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Original poster

Feeling incredibly angry right now

137 replies

Opalpearl · 12/01/2022 07:29

I work in a pre school as a TA.
Yesterday a parent brought their child in who was clearly very snotty and coughing a lot. Not unwell as such, still full of energy etc.
She said she’d tested him in the morning and it was negative so she brought him in. Obviously she was meaning an LFT test…which isn’t what you do if someone is showing symptoms, she should be getting a PCR and self isolating.
Before the teacher could say anything she rushed off saying she’d be late for work if she didn’t leave now.
So I spent the whole day in a classroom with a child coughing constantly and having to wipe said child’s nose every 10 minutes.

I’m sooooo upset and angry. Why can’t parents/people take responsibility and do the right thing?! Selfish selfish selfish.

OP posts:
wtfisgoingonhere21 · 12/01/2022 07:35

We've had numerous colds in our house since October on and off and every pcr has come back negative op

I work in very close contact services and have had service users that have had colds coughs etc but so far they've been negative.

We had a major spread bak in November December in our schools here and it seems to be settling down now.

Surely that not the only child to present with a cold in your care?

Rainydonkey · 12/01/2022 07:35

Its far from ideal but this must be a fairly regular occurrence in a pre school. Is there a reason it has wound you up so much this time?

lollipoprainbow · 12/01/2022 07:38

Maybe she can't afford to self isolate? Maybe her job is crucial. Stop being so judgmental OP. It's more than likely just a cold not everything is Covid.

Original poster
Opalpearl · 12/01/2022 07:38

It’s not so much the cold, but the coughing which has always been a symptom that needs a PCR. Omicron is rife in our area right now too.

OP posts:
MrsLargeEmbodied · 12/01/2022 07:39

a pre schooler needing a pcr?
isnt that ott?

BrambleRoses · 12/01/2022 07:39

Oh, I don’t want to sound unsympathetic but seriously if I’d kept my DS off nursery with a snotty nose and a cough he would never have been there. Flowers

GoodnightGrandma · 12/01/2022 07:40

Did either you or the teacher report it to higher management ?

flossletsfloss · 12/01/2022 07:42

Oh good grief get a grip. You are in the wrong job. Do you really think parents can take children for a PCR every time their kids have a cough? The world has got to move on and so should you.

SpringRainbow · 12/01/2022 07:43

At preschool age my children were constantly getting snotty noses and coughs. I would never have been able to work if they had to stay home and be tested every single time.

At the end of the day, if it was that much of a problem why did no one call her and tell her she needs to collect her child? Did anyone have a word with her at pick up?

BogRollBOGOF · 12/01/2022 07:46

@Opalpearl

It’s not so much the cold, but the coughing which has always been a symptom that needs a PCR. Omicron is rife in our area right now too.
Coughing would be less likely to present as an early symptom now. Omicrom is more likely to present in the usual order of a "cold" with the cough being later.

It's favourable that a child who's snotty, coughing and has a negative LFT does actually have a regular cold.

The real issue for the majority is the enforced isolation, not the averagely-ill symptoms that Omicron tends to present to the majority.

UpDownRound · 12/01/2022 07:47

@MrsLargeEmbodied

a pre schooler needing a pcr? isnt that ott?
In a sense, yes, but there are pre-schoolers up and down the country who will have been tested over a dozen times by now. Much easier for the retired or WFH folks to avoid coughs and colds and not need to test.

OP I'm a teacher and think at any one time it's likely there's a child in my class who has it. Honestly at this stage I feel like it makes little difference who tests.

TheKeatingFive · 12/01/2022 07:47

Oh, I don’t want to sound unsympathetic but seriously if I’d kept my DS off nursery with a snotty nose and a cough he would never have been there.

This.

She tested. There are lots of reasons why getting a pcr may have been challenging for her and getting a pcr/self isolating every time a toddler has minor symptoms isn't really sustainable for people.

RichTeaRichTea · 12/01/2022 07:49

I would have been called by the preschool to collect my child and do a PCR - why didn’t you or the teacher do this? This can’t be the first time a child has had one of the three symptoms whilst in your care.

