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Original poster

Delaying sending DC back to school due to covid - thoughts?

270 replies

bubblesaway · 03/01/2022 19:31

Just that really. Thinking of not sending DC (4) back to school this week and waiting until we know more about the data re Omicron post Christmas. Not sure if I can legally do it but as she's under 5 and only in reception thinking it may be okay but also not sure if I should. Wondering if any other people thinking of doing the same.?

OP posts:
Doyoumind · 03/01/2022 19:53

OP what are you trying to protect her from? It is almost certain that at some point she will get it. You can't run from it forever. Why are you so scared? Being stuck at home will do significantly more damage to her wellbeing.

Useruseruserusee · 03/01/2022 19:54

My 4 year old DS was originally classed as CEV, now just CV. He is due to start school in September and will be able to have the vaccine as soon as he turns 5. He is 5 at the beginning of September and honestly it is such a relief that he will have some protection when he starts school.

If I were you I would not consider it unless there are health issues.

NothingIsWrong · 03/01/2022 19:54

Oh and I chair the performance and learning committee as a primary school governor and we spend HOURS discussing the best way to fill in the gaps of children's knowledge to ensure that they can progress with curriculum with their peers. We do booster sessions before school, lunchtime tutorials, additional TA support (which we can ill afford) to make sure progress is the best it can be. It's hard enough to do this with unavoidable sickness and the natural range of ability without parents choosing to take kids out, especially in a year when the phonics and maths building blocks are being laid down.

thewhatsit · 03/01/2022 19:57

If your child is under 5 I believe you can keep them off if you want as they are under compulsory school age.

Would I do it? No. They’re going to catch it, likely at school, at some point. I’m generally ambivalent as to whether it happens in January or February or March myself … we can’t avoid it. You never know, mine might have already had Omicron anyway as we are in London, don’t do LFT asymptomatically on the DC (just ourselves if we’re meeting up with others etc) and haven’t been remotely avoiding life…

I don’t see what different three weeks will make. Sure we’ll probably be past the peak but rates will still likely be extremely high compared to the last year or two for a long time.. also we know that it tends to go through school groups in waves and it would be pretty impossible to predict when you’re going to be hit.

Bobholll · 03/01/2022 19:57

Absolutely not. My DD is 4 and desperate to get back to school. She’s really missed her friends. I don’t care if it’s more ‘babysitting’ than education.. she’s in reception, it’s pretty play based anyway and her being with her friends & continuing to form those bonds with her classmates is vitally important in my opinion & hers. She’s been so excited tonight at the seeing everyone tomorrow 🥰

You’ll be in the minority of those who can do so. Your kid will miss out on weeks of playing with their mates and friendships are pretty transient at this age. The kids will just think she’s left. How do you think your DD will cope with going back in a month/two months time to a class full of children who’ve been continuing to learn & be together. Pretty daunting.

Covid has always been mild in children, even more so in the under 5’s. Omicron is milder still. If you sent your kid into school when 50,000 delta cases were circulating a day, I do not get your reasoning now.

You are putting your worries first, not your kids education, well-being & probably want to be with her pals. Recon it’s pretty selfish.

Teateaandmoretea · 03/01/2022 20:00

Don’t be so silly OP

Whitewolf2 · 03/01/2022 20:01

Nope, I currently have Covid, am on day 8 of symptoms (don’t know how/when I got it) and despite testing us all several times I am still the only one testing positive despite young DCs who I probably would have passed it to before knowing I had it. I guess they could still get it but since I’m pretty sure I have Omicron (runny nose, no cough) seems like either they’re immune or already had it asymptomaticly.

ZoBo123 · 03/01/2022 20:03

Our school has just had ofsted. One thing they commented on was how far behind the year 2s are (that was the only year singles out). They said they were seeing this nationally and the reason for it was that they have never completed a full year of school. They missed so much of the building blocks of maths and phonics in reception and spent year one and two just catching up. I don't understand what difference it makes to your child's health outcomes but could make a massive one to them educationally over the next few years

Remmy123 · 03/01/2022 20:04

Don't be daft!

rrhuth · 03/01/2022 20:05

If I had a very young child and could do it practically I personally would consider it yes. The issue is what you do after three weeks if things are not clearer.

It is going to go through schools very quickly presumably.

Teateaandmoretea · 03/01/2022 20:07

@rrhuth the next wave variant may be more severe, save your LO for that one 👍🏻

MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 03/01/2022 20:09

Keep her off, she is tiny, what will she miss...playing in the sand.

Honestly she is so small, many countries don't start formal education until 6. We have all been brainwashed, the only benefit of sending them so young is so mothers (main carer) can work. The guilt you will get on here is emotional bullshit, posted to justify why they sent their children

Refrosty · 03/01/2022 20:11

We're delaying as DH and I have Covid and I'm not about to slot my (currently negative) kid into any classroom. I'll pay whatever fine, I actually don't care what anyone else has to say about it. Last term, and we had outbreak upon outbreak which did result in class closures. I don't want to feel responsible for triggering that for DS's class. DS will be able to start next week.

