What worries you more: 1) Your child catching Covid, 2) their schooling being disrupted?

[Warhertisuff]

I'm more 2) than 1) if I'm honest...

2 absolutely. We've been sold the idea that the choice is between no deaths (lockdown) and lots of deaths but a better life (no lockdown). It was never that. Lockdown will have killled people, poverty caused by lockdown will kill people. Lack of schooling will reduce life expectantly and has led to a rise in abuse related deaths.

There is also no evidence at all that shutting schools helped to reduce infection or death rates. It was a policy designed to show that the government was doing something based on no evidence. Let's not throw the young under the bus again. I am a teacher btw happy to take my chances.

2, but it's more selfish, it's because of the disruption/childcare required. They're young enough to catch up (lower end of primary) so it's not going to have life altering consequences.

DH is very much 1, very concerned about long COVID.

1, my primary aged DC is vulnerable, and I also have a young baby

Children catching covid is what leads to their schooling being disrupted.

Avoid 1. and you don't have to worry about 2.

2 definitely. I'd really like my children to be able to have a good, solid year of education please

1. Their health is far more important and education can be caught up on although schools deliver remotely so no gaps of the work is completed.

More 2 than 1. But would rather neither!
I'm happy to get them vaccinated.

However, I know lots of young people are still worried about passing on Covid to vulnerable relatives. I teach 2 who have parents going through chemotherapy. So avoiding 1 is very important.

@reallyisthisallthereis

However, I know lots of young people are still worried about passing on Covid to vulnerable relatives. I teach 2 who have parents going through chemotherapy. So avoiding 1 is very important.

It's not just young people, though. As a teacher with very elderly parents who are moving into that phase of life when they need regular visits (which have to involve staying as they are so far away) and may need emergency care at any time, I worry about carrying Covid to them from my job.

Our whole household has had COVID. DD brought it home and missed the last week of term 21st June. (Scotland before anyone moans about the term dates).

I got it 24, DS a few days after and DH last. We were all clear by 9th July.

We were/are lucky.

So now for me it's number 2 - school being disrupted. I realise this is a luxury opinion that others may not have due to vulnerable DC or others at home.

Our lockdown school provision was poor. No face-to-face lessons at all over the entire period. Both DC had a few face-to-face catch ups, but no learning or teaching happened at all.

I would say missing schooling, but do wish parents/carers were more aware of PIMS-TS and the dangers of this for kids.

Rare, but potentially fatal and often requiring ITU treatment.

I agree that 1 and 2 do go hand in hand.

However, 1 is my biggest fear. DC has complex needs, including autism, learning disabilities etc and all the previous reports of DNR orders being forced onto children hospitalised during lockdown still haunt me today. I would also worry deeply about DP not coping well at all due to respiratory existing issues.

2 to be perfectly honest is the least of my worries, home schooling actually did the world of good here and if I had to make tough choices down the line I would not hesitate to do so again.

The saddest thing about this thread is that any of us need to consider this due to the blinding incompetence and sheer negligence of our governments handling of this pandemic and their attitude to our childrens' right to an education.

It isn't an either/or choice in my view. If my child catches covid, it is likely that there will be some disruption to her education in the short term. If she is one of the unlucky ones to get long covid, then that disruption could be longer lasting. If covid is left to spread like wildfire, then further disruption to education is also likely, whether that is in the form of absent teachers, school closures or further lockdowns.

1. All day every day.

1 for DS who has asthma and a common cold usually ends with him needing a trip in an ambulance and days worth of steroids. Hes also autistic and thrives at home so im not worried about school being disruptive.

2 for DD's who are unlikely to get particularly unwell

1. They've had Covid, they were poorly for 3 days only. Further disruption to school is far more of an issue for us.

Both for my eldest covid could make exiting condition worse but as he is going into year 11 I don’t want any more disruption. Additionally from a financial point of view want to minimize any more time off.

2, but no health conditions.

I’m wondering if children catching Covid now will be better than catching the next version of it. At least they would have immunity.

Probably more 2 than 1 for us personally.
I think both kids likely had Covid at the same time as us at Christmas, they were asymptotic so never got tested but we had 4 sick adults in a small house over Christmas so any distancing was impossible and Windows were shut. Can't imagine how they missed it if they did. Me and DH have both had Covid followed by two jabs in April and June, so I suppose our protection is as good as anyone's at the moment.

"although schools deliver remotely so no gaps of the work is completed."

If your child is lucky enough to be able to learn that way.

@2boysand1princess

1. None of mine are vulnerable, however I have a baby. I really worry for her if her siblings bring covid home. If I didn’t have a one year old I think I would be a lot less anxious.

Covid isn’t dangerous to one year olds. They probably wouldn’t even get symptoms, or at least they would most likely be extremely mild.

Both goes hand in had, doesn't it? If many children are infected, it will surely to disrupt education for whole class/year group. Children in and out, teachers in and out. The lesson cannot go on as usual, since different children may need to catch up on different things etc.

That's why school need to be open with mitigation to reduce the spread.

*hand in hand

1. By far. I anyway believe now 1 is not possible. Everyone will catch covid. Hopefully with manageable consequences for health service and society due to vaccines, but we can't do much more than wait and see on that one, and react appropriately if the UKs experiment doesn't work out. I dont think there is any viable alternative now - given the high level of covid in the country and vaccines.

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