I’m surprised that people are surprised at the idea of doing PCRs on preschoolers for every cough etc - yes people have had to do this incredibly frequently because small children are constantly getting bugs, yes it has been awful and has put huge pressure on families and jobs, parents of small children have been talking about this for over a year, where have you been?!

LittleMamaa · 12/01/2022 07:50

@BrambleRoses

Oh, I don’t want to sound unsympathetic but seriously if I’d kept my DS off nursery with a snotty nose and a cough he would never have been there. Flowers
Honestly this.

My DC were never fully well in nursery/pre school. The one who's currently in nursery has had a permanent runny nose or cold of some kind since Sept!

LadyCatStark · 12/01/2022 07:53

Surely this can’t be the first time someone’s come in with a cold in almost 2 years!

ThirdTimeIucky · 12/01/2022 07:54

It's the ones without symptoms you want to watch out for. My daughter tested positive. I only tested her as I'd tested positive first. Had I not, and she'd caught it first, I'd never have tested her. She had not a single symptom. That is the same for my 2 nephews who caught it at the same time.

catbsfhs · 12/01/2022 07:55

I work in a primary school and also had a kid sneezing on me all day. There are a lot worse things you can catch from kids than omicron. A stomach bug would most likely be a lot worse of an illness if you're triple vaxxed. Im assuming you're not vulnerable as it would be very risky in your line of work.

Jay2020 · 12/01/2022 07:56

Agree with you OP the rules in England haven't changed for preschooler's. My toddler has had over ten pcrs now for cold symptoms if they include a cough or fever. It's not fun but it keeps people like you a little safer I hope

Bagelsandbrie · 12/01/2022 07:58

I can understand your anger in some ways but the harsh truth is not everyone can afford to take time off to facilitate testing. For many people it can mean the difference between managing and a food bank.

gettingolderandgrumpy · 12/01/2022 07:59

Are we not done with the whole selfish thing yet , yes very selfish that the mum has to rush off to work . She’s done a test it’s negative and newsflash kids get colds , they did pre covid and they do now so keep your distance and stop worrying about a bloody cold as majority have bigger fish to fry 2 years on like paying the bills and can’t take time off for every sniffle.

ComDummings · 12/01/2022 07:59

Not one person I know who has had covid at any point in time has had a cough. Not a single one.

TulipsGarden · 12/01/2022 08:02

@SpringRainbow

At preschool age my children were constantly getting snotty noses and coughs. I would never have been able to work if they had to stay home and be tested every single time.

At the end of the day, if it was that much of a problem why did no one call her and tell her she needs to collect her child? Did anyone have a word with her at pick up?

You realise this is what we've been doing since nurseries went back? We must have done 10 to 12 PCRs on my three year old now. Nursery won't have him back without one. Thankfully we both work from home now, but if we didn't we would still have had to isolate with him until the rest result came back until recently.
ayyeeeright · 12/01/2022 08:03

I know it must be difficult. I'm about to do the same this morning with DD.

She has missed SO much school last year because she's one of those kids who just always seems to get every cough going and it lingers. I never wanted to be "that parent" sending their kid in anyway so kept her off so much last year.

But when does it end?

It can't go on forever. She's absolutely fine. So I kept her off Mon/ Tue to get over the worst of it but she'll be going in today despite it still lingering.

We're being told catching it is basically inevitable now, so even if it was covid, what difference does it make if people catch it from my DD today or Sophie on Friday, or Jude on Monday?

itsacovidxmasone · 12/01/2022 08:05

I'm on your side OP and I have a child in preschool. Currently keeping her off as a child whose family had covid was taken in last week and now (surprise surprise) that child has it and is isolating. It's caused so much disruption for us as both parents work, but I'd rather not run the risk right now. It's a tiny school with a few older staff, although I understand there was no 'rule breaking' I'd still not want to be the family to cause so much pain for others.

Remember it's not just about the illness - it's about isolating too if you get it which again causes enormous disruption.

CovidForChristmas · 12/01/2022 08:06

You should have asked the office to call the parent to come back.
Our school would have.