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Original poster

If they open up schools all at once, I'm done with every other precaution

830 replies

BettyBoomerang · 21/02/2021 23:21

If the 'leak' is true and they are stupid enough to open up all schools to all kids at the same time (thus leading to uncontrolled transmission of variants and increased risk of vaccine escape, further lockdowns and a redo of the vaccination programme) then I'm done with any kind of compliance.

I'm not staying at home like a fucking stupid sitting duck, waiting for my kids to come home with Covid anymore. The kids can see their friends, have sleepovers and we'll go out and about and visit friends and relatives and do the maximum we can.

You can pile in and call me selfish or whatever - I genuinely don't care anymore. I'm not putting my life on hold just for the government to fuck the recovery up again. I'm the most compliant of pretty much everyone I know but this is it for me, and many others I suspect (most of whom are already doing way more than me). If it's safe for my kids to go to school, then everything is safe.

OP posts:
Awalkinthefreshair · 22/02/2021 13:14

@hamstersarse

I think it will be very welcome news if he opens up the schools fully and I will be massively disgusted if he doesn't.

@Awalkinthefreshair I am not sure you do get "that children need an education" or that you are looking at the stats rationally. Well controlled asthma is no greater risk, you are clearly under 40 and so your risk of dying is very very small which means the education of your children can be your priority

No, I'm not under 40. I'm closer to 50. My youngest child is 10.
Zandathepanda · 22/02/2021 13:15

Presumably if they are all going back together they are not doing lateral flow tests? Can’t imagine doing 1600 of those in our school in one day. Our local rate is 1 known case per 300 people so, with staff, it would be reasonable to presume 6 will come to school positive on the first day.

FourTeaFallOut · 22/02/2021 13:16

Unless they do the lateral flows at home from the get go?

Mythymist · 22/02/2021 13:17

I'm withdrawing my son from school and seeing my mum and sister instead. My son seeing his extended family is more important to me.

stilllovingmysleep · 22/02/2021 13:19

@BettyBoomerang

Well that would be stupid because if everyone does that community transmission will rise. Therefore school transmission will rise. Then we will definitely have a problem. So unless your plan is to flue the rise in both stick to the rules for a few more weeks

All kids in school means community transmission will rise. Research showed kids being far more likely to be the index case in households. And everyone (ok most people) will do it anyway, but this time I won't be the muppet at home wiping my groceries while friends gather for a 'socially distanced coffee' in someone's living room or a 'socially distanced curry' round someone else's house and everything else that goes hand in hand with schools being open.

@BettyBoomerang why do you feel you're a "muppet"?

We do this to help ourselves and our community. These are not only rules we have to follow. They are also rules we choose to follow.

skodadoda · 22/02/2021 13:19

@minipie

If it's safe for my kids to go to school, then everything is safe.

This isn’t how it works. We can afford a certain level of transmission for hospitals not to be overwhelmed. We cannot afford a greater level of transmission. Opening schools will produce a certain level of transmission, which is projected not to overwhelm hospitals. That doesn’t mean we can go off and do other stuff which will raise transmission further.

But I think you know that.

At last a sensible post. The rate of transmission needs to be controlled.
WingingItSince1973 · 22/02/2021 13:20

Chatting at the school gates with mums for a few minutes in the outside is alot different to huddling up together in a coffee shop. Children need to go back to school. The risks will be there whatever activity they decided to open first but they obviously feel kids need to get back to education and some sort of normality and also parents need to be able to work without the jungle of home schooling. Its all about risk management not deliberately keeping us from doing things we love. Its not a conspiracy its opening up the more important things first

stilllovingmysleep · 22/02/2021 13:21

@Quornflakegirl

Dh is in critical, non nhs worker, he has worked every day since last March in his vital role. No measures were put in place for him to keep safe, he deals with members of the public in difficult face to face situations everyday. He could have brought the virus home to us. Teachers on here complaining about being unsafe when thousands of other workers have been in exactly the same situation. Our dc need to continue their education, it's gone on too long now. I fully support a full return to school and I say that as a teacher myself.
@Quornflakegirl not really- in all other professions people are required to wear PPE and to socially distance

Not so with what is expected of teachers

You are unfair I think.

trixies · 22/02/2021 13:21

@BettyBoomerang

You have a family - children, a partner, friends and family nearby who you can visit. Your children have the prospect of going back into normal education, which is absolutely vital. Why on earth would you want to do things that risk that?

By contract - I'm single, childless, and have been living alone and WFH since March 2020. I haven't seen a family member in person for nearly a year, because we live far away from one another. I no longer have a social life because everything is either shut, or we have to stay indoors. I'm not stupid - I've always been aware that single people are bottom of the societal pecking order, but 2019-2021 has really rammed that message home. And yet I'm complying with every request made of me by my government, because as much as it's upsetting to realise that you don't really matter in societal terms, the concept of society is important to me, and I want to ensure that children are prioritised.

