Primary school children - LFT

[LittleDonkeyKong]

Our school has request lft for 7 days as cases in all year groups. Guidance as of 7/1/22 on Gov website states there is no need for primary school children to test. Thoughts?

Local public health can advise it?

If you can without causing distress to your child, then why not? It might help limit spread and disruption at their school.

My Y6 is much happier with the nose only tests, and happily does them herself (with supervision).

What are your thoughts?
What do you suggest schools should do?

My thoughts:
Do the test. Be a decent human.

Don’t do it then? Like you say it’s not compulsory for the age group.

Personally I would.

In my school it was the classes where the parents refused to do this that the numbers escalated quickly, in the classes they tested they picked up cases and stopped the spread.

There will be selfish people saying that they shouldn't test the children but I can't see an issue myself

Do they have that many spare test kits available to give you then?

I wouldn’t want to be doing that to my child for no good reason.

Last time I tried there was literally WW3. Hysterics and almost throwing up! (The kids not me!)

There is no need for primary aged children to test as part of regular scheduled asymptomatic testing. However, it can be advised by health officials as part of the response to school outbreaks. In which case, it may not be the school advising it themselves.

They aren't handing tests out so people are having to hunt for them!

@DecentPleasant

I am a decent human thank you very much but physically wrestling my children and having them stressing out about LFT is not my idea of being a decent human!

I would do it. Anything that can stop transmission in the classroom helps in person education. Not doing it can mean other kids and teachers then lose out. If you don't do it, at least let other parents and school know, so they can adjust who they see etc, or whether they take children out of school for a few days. Each family has different risks in their families.

Sorry but I guess the sories of Downing Streets Numerous 'business meetings' has tipped me to the i don't give a damn team!

Regardless of what people in No.10 did, I do care about my DC’s classmates and parents, and about their teachers.

But if trying to do an LFT on your DC creates WWW3, I can see why you don’t want to, and frankly I wouldn’t push it on a very distressed child. Though I would try a bit of bribery.

I don't understand why kids are throwing up when you put something up their noses? WTF are you doing to them?

@ShortDaze

Oh I tried lots of bribery! Didn't work!

@changingstages

They were crying that much at the thought of it they were heaving! The stick went nowhere near them!

[quote LittleDonkeyKong]@DecentPleasant

I am a decent human thank you very much but physically wrestling my children and having them stressing out about LFT is not my idea of being a decent human![/quote]
how old are they? DD just turned 11, so in year 6, and for the last 6 months or so we've got her to do it herself. And was clearly doing an ok job because her LFT picked up her positive result in December. She couldn't manage the throat swab herself when we went for the PCR, I had to do it for her, but it certainly makes LFTs a lot easier.

Had an email from DS primary today saying a couple of cases in his class and advising parents to commence 7 days LFT on their kids to try and contain the outbreak.

I would happily do this on DS as I'm keen to do anything to try and keep kids in school and teachers safe etc. ...BUT the issue I have is that we've run out of LFT and the few times I tried online to order more today hasn't worked out (I know you have to try regularly throughout the day as more get released, but I've been at work on calls most the day so it hasn't been possible). DS also bloody HATES the tests....he's 5 and has done several in his life and each time he gets more nervous and it takes up to an hour to actually get it done! If we manage to get hold of more LFT I will give it a bloody good go though.

DH and I agreed we would do daily LFT too (you know, if we get any) - in the event we simply can't wrestle DS to actually do them each day. Hopefully that might help somewhat.

[quote LittleDonkeyKong]@changingstages

They were crying that much at the thought of it they were heaving! The stick went nowhere near them![/quote]
oh gosh, are they very little? It's hard with really small ones.

Nope Y6 and Y3 but eldest is very sensitive about everything

@LittleDonkeyKong

Sorry but I guess the sories of Downing Streets Numerous 'business meetings' has tipped me to the i don't give a damn team!

I'm really, really sympathetic to the difficulty of getting little kids to do tests - but because Boris and co are wankers doesn't mean we need to ignore public health issues.

@LittleDonkeyKong

Sorry but I guess the sories of Downing Streets Numerous 'business meetings' has tipped me to the i don't give a damn team!

Then don't do it. But I’m not sure how that really helps anyone.

Do you sit down and both do a test together? That and bribery is the only thing that worked for us.

The only cases in DC1 class so far were asymptomatic and picked up via LFTs. The school asked us to test the kids twice a week (and parents).

They've seen me test and made no difference

@LittleDonkeyKong

Nope Y6 and Y3 but eldest is very sensitive about everything

My Y6 DC is also VERY sensitive but doing it herself helped loads. She's also old enough to understand why we're doing it which also helps. Y3 is a difficult one though.

I've tested mine once each when they've had symptoms.
I won't test them at all otherwise.