Don't 'save Christmas' instead save schools and keep them in person in January (Save Schools = YES)

[SoTiredNeedHoliday]

I feel that our kids have suffered enough and missed out on significant important social and academic periods of their lives. It feels like the PM is 'keeping Christmas' because of fears about his popularity and also because of the 'party' sandal. He should be thinking of the greater good and our lives longer term.
I feel restrictions now for 2/3 weeks and enabling kids to go to school in January is far more important than 'keeping Christmas' and having a lockdown or home schooling in January

What do you think?

Save Schools = YES

Do both and stop being so consumed by covid this and that ffs.

We’re all quite privileged on the whole to be thinking whether we want to prioritise Xmas with family, excess food and presents or education. Many people around the world won’t have such choices. I say that as someone who has had a child miss their GCSEs and has had various other impacts on my family due to covid.

It's hard and I'm not entirely sure there even is a solution that will work for most people and doesn't over impact those who are vulnerable really.

It's easy for me to say impose restrictions now as I'm not going anywhere and I live in the same house with my entire family so there'd be no difference for my Christmas (mum and son!).

If my mum had still lived abroad and I'd been planning on visiting her, I'd feel completely different.

Just save both? It can be done. I’m not sitting here quaking in my boots about catching the big bad omicron at all, I don’t really care tbh. I had covid last week and I now have a cold which feels much worse than covid did. Yes, I’m vaccinated but I had covid at the start of the pandemic and it was just an annoying tickly cough. Appreciate it’s a lot worse for many people but we’ve done all we can to protect those people now, we can’t keep having lockdowns. Closing schools is a stupid idea, children have a far higher chance of dying on the way to school than they ever would from covid. Teachers are all vaxxed and they can wear masks if they want.

I’m not a Tory and can’t stand Bojo and squad but I’m pleased they aren’t announcing further restrictions. Most people don’t want another lockdown, it destroys people’s mental health and the economy. I honestly wouldn’t cope with another lockdown, my children need to be in school to protect my mental health. The lockdown at the start of this year destroyed me, I’m still struggling and having weekly counselling now as a result. My DC had covid last week too fwiw, they’re fine.

@xxxGirlCrushxxx

No

Not everyone has kids you know. Most people I work with don't and would not be on board with this at all.

@xxxGirlCrushxxx at some points in life you need to be able to think of the whole population not those just with kids or just without.

The kids, teens and young adults are in a massive mental health crisis due to the impact of lockdowns, look at the stats on Eating disorders, Anxiety issues and depressions before and during the lockdown period.

They are the future and lockdowns are greatly impacting them in so many ways.

Think of the greater community not just yourself.

I never thought I’d say this but education is a lifelong thing, but time with loved ones isn’t. I’d fight for people to spend time together-more has been lost emotionally and socially for children than academically over the last 2 years

I wasn't 'thinking of myself'

But I'm not alone in saying no to your daft idea it seems!!

@kitcat15

I don't have young kids....lots of people don't.... my priority is definitely not schools.....so me ( and many like me) will prioritise Christmas....you can do as wish though

That's sounds like a very self centered view, though perhaps you didn't mean it that way. The youth have been so badly impacted with mental health issues due to being lockdown during formative years when they need to be with peers etc (do your research before you discount this statement).

That is why would put their needs first rather than focus on a 2 day holiday

Restrictions delay infection. This is proven by science and mentioned by Professor Whitty in a press conference iirc

I'm a parent with an exam year child but think that saving Christmas is the right thing to do. Let hospitality and retail earn as much as they can. More importantly have you got heard the stories of what Christmas was like last year tor some with people dying or being ill alone etc?It's ok for the people who don't live alone or would rather not see their extended family but some people live alone and will believe that they are doing the right thing by suffering alone

Kids have lost out with school closures but they've also lost out if their parents are made redundant or their businesses fail. I think it was right to give those families a chance to stay afloat a while longer.

Not everyone has kids in school and would argue that keeping schools open was unfair on their circumstances

@SoTiredNeedHoliday get over yourself

Kids won't thank you long term for letting more people die at the hands of the virus just so they can stay in school with an endless stream of supply teachers

@xxxGirlCrushxxx

I wasn't 'thinking of myself'

But I'm not alone in saying no to your daft idea it seems!!

what were you thinking of then? You said you and your work colleagues who don't have kids...... there was no wider comment as to why you think you are more important than the youth and their personal development, education and mental health.

Covid remains a mild illness for most.
The NHS is deliberately being defunded and using covid as an excuse for it being overwhelmed in winter months. It'll be further sold off as only solution since it isn't working.
Covid is not going anywhere. We have to live with it. I'm no more worried about it than the common cold. The risks due to lockdown and restrictions are greater than the risk of covid. I think we need to stop testing, just testing if needing hospitalisation as with flu. It is time to move on and admit that the hysteria was because it is new.

That was a long winded way of saying it doesn't need to be a choice between this and that.
No restrictions, be It at Christmas or school closures.

Yes, I think this is exactly what we learnt last year. Huge deja vu!

I'd much rather not have had Christmas (with people) and kept schools open in January.

The impact of home-school on adults' and children's mental health, work productively, sex-based inequality and business survival was huge.

@DrinkFeckArseBrick I agree with your comments entirely

Think of the greater community not just yourself.

What about the ‘greater community’ who works in the areas that would be closed. Their incomes have already taken a huge hit over the last 20 months, many still haven’t financially recovered from the previous lockdowns. For some it’s not a case of prioritising Christmas, they’re prioritising keeping a roof over their head and food on the table. (This also impacts those with children btw. Eduction is less of a priority if they don’t know where they’ll be living next month).

I want my dc in school. But dh and I are incredibly lucky that lockdowns don’t impact our income. Asking someone to financially cripple themselves, to keep my child in school is highly unreasonable.

Mental health concerns also apply to the ‘greater community’. My 27 year old brother is now under the care of a specialist mental health hospital, because the previous lockdowns sent him into crisis. He wanted to die. Whilst he’s not a child, and maybe not ‘the future’ in your eyes, it seems harsh to write him off before he’s 30!

Ask the kids which they would prefer????

But no, whilst I see your point about keeping kids in schools, imposing restrictions now would be shit for everybody including kids! Time with loved ones is also very important, this past couple of years has taught us that life is incredibly short and that in the time between Christmases so much can change, children need to be well rounded rather than just educated IMO.

I think one of the most worrying things, definitely more than Xmas and even more than education, is the thought of getting ill with something else, not covid. My child was due to have treatment in March 2020 and it got cancelled and that was having it done privately. I know various other people who have had treatment related or cancelled. Hearing people talk of delays to cancer treatment is frightening.

*delayed

No way.

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

My view is:

Masks
Wfh if you can
Vaccine passports for events, indoor mixing (those who can’t be vaxxed to be exempt)
Catch the teens up to three jabs as soon as we can
Start offering a vax to primary school children whose parents want it as soon as we can

Completely agree with you! We aim to reduce morbidity. When this happens children will be able both to go to school and have good holidays

No

@SoTiredNeedHoliday

Nope. I did NOT say I don't have kids! I think you need that holiday

@Chloemol

No

Very succinct!

It's really hard. I agree with @livingnextdoortonorma, the effects of lockdown affect other groups greatly as well. You think kids should be prioritised, others think that other groups have also suffered greatly and should be prioritised. For what it's worth, I think it's a no brainer that keeping people in jobs is more important than a few weeks of education.