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

[BettyBoomerang]

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.

The point OP was making about socialising with school mums was a reasonable one. If her children are sat all day in unventilated rooms with all of the school mums' children what difference does it make if they all chat at the school gate - very little as far as I can see. I am happy to go back to school to my bubble of a thousand because I think it in the best interest of the students. Infection rates will go up but that's mainly because mass testing of school age children will obviously start up again. I think the time has come when people need to be allowed to make their own choices and take their own risks. If you are worried there should be the option for you to stay at home but those who want to get back to normal should be allowed to do so.

I don't get why people keep talking about "safety" think that we are opening up schools because it's "safer" than getting a haircut.

We aren't opening schools first because it's "safer" than anything else. It's because children going to school is important. Much more important than going to the hairdresser.

@BettyBoomerang is clearly in a privileged position because she gets to sit at home all day when her kids are in school - if only! How dare she be bored..

@Waxonwaxoff0

I don't get why people keep talking about "safety" think that we are opening up schools because it's "safer" than getting a haircut.

We aren't opening schools first because it's "safer" than anything else. It's because children going to school is important. Much more important than going to the hairdresser.

Exactly !! Supermarkets aren’t “safe” but they were open for a greater good.

@bigvig

The point OP was making about socialising with school mums was a reasonable one. If her children are sat all day in unventilated rooms with all of the school mums' children what difference does it make if they all chat at the school gate - very little as far as I can see. I am happy to go back to school to my bubble of a thousand because I think it in the best interest of the students. Infection rates will go up but that's mainly because mass testing of school age children will obviously start up again. I think the time has come when people need to be allowed to make their own choices and take their own risks. If you are worried there should be the option for you to stay at home but those who want to get back to normal should be allowed to do so.

Well because amongst young children transmissions rates are lower than between adults

I don’t see the point of this but maybe it’s frustration at plan not as wanted

My personal worry is with the Kent strain and schools going back all at once... I'm going to stick to the spirit of the rules but I know the Kent strain speeds super quickly so like the OP I do question whether it will all be a bit pointless .
In autumn (I'm school staff) I was so cautious socially and didn't even do a lot of what was allowed as I didn't want to spread to school.

@Violetlavenders

I'm happy to sacrifice the option to mix more as an adult, to give our society's limited capacity for increased infection to our children. The government has treated them utterly shamefully throughout the last year. Schools definitely should be the first things to open. Haircuts and coffees with your friends can wait.

I agree.

1000x this.

@FourTeaFallOut

There really are a limited number of parents who would sabotage their own children's education so they can get their own way or so they can wave their it's-not-fair flag and those thick fucks won't have been following the rules so far in any case.

There are

I agree with other poster too that I’d rather wait to give dc more normalcy

@MrsHamlet

Yep. If it's safe for me to be back to 32 teens for two hours at a time unmasked in a poorly ventilated room, why is it not safe for me to have a hair cut?

Education is essential, your haircut is not

If the government expect all children back on 8th March it will be an insult to the sacrifice we and our children have made.

I agree that all schools should begin the process of opening more fully on 8th, but not a return for all children on 8th March.

Secondary should be staggered by at least a week so testing can take place properly and to give further time for vaccination effect to take place. At the least, schools should have 2 weeks flexibility to manage themselves how they see best. The government have proved time and time again that they do not actually understand or appreciate what schools are like.

So in that regard, if the government aim for all children to return exactly on 8th March, then I agree with the OPs sentiment. I will not sacrifice myself and and my children for others any longer and will socialise and go out as I feel best for our family.

Some ridiculous toy throwing on this thread.

Kids need to go back to school. I'm prepared to risk, but we need to mitigate that risk in other areas.

I do not want Covid at this late stage in the game. You will be putting other people at risk if you throw caution to the wind. Not all of the elderly and vulnerable have been vaccinated; some can't be due to medications or they haven't been offered it yet. Some vulnerable people haven't been identified as vulnerable.

I'm not vulnerable, but I've had post viral fatigue before for 3 years. I do not want it again thank you. I do not want to lose my job and be unable to look after my DC properly.

And so it begins again. School is important, hair is not!

From the BBC:
Although schools are set to reopen to all pupils on 8 March, it is thought a few days' flexibility may be built in to allow measures like testing to be put in place.

So maybe hang fire on all the protest get togethers until you actually hear the detail of the reopening?

@FourTeaFallOut

Some ridiculous toy throwing on this thread.

Silly I know

@Waxonwaxoff0

I don't get why people keep talking about "safety" think that we are opening up schools because it's "safer" than getting a haircut.

We aren't opening schools first because it's "safer" than anything else. It's because children going to school is important. Much more important than going to the hairdresser.

This

OP, if you did not vote at the last general election, or if you voted Tory, you are partly complicit in the decision to be announced today. I agree it should be staged as the Scots and Welsh have done. However, if the decision is the wrong one in my opinion, I am not going to behave like a spoilt child who did not get what they wanted.

Please everyone remember to vote in elections in May if you have them, and express your opinion by not voting Tory. The current government is Tory in name only of course.

@beela

From the BBC: Although schools are set to reopen to all pupils on 8 March, it is thought a few days' flexibility may be built in to allow measures like testing to be put in place.

So maybe hang fire on all the protest get togethers until you actually hear the detail of the reopening?

The testing is a pointless farce and will make the spread in schools worse appears to be the scientific view. But who needs science?

Given our PM apparently wants to build a roundabout underneath the Isle of Man with tunnels under the sea , letting covid spread without hindrance is not even his most stupid idea.

What matters is that I think that if someone as cautious and law abiding as me has had enough, that everyone will have had enough and that if the news is true about a full return to school, it's a big green light for the end of lockdown.

Hopefully most people won't think that way. I certainly won't. I'm delighted that children and teens can finally go back to school and I will happy make sacrifices to make that happen.

I am going to stop politely social distancing on pavements and paths, until now I've been careful to give people a wide berth when out walking and stepping into the road if there's no space to keep my distance

There are very few people who do this now. The amount of people walking around my area means it's virtually impossible to socially distance anywhere you go now.

People saying that the increased transmission from schools opening will be "manageable" have way too much faith in Johnson.

SAGE think it won't be manageable. Chris Whitty thinks it won't be manageable. Johnson has been warned it will push the R rate back over 1. What OP does or doesn't do won't have a huge impact on the R rate compared to 1000 people mixing all day in thousands of buildings up and down the country.

It's also true that schools opening will change people's behaviour - some will start socialising more for example. I think it will make a huge difference to how people behave over Easter too.

People who have blind faith in the government scare me.

*I don't get why people keep talking about "safety" think that we are opening up schools because it's "safer" than getting a haircut.

We aren't opening schools first because it's "safer" than anything else. It's because children going to school is important. Much more important than going to the hairdresser.*

This.

I don’t understand the mentality saying you won’t stick to other restrictions if schools are back.

What OP does or doesn't do won't have a huge impact on the R rate

If many behave like her, it will definitely raise the R rate far beyond what schools alone would.