If we didn't have Covid then he'd go in because honestly we're all going to get it at some point, and I can't be sure he's not already had it. So many people I know have Covid right now, no doubt we'll have a shaky start, but things should settle eventually.

rrhuth · 03/01/2022 20:13

Well this is an issue - it could be better, worse or the same in four weeks. So it might not be a short term thing.

CrumpledCrumpet · 03/01/2022 20:15

We’re in an area of London with very high cases and I am quite covid-cautious. Mine will be going back. Education is one of the last things we should be sacrificing.

ActonBell · 03/01/2022 20:15

I share your concerns because my DS has asthma and has been hospitalised once with a virus because of this. I also worry about long covid. And we have a newborn. And DH is CEV.

But equally I simply can’t give DS the attention he deserves at the moment for homeschooling (because of the non-sleeping newborn and DH returning to working from home). So what do I do? I don’t want him to miss out and be miserable but It’s horrible to have to take the risk and cross our fingers.

Would be interested to hear from those who have a CV or CEV child.
Also this whole ‘well it’s inevitable’ approach makes me a bit cross. We could have vaccinated at least young people, if not primary school age children, by now. We could have invested massively in ventilation in classrooms. We could have had some restrictions to reduce spread over the holidays. We could have resourced and supported schools better to make plans locally that are right for their circumstances and staffing levels. Those were all things the govt chose not to do - the current situation is not inevitable.

Original poster
bubblesaway · 03/01/2022 20:17

@MrsRobinsonsHandprints

Keep her off, she is tiny, what will she miss...playing in the sand.

Honestly she is so small, many countries don't start formal education until 6. We have all been brainwashed, the only benefit of sending them so young is so mothers (main carer) can work. The guilt you will get on here is emotional bullshit, posted to justify why they sent their children

Love this :) I totally agree that missing a few weeks at the age of four will not irreversibly damage DC's education and development for life. Ludicrous to think it will.

I've blurred it all with saying three weeks. Really I just want to wait until the end of the week to see where we're at. The data at the moment has all got political spin on it to make it look like numbers are going down. In a few days the real numbers will start to emerge (although as people can't get tests the real numbers will conveniently never been known). It's possible that the government does a U turn in the next two days and closes schools.

OP posts:
Original poster
bubblesaway · 03/01/2022 20:21

Also this whole ‘well it’s inevitable’ approach makes me a bit cross. We could have vaccinated at least young people, if not primary school age children, by now. We could have invested massively in ventilation in classrooms. We could have had some restrictions to reduce spread over the holidays. We could have resourced and supported schools better to make plans locally that are right for their circumstances and staffing levels. Those were all things the govt chose not to do - the current situation is not inevitable.

@ActonBell - Totally agree.

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 03/01/2022 20:21

Schools won't be closed unless everything else is closed too.

Blubells · 03/01/2022 20:25

Missing education and socialisation will be far more harmful than omicron

This

Svara · 03/01/2022 20:26

@MrsRobinsonsHandprints

Keep her off, she is tiny, what will she miss...playing in the sand.

Honestly she is so small, many countries don't start formal education until 6. We have all been brainwashed, the only benefit of sending them so young is so mothers (main carer) can work. The guilt you will get on here is emotional bullshit, posted to justify why they sent their children

Yes, she will miss playing with her classmates, play is important. In many of the countries that start school later the children are not kept at home, they are in preschool from age 3 to 6.
Blubells · 03/01/2022 20:27

We'll be in the heart of the post Christmas wave this week and it is just possible schools get closed next week anyway.

No I don't think schools will be closed. They would be the last to close after all non essential shops, gyms etc etc. and I don't expect that to happen!

SomnolentSekhmet · 03/01/2022 20:28

I'm in a similar situation but my daughter is in year 1. I'm a student and SAHM so don't -need- her to be in school and would really prefer to wait a little bit to see how things play out once the children return to school. The lack of any mitigations at all in primary schools does have me a tad worried.

siestalady · 03/01/2022 20:29

Its probably safe to assume the data will be similar or worse to where we are now. Which is - high numbers of positive cases but comparatively low numbers in ICU. I think its unlikely schools are going to close again.

If you want to homeschool your own child then crack on.

NothingIsWrong · 03/01/2022 20:30

The knock on effects of missing a chunk of learning when all her peers are doing that piece of work will have an impact. Even if it's just a little bit not sure of something, a basic concept of maths that isn't quite fully grasped. It isn't massive failure, it's small bits here and there that can add up over time.

Countries that start at 6, they ALL start at 6 so they learn together. Being out of sync with your class because you don't quite grasp a concept and the teacher doesn't have time to go over it again because the other 29 children have moved on can have an impact that magnifies. Because then the next concept isn't quite solid either. And the one after that is distinctly shaky.

The amount of learning covered in 3 weeks of reception is massive. It is NOT playing in the sand, and if it is, there will be an educational goal behind it.

But you listen to those who are saying what you want to hear. I think it is definitely a bad idea. If the whole school shuts, then all will be doing the same thing at home - you will not be provided with work to keep your daughter up with the class if she is the only one, teachers will not have time for this. They are overworked, underpaid and under appreciated "playing in the sand" as to what they plan and structure for their class.