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Original poster

Pulling kids from school?

128 replies

SnowSurprise · 23/11/2021 21:50

Anyone starting to do think about doing this? Rates rapidly rising in our area with almost half the cases in the age group of my DC. Starting to think about Christmas and pulling the DC from school in the last week. Carol service is apparently still going ahead on 22nd which seems like an excellent way to spread lots of Christmas Covid. Debating DC1 coming down with something on the Saturday 18th and DC2 unfortunately not feeling great on the Monday....

OP posts:
AgnesNaismith · 23/11/2021 21:52

Fuck no. Dcs have had Covid…I know not the same for everyone but a cold was worse. Dh is CEV and has also had Covid and we have had boosters. Will you consider this every year?

TheChip · 23/11/2021 21:52

Aren't you worried about the education they have already missed out on?

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 23/11/2021 21:53

Nope.

Silverswirl · 23/11/2021 21:53

God no. I’m more worried about a vomiting bug or flu.

PeterPomegranate · 23/11/2021 21:55

No. I have an 11 year old at secondary school. He won’t be entitled to a jab until next year. He’s no underlying health conditions so chances are covid would be mild and / or he’s already had it.

Unless there’s a massive back story here and there’s a particular reason you’re worried?

Original poster
SnowSurprise · 23/11/2021 21:56

Aren't you worried about the education they have already missed out on?
Not really. I don't think they've missed a lot at all. If anything, DC1 benefitted. I'm not sure they will cover a lot in the last week.

Mine haven't had Covid and are not eligible for the vaccination. They would like to not be ill over Christmas and see their grandparents.

OP posts:
Blubells · 23/11/2021 21:58

No way!

Their education and mental well-being is much more important!

TheChip · 23/11/2021 21:58

Do you consider pulling them out every winter to try and minimise illnesses? Because winter bugs are not new. If you don't, then there really is no real reason to consider it now.

TheHopefulMum · 23/11/2021 22:05

Do what's best for your family. We had a family holiday planned in October half term and 2 weeks before the cases began to rise in DS's class and we made the decision to pull both children from school.

If sounds selfish but it was the first holiday we had had for a long time due to covid and the children had been really looking forward to it and so we didn't want to risk it. Our school was very supportive of our decision.

ExceptionalAssurance · 23/11/2021 22:09

Nope.

HotPenguin · 23/11/2021 22:12

Yes, I'm thinking off doing this. We have nice plans for Xmas that I don't want to be ruined by covid. There's a lot of covid now round us, so they may have caught it by that stage anyway.

For those asking why you don't pull children out for colds, sick bugs etc - it would be rubbish to have a stomach bug at Xmas but they are over quickly and don't require us to be confined to the house for the whole Christmas period.

scottishtablet23 · 23/11/2021 22:15

@Silverswirl

God no. I’m more worried about a vomiting bug or flu.
what @Silverswirl says.... D&V bug is definitely my worst nightmare!!

Also, I value the social aspect of the time leading up to Christmas too much and all the social events our children missed out on in the last two yrs. My DD was heartbroken the other week when she had to miss her first (since 2019) school theatre event due to waiting for a pcr result. It hit her so hard, she even cried.

BluebellsGreenbells · 23/11/2021 22:20

No. Rising cases means bigger protection. Most of the children where o work have had Covid, adults all double jabbed or had Covid.

The protection rate is rising.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 23/11/2021 22:21

Nope because they could still catch covid out of school- also would upset DC to miss the fun week of school.

Bunsnbobbins · 23/11/2021 22:26

If it would make you feel less anxious and safer for Christmas I really don’t think a few days of activities will make much difference to their education.

Strangely three mum friends from class who have preached about every day of education being vital to me for months are taking the week before that (more important!) off to go to Lapland for five days yet they tell me I’m evil for taking my children out of the full school Carol conferred on the part day (with headmasters permission).

For some people missing these events is the difference between seeing vulnerable family or not.

Husband and I are 10 weeks post Covid and still struggling with illness… managing to wfh but I do not want this again… and the immunity of two vaccines already failed us once. I also have an immunosuppressed parent we’d like to see at Xmas.

Bunsnbobbins · 23/11/2021 22:27

I also know many adults and children catching it for the second time so forgive me for not being confident about the whole protective herd immunity rising thing

trumpisagit · 23/11/2021 22:32

The last week before Xmas is all fun xmassy stuff.
It's a bit mean to make them miss it.

Iggly · 23/11/2021 22:34

I’m marginally worried because we are seeing grandparents over Christmas.

Smartiepants79 · 23/11/2021 22:37

The only reason I’d even consider it is the disruption the isolating and testing causes. Any other winter bug, we’d be carrying on as normal (assuming child is not very unwell). With covid all Xmas plans would be in ruins and we’d be stuck isolating for all the holidays.

Iloveallofthem · 23/11/2021 22:44

@HotPenguin

Yes, I'm thinking off doing this. We have nice plans for Xmas that I don't want to be ruined by covid. There's a lot of covid now round us, so they may have caught it by that stage anyway.

For those asking why you don't pull children out for colds, sick bugs etc - it would be rubbish to have a stomach bug at Xmas but they are over quickly and don't require us to be confined to the house for the whole Christmas period.

Err, they shouldn't be in school after a sick bug for 48 hours afterwards.

Trouble is so few follow this rule
resulting in it spreading like wildfire.

Makes me furious.

polkadotpixie · 23/11/2021 22:45

Absolutely not. DS is only 3 and at preschool so it doesn't really matter whether he's there or not but I'm 100% not going to

We've all had COVID and it was basically a cold for us so especially not now. I'm far more scared of Norovirus than I am COVID

Original poster
SnowSurprise · 24/11/2021 05:28

mental well-being is much more important
You're assuming that school is inherently good for every child's mental well-being!

Do you consider pulling them out every winter to try and minimise illnesses?
No, but last year we didn't see IL's until January so had time to isolate before seeing them. This year, they'd like to spend Christmas with us.

Nope because they could still catch covid out of school
They could but far more unlikely, especially as we would obviously try to avoid people.

D&V bug, whilst unpleasant, is usually over quickly and would not mean quarantine for the majority of the holidays.

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 24/11/2021 05:44

Not in a million years. Personally I'd rather go without seeing family at Christmas than DS miss school.

glitterelf · 24/11/2021 06:03

I'm playing it by ear and certainly wouldn't judge parents who did do it. The last few weeks they are winding down anyway and if you're going to be spending time with vulnerable family members over Christmas it's probably a wise move. As our school seems to have some sort of magical halo that covid cannot penetrate I'm regularly testing my child as DH is CEV and we are having another quiet Christmas.

rrhuth · 24/11/2021 06:07

@TheChip

Do you consider pulling them out every winter to try and minimise illnesses? Because winter bugs are not new. If you don't, then there really is no real reason to consider it now.
This sort of response must be wilfully missing the point, everyone understands covid is not treated as other viruses.

Getting covid limits what you can do, due to positive cases having to isolate.

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