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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:
Looneytune253 · 12/01/2022 08:06

I'm a childminder and I've had the same this week. It's got quite stressful. It's everywhere now. I've been quite relaxed thru the pandemic but have felt quite intense this week. One case this week with a child in with minor symptoms now positive so asked others to test and at least one more now since asymptomatic. It's getting a little bit stressful and I'm not sure why all of a sudden

lollipoprainbow · 12/01/2022 08:08

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

Ridiculous

Blubells · 12/01/2022 08:09

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.

At least the parents did a LTF test.

CovidForChristmas · 12/01/2022 08:09

@TulipsGarden our nursery is the same and throughout the whole thing they’ve had one positive case. Whilst I realise an element of that is good fortune, it’s also because they have been so strict about getting children a test.

My DC had a positive result. Again, it was fortunate that it happened over Christmas so they didn’t expose anyone in the nursery. Nursery asked me to keep them off for the full 10 days and I did. Probably another reason why their cases are so low.

youtown · 12/01/2022 08:11

@flossletsfloss

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.
Agree with this
Dghgcotcitc · 12/01/2022 08:11

I think if being around coughing children makes you so angry then working in a pre school may not be for you?!?!

Blubells · 12/01/2022 08:11

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

Are you serious?

CovidForChristmas · 12/01/2022 08:12

@lollipoprainbow

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

Ridiculous

The child has a new cough. They should have a PCR. Why do some people still find that notion ridiculous?!

I’m coming from the position of DC attending a school where a parent sent their child in with a new cough. School called the parent and asked them to collect the child and get a PCR. The result was positive. The child had already been in close contact with so many teachers they had to shut the nursery through to lack of staff. 120 children at home for 14 days. Now that’s ridiculous.

itsacovidxmasone · 12/01/2022 08:13

I think all those commenting that 'if you're so worried about illness don't work in a preschool' and remembering how their child always had a cold during their nursery years are forgetting that for the last two years we have been in a pandemic. It's not the same as when these teachers chose the profession so please get a grip.

I'm not a teacher but I really feel for those doing the role at this time.

Looneytune253 · 12/01/2022 08:13

@flossletsfloss

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.
YES that's the ACTUAL rule lol
MalbecandToast · 12/01/2022 08:14

All those who think PCRs for every sniffle is the right course of action, how will you feel when PCRs are phased out for the general public?! Will you still think kids should be kept at home for every mild winter illness?!

Blubells · 12/01/2022 08:15

they had to shut the nursery through to lack of staff. 120 children at home for 14 days.

Hopefully the cut in isolation time to 5 (or even 0) days will help with such closures?

Looneytune253 · 12/01/2022 08:16

@MalbecandToast

All those who think PCRs for every sniffle is the right course of action, how will you feel when PCRs are phased out for the general public?! Will you still think kids should be kept at home for every mild winter illness?!
I don't think anyone would. I personally don't but an actual cough def warrants a test. It did backfire on me this week tho as a sore throat ended up with a pos LFT and I hadn't sent home. But hey ho we just don't know at the moment. No one does and it's quite stressful
wherethewildthingis · 12/01/2022 08:18

"Before the teacher could say anything she rushed off saying she’d be late for work if she didn’t leave now."

I don't understand how that works. How fast was this person moving, that they were in conversation with the teacher, but there was no time for the teacher to reply to what they said about the negative lateral flow test and say the child needed a PCR (if that is what the teacher thought needed to happen?)

Exhausteddog · 12/01/2022 08:18

You are NBU to be worried, although anecdotal all my household has recently had covid. 1 out of 4 of us had a (very slight) cough.

RichTeaRichTea · 12/01/2022 08:22

I don’t think PCRs for every sniffle is sensible (never have). But in terms of how things work with the current rules, regardless of how I feel about it, if my children were in nursery with a cough or fever I would be called to get them and not allowed back until a negative PCR was confirmed - I’m not sure why the OP’s setting isn’t doing that. It has been this way for over a year. Yes it means ridiculously frequent and upsetting PCRs for lots of preschoolers, yes it means lots of time off work for parents. Do people whose children left nursery years ago not realise this is what it has been like?

TheYearOfSmallThings · 12/01/2022 08:24

In fairness to the OP, she is only asking that the parents should follow the current government guidance. If the child is coughing, a PCR is required - it's a massive pain in the ass, but still a requirement. My DS's school fully expect parents to comply, and wouldn't take a coughing child without a negative PCR result.

funji · 12/01/2022 08:25

My dd has just tested positive via an LFT with no symptoms