What I'm saying is - why am I prepared to do more to protect your children's education, than you are? Do you not think there's something wrong with this picture?

muddyellowdog · 22/02/2021 13:25

Schools are opening because they are essential to society (they should never have closed at all imo) and we can't afford to keep them closed any longer as the damage on children and their families will be enormous. To minimise the effects of schools opening on the virus rate we need to keep following the rules. Why can't you see that op?

MarshaBradyo · 22/02/2021 13:25

@Mythymist

I'm withdrawing my son from school and seeing my mum and sister instead. My son seeing his extended family is more important to me.
How old is he? Is he happy with the decision
therealteamdebbie · 22/02/2021 13:27

@Mythymist

I'm withdrawing my son from school and seeing my mum and sister instead. My son seeing his extended family is more important to me.
ever thought about considering what is more important for HIM?
Bluntness100 · 22/02/2021 13:28

It’s just the weirdest thing I’ve ever read

“If I’m going to be at increased risk of getting Covid I’m gonna go and see my friends and family and make sure they are at increased risk too.”

Eh ok then. Lucky them. Confused

Vargas · 22/02/2021 13:29

@Bluntness100

It’s just the weirdest thing I’ve ever read

“If I’m going to be at increased risk of getting Covid I’m gonna go and see my friends and family and make sure they are at increased risk too.”

Eh ok then. Lucky them. Confused

This.

Toddlers have more sense than the OP.

snowballer · 22/02/2021 13:30

@Mythymist

I'm withdrawing my son from school and seeing my mum and sister instead. My son seeing his extended family is more important to me.
Gosh. And is seeing your mum and sister more important to him than seeing his friends and being at school?
Mythymist · 22/02/2021 13:31

And is seeing your mum and sister more important to him than seeing his friends and being at school?

Yes, entirely, given he has no friends there. His best friends are my sister's children.

Why people feel like school is some temple of harmoniously playing children is beyond me. Plenty, including my son, do not have friends at school. He cannot cope in a group of 30, for many reasons.

Inastatus · 22/02/2021 13:32

Changed your mind yet OP?

Mythymist · 22/02/2021 13:33

ever thought about considering what is more important for HIM

Yes, that's why I'm doing it. For me him being at school would be a lot more convenient!

DeborahAlisonphillipa · 22/02/2021 13:35

I find this type of comment pretty stupid. It’s like having a monthly budget and moaning that if you’re forced to pay money for gas and food then you’re paying money for a diamond necklace and a new car too. You can tolerate a certain amount of exposure so you prioritise it to the greatest need, i.e. schooling, and then when you can tolerate more exposure you go further and further down the list of priorities.

sleepwouldbenice · 22/02/2021 13:35

@Bluntness100

It’s just the weirdest thing I’ve ever read

“If I’m going to be at increased risk of getting Covid I’m gonna go and see my friends and family and make sure they are at increased risk too.”

Eh ok then. Lucky them. Confused

Where I totally agree with the OPs concerns and want increased safety on school I also cannot understand the lack of logic from your post
therealteamdebbie · 22/02/2021 13:36

Why people feel like school is some temple of harmoniously playing children is beyond me.

because in many case they are?

I see what happens when I drop off my kids: ALL the children run towards their friends without a glance or a goodbye for their parents.

I can think of one little one with tears, the others can't wait to be with friends. Primary school kids don't fake excitement like that.

wonderstuff · 22/02/2021 13:37

Not read the whole thread, but the first page makes my heart sink. Every additional contact is an additional risk. I'm a teacher and throughout I've limited my contacts as much as possible to mitigate risk as much as possible. We had families having sleepovers in my school and it felt like a slap in the face at the time.

Schools are not back to normal, I'd love them to be able to do more, but we are reducing the contacts between kids as much as we can, monitoring their movements and tracking and tracing every positive case.

If community infection levels rise, school infection levels will also rise.

I'm as fed up as everyone but we can't just say fuck it school is back I'll do what I like, it's not fair on the kids, the school staff, other parents, the NHS..

It's only a more weeks now until we can start living more freely.

B33Fr33 · 22/02/2021 13:38

So you're going to start doing 70 in a 30, park on double yellow lines and drive on the right just if the law changes on priority at roundabouts?

It's easing not an instruction to throw common sense out of the window. Anyone with a thought of their own does not WANT to be partying it up during a pandemic. But hey. Stupid is the rule of law.

Mythymist · 22/02/2021 13:39

I see what happens when I drop off my kids: ALL the children run towards their friends without a glance or a goodbye for their parents.

I believe you. Do you believe me when I tell you school isn't the right place for my child?

Homeschoolers are not all hippy steiner anti vaxx weirdos/religious types you know. I was home schooled. I have friends, qualifications, a job...

minipie · 22/02/2021 13:40

Thankfully wonderstuff most people are vehemently disagreeing with the OP.

I agree families with kids in school having sleepovers is a slap in the face to teachers.

I have some sympathy for people who’ve bent the rules on kids socialising during lockdown, but when kids are in school and are getting plenty of social contact that way, there is really no need for them to have sleepovers.