Self Isolation & Single Parents with No support

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How do single parents manage if they've been told to self isolate via track and trace due to being in contact with a Covid positive person?

I have been told via track and trace to self isolate for 5 days. Dw is picking dd6 up from school. We don't have any family or friends nearby.

Would other parents just not self isolate and go out?

There’s been quite a few posts here from single parents who had covid and were quite ill, but thankfully pulled through. Isolation for single parents with no family or support often mean their children have to isolate as well, as there’s no way of getting them to and from school.

The kids would have to stay at home with me. Same in 'normal' times if I'm ever realy unwell and can't take them to school they stay at home too. It's the downside of being a lone parent. The trick is to always have the food and medicine cupboards stocked-up, have a few new toys and puzzles tucked away to occupy them if you get stuck in for any reason.

You would ask another parent or neighbour to drop and collect. A few of our neighbours have had to do this, it's fine.

If DW can't do the school pick up, what about other parents with children in the same class? If not, your DD will have to stay at home - at least part of it's the weekend. As mentioned above, I've kept the cupboards stocked up with cheap store foods we'll eat at some point anyway. If you're likely to run out of food, Iceland have always had lots of slots around here, so they might be worth trying for food.

DS would have to stay home with me. I do have family nearby but everyone works full time so no one is available to do school runs. Someone would bring me some shopping round though.

A bigger problem for me is with the school bubbles bursting. The children are very young primary, they can't be left unsupervised and my workplace has already returned to the office. I can't really take two weeks off with every time (bubbles of 120 at school, two kids - had two periods of isolation already), nor even to mention that all my leave is unpaid. An emergency nanny for 10 working days is around £1500. Hurray.

@forinborin

A bigger problem for me is with the school bubbles bursting. The children are very young primary, they can't be left unsupervised and my workplace has already returned to the office. I can't really take two weeks off with every time (bubbles of 120 at school, two kids - had two periods of isolation already), nor even to mention that all my leave is unpaid. An emergency nanny for 10 working days is around £1500. Hurray.

Yup this is my current existence. On our second lot of self isolation in 3 weeks because of their bubble bursting.

With regards to your question OP, do you know any of the other parents at the school? I've taken one of the other mum's children to school and home after school when she had to self isolate. If not, they'd have to stay home with you.

Yup this is my current existence. On our second lot of self isolation in 3 weeks because of their bubble bursting.
Realistically, if this self-isolation guidance continues for another year, I am afraid it would be the end to many single mothers' careers. I don't know many employers who would be delighted with such unpredictability.

We’ve had to self isolate many times. I’m a lone parent with no support, it just means we all have to stay home

This doesn't help with the getting to school, but it may help you financially should you be missing work because you have been contacted by track and trace, or your child has been told to self-isolate via school or via track and trace:

www.gov.uk/test-and-trace-support-payment