Keeping kids off school due to covid anxiety

[Sunnyinphilly]

My friend has severe covid anxiety, still now can only go out for walks to quiet places. So they decided to keep their child out of school for this year. I met her the other day and when talking about school her child was so excited and seems desperate to start but my friend quickly dismissed it saying they need to wait until they are all jabbed. Felt so sad for the child and don't know what to say as seems her anxiety is having a massive effect on her child's education and happiness. Which seems wrong to me?!

Is your friend / her family particularly vulnerable? I’m guessing not otherwise they would be most likely double vaxxed by now?

I have friends that delayed their young children starting nursery due to them also being looked after by unvaccinated grandparents, who were vulnerable.

Has your friend had any intervention from the school or LEA?
My son was shielding, with letters from drs and the official shielding letters, but we had constant checks from school/LEA, had to get letters each term and had to make very regular contact.

No my friend has no health issues, and both in 30's so really low risk. I think that's why I struggle to understand as its all based on fear and her anxiety.

They had to deregister the child from school so not sure what contact they have now. She gets no social contact with children her age which worries me.

This is fucking awful. I honestly feel like it’s basically abusive even if not intended that way - to completely curtail your child’s life against their best interests because of an extremely low risk is terrible. I’m a teacher and I would be devastated if a child in my class experienced this.

Does your friend have any insight into her anxiety? Is she seeking help or is she just planning to derail her child’s life indefinitely - because you just know this isn’t going to stop when they’re magically jabbed.

Obviously I ONLY feel that way in these specific cases - if there’s vulnerability it’s a different story.

This is child abuse in my opinion, depriving an innocent child of an education and the chance to play with other children because of your own unfounded anxiety is disgusting. Also schools are quick to fine parents who dare to take children out of school for a term time holiday but let people like your friend keep her child off school indefinitely!

I don't know about the process but they have deregistered and presumably logged as home schooling hence no follow up.

Are they waiting until all children are vaccinated?

Are they home educating? If they’re providing a good quality of education at home, fair enough. If not that raises serious alarm bells for me!

That's my opinion too..I don't know anyone else that has kept their child off this long. I tried to explain how important school is to my children for their social and emotional development and generally being children again and seeing their friends, but she doesn't think its having an effect on her child.
She let's her walk with 1 friend but they must keep 2 metres apart, and when I met them she kept reminding her to not get to close to me, which was so sad.

She is waiting for her and her husband to be fully vaccinated, so says she will send her in September but with another possible wave I worry that will be another excuse.

I would contact education welfare or social services tbh

Kids need to be in school and she needs to get a grip

@VashtaNerada

Are they home educating? If they’re providing a good quality of education at home, fair enough. If not that raises serious alarm bells for me!

at that age learning to interact with other children is just as important as formal education. My kids are young primary school age and I'm far more worried about the lack of social opportunities from the various lockdowns and self isolations than academic progress.

I agree it is very sad. I think you are being kind if you do not ignore it. Sadly not sure who to recommend you talk to.

This is really sad.
How old is the child? Are the home educating?

It's not good for the child to see this amount of anxiety.