my child didn't have to be in that position where their only interaction is with medical professionals outside of our household but we have people moaning over the slightest little thing.

My children have got on with it, they haven't complained once. They have far more understanding and compassion than many adults on these threads and they are resilent because they've experienced things far worse than a handful of extra weeks off school.[/quote]
They are 4 & 7 though, their relationships at that age won’t be as important as if they were 12/13. I would have felt the same as you when mine were that age. The older they get, the more important their friendships become.

Being CEV means that you don’t want schools to return and I can completely understand that, as it wouldn’t be great for your circumstances. I would feel the same in your shoes.

But the MH of children is suffering due to lack of social interaction is very real and not to be dismissed!!!!

[quote gallbladderpain]@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Sorry It's not just old people at risk though is it. I have a child at risk....so quite frankly to be as nasty as you I couldn't care less about your kids mental health as long as mine survives covid because those kids with underlying health conditions clearly don't matter, but yet they do if their underlying health condition is related to mental health it would seem ![/quote]
That’s why the vulnerable should be vaccinated by now

Wonder if those who have children in non exam years are the ones saying don't go back until after Easter.
Any parent I know with a child in Y10 wants them back now. It's so unfair to fuck up all the children's future prospects. They messed up last year and have they cancelled exams this year (?). They can't keep on doing this.
No one wants another lockdown but for some unknown reason in England we can't keep to simple rules. So probably will have another summer lockdown but not because of schools.

@PatriciaValiant

If the vaccine works

The crucial point.

If it doesn’t we still have to come out of lockdown

Another one hoping that Boris follows suit and keeps kids off until Easter in England too!

Piss off

I take that as a no then. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The point is, we don’t have the knowledge to make these decisions. We can’t make lockdown end because people have had enough. It has to be based on more than that. actual scientific data.

@MagicSummer

Because as soon as they let the little darlings back to school, the infection rate will rise again. They need to scrap this school year and re-do it starting in June.

Do you even have children, doesn’t sound like it from the derogatory way you describe them.

All NI hospitals bar are at 97% or above capacity. Most of them are above 100%. DH was admitted to hospital (not with Covid) in September, between lockdowns, when things were about at their best. Even then staff were pretty overwhelmed and DH had to wait for 2 days in a theatre for an ICU bed. In October he went to A&E with irregular heart rhythms. There was no room for him to be admitted so they made him a further outpatient appointment. He died two days later. If he had been in hospital he might have survived. Who knows. It's not just about Covid cases. It's about the health system being unable to cope. Sorry if that means kids have to stay at home for another 3 weeks, or even 3 months. It sucks, but it's temporary. My DD doesn't ever get her Daddy back. And there are many more like her out there.

@imation and this is part of the problem, the disparity between each child’s experience in lockdown. Some in school getting a typical timetable and teaching. Some at home doing everything set and more and some at home doing nothing.
It will take months of focussed learning in school to get them all back up to a level playing field. There will be a number of a children going back to school only to be stuck in class repeating everything they’ve already been taught.

@JackieWeaverIsTheAuthority

I assure you I can read. I even taught my kids how to read! At home! All by myself.

I'm not the one whining about not being able 'to teach my child', and 'struggling'.

I quoted someone who used the passive voice to say it was awful how kids were 'being neglected'.

Sadly, some will be. I'm sure they are, but that isn't solely a school's job to prevent.

Most kids, however, are not being neglected; by their parents or a few weeks at home.

Oh good, so you do actually know that no-one said they were deliberately neglecting their child. You just decided to make it up.

😂👍