Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Will you send your DC to school if they're open for keyworkers only?

389 replies

BlowDryRat · 20/12/2021 09:31

Hopefully this won't happen but if it does (probably with hours' notice like last Jan Angry)...

DH and I both qualified as keyworkers (medical supplies) for all the previous lockdowns. We could WFH though so kept the DC at home so they weren't taking up spaces really needed by others and to minimise the risk to the school staff. The DC got on with it but both struggled socially and DD in particular fell very behind academically.

Now that everyone who wants a vaccine has had at least 2, if there's another partial school closure I'll be prioritising my DC and sending them in.

What are you planning to do?

OP posts:
BoudecaBains · 20/12/2021 10:15

Yes.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 20/12/2021 10:15

Seems really clear that schools can’t close- it will seriously fuck over a minority with little way of controlling the virus. Everyone has a reason “only child” “my works busy” “my works private”- so really and truly keep schools open!

Mammyloveswine · 20/12/2021 10:15

Well I'm a teacher so yes.., I'll have to.

Lockdown 1 was hell trying to teach remotely with turned 2 and 4 year olds at home. My mental health has only just recovered!!

Schools won't be closed again though.

AtLeastPretendToCare · 20/12/2021 10:16

We have kept the DC off previously but honestly it nearly broke me with us working Ft in demanding jobs. DH is within key worker definition although can work largely from home under lockdowns so if they go back to key worker only then kids will go in if they can. I saw some parents send their kids in last time with much more tenuous key worker connections than us. I can’t do it again.

DoubleDeckerSwimmer · 20/12/2021 10:16

@middleager

I have two year 11s, they also need all the face to face teaching time they can get. We have never employed our key worker status but I would seripisly consider it. However, I wasn't aware it was face to face, so unless it is, no.
I feel the same way but it might not be face to face teaching? Our high school offered supervision to do the same home learning the other children will do.

I still might use it this time though as my DD really struggled.

manysummersago · 20/12/2021 10:16

why wouldn’t you

I think I’d see what my child wanted. If they didn’t want to go in and were secondary age I wouldn’t.

Sirzy · 20/12/2021 10:18

Closing schools should be a very last resort.

But ds will go in if they do. He had an ehcp but didn’t last time but now he is vaccinated and given the long term issues created by lockdown last time I don’t want to do it again for his sake

RobinPenguins · 20/12/2021 10:20

For nursery I didn’t take up the place in the first lockdown and really bitterly regretted it. Thankfully nurseries didn’t close in the Jan 2020 lockdown. If they close again then I will definitely take up the key worker place we’d be entitled to. I can wfh. I can’t wfh with a preschooler, it was the worst time in my life.

RobinPenguins · 20/12/2021 10:20

*Jan 2021

Change123today · 20/12/2021 10:20

We live near a hospital, ambulance station & airport so high key worker area (as well as supermarkets etc)
WFH and homeschooling was a tough and I think it took me to the edge - in the first lockdown I’m stopped trying to engage her and the home life better for everyone! Second time around there was online in place which was a lot better and meant other than helping set it up she managed fine. But it was only till 12:30- again we didn’t do the afternoon set work as I just couldn’t balance it out.
My work where very flexible and supportive but my husbands wasn’t and that made me pretty annoyed as they all knew we had to balance WFH and homeschooling- but he locked away in the office 8-6 :(
I could take a place due to my role but I won’t - like I said the area I live in is near a hospital & those kids need the places over mine. Though i did get annoyed by the SAHM who husband works in hospital taking a place (her child isn’t SEN or anything…..I removed her from Facebook in the end there was only so many cakes and garden projects she was working on I could take.

mildtomoderate · 20/12/2021 10:21

My child has an EHCP. He will 100% be going back to his special school. His speech therapy and occupational therapy are integrated into his curriculum.

christmaspop · 20/12/2021 10:23

DH is a key worker but I'm a SAHM so could easily keep them off.

I do feel though that in second closure as the school did much more 'teaching' for those that were in, those that were at home had a really raw deal. My DD in particular is now behind.

Really hard decision who do I prioritise my children or the greater good?

Comefromaway · 20/12/2021 10:24

Ds is at college so not relevant but in the interests of his mental health I'd invite some of his college friends round our house. Due to my dh's job we have a room set up with all the equipment they need for the subjects they are studying.

Giveaschitt · 20/12/2021 10:24

Yes. We didn't before, though technically we could (but both DH and I worked from home so didn't need to). But DS (primary) suffered very badly, became violent and depressed and the school nurse was recommending we send him. Except at that point the schools were due to reopen shortly anyway, and my MH was so badly affected that I was terrified there would be a case in his bubble at school and we'd have to isolate - and the thought of being trapped at home for 10 days with a violent child, and no option to even get him outside for a run around was more than I could bare.

If schools close again I won't hesitate to use a keyworker space, mine and my DS's MH is too important to go through that again.

Whatdidisay · 20/12/2021 10:25

If its only for an extra week to make a two week circuit breaker instead of an ongoing lockdown I will, and i'd hope all key workers who are able would too, a short circuit breaker will only work if mixing is drastically reduced and for the sake of an extra week we could hopefully get on top of this latest outbreak.
I really don't want it lingering on for weeks/months which it will if we don't comply.
We know locking down everything else is useless if countless families are mixing at school so please if its only a two week circuit breaker lets grit our teeth so hopefully we can get back to normal faster and hopefully avoid further school closures, when those who are unlucky enough to not have key worker parents are isolated for potentially weeks/months!

RobinPenguins · 20/12/2021 10:28

so please if its only a two week circuit breaker lets grit our teeth so hopefully we can get back to normal faster

There’s no way it will genuinely only be 2 weeks. Circuit breakers haven’t been successful anywhere in the world with high case rates.

So I’ll send my child to nursery because if I don’t she’ll still be at home 3 months later, like what happened in the first lockdown. If that makes me selfish so be it.

Comedycook · 20/12/2021 10:29

If the schools close and are only open for KW children which we're not....I will take my DD in anyway...I'm not doing this shit anymore

Svara · 20/12/2021 10:30

@MsJaneAusten

I’m confused by parents of Year 11 students saying they’d send their children in for face to face teaching. In all the schools I know, teachers were setting work online (so not able to also teach face to face) and pupils who went in for KW places were simply on a computer in the library or other large shared space, accessing the same online learning they’d have had from home.
Yes, this was the set up at our school. The structure and simply being at school made a huge difference for DS compared to being at home. He was home for a number of weeks in lockdown one before going in (then year 9) and those weeks were disastrous for his learning and mental health.
Original poster
BlowDryRat · 20/12/2021 10:31

The problem with a 'short circuit breaker' is that we've had those before and they've ended up going on for months.

OP posts:
Whatdidisay · 20/12/2021 10:32

I really cant see the government wanted to even consider closing schools for longer than the week as the cost to the economy and the government purse will be too great.
Surely if we are really compliant for two weeks it will pick up most cases before it can spread any further?

Svara · 20/12/2021 10:35

@BlowDryRat

The problem with a 'short circuit breaker' is that we've had those before and they've ended up going on for months.
I don't trust a single thing they say anymore. They are like an abusive partner (yes, I have first hand experience of that). Just complying for two weeks won't make it stop.
MarshaBradyo · 20/12/2021 10:35

@Comedycook

If the schools close and are only open for KW children which we're not....I will take my DD in anyway...I'm not doing this shit anymore
I don’t blame you - would they take her? I’d try and get round it too
Comedycook · 20/12/2021 10:37

I have no idea...but if they do close to her, I will turn up at the school and drop her off. It's up to them what they decide to do. I cannot go through this shit again.

ComDummings · 20/12/2021 10:37

@Comedycook

If the schools close and are only open for KW children which we're not....I will take my DD in anyway...I'm not doing this shit anymore
I agree
Original poster
BlowDryRat · 20/12/2021 10:38

Unfortunately I agree with Svara. 'Just hold on a little bit longer' has been going on for nearly 2 years. Hold on until what? Everyone's vaccinated who can and wants to be. There are effective treatments for cases requiring hospitalisation. Most people who get covid are well enough to be at work after a day or two. Nothing an individual child can do is going to properly fund the NHS.

OP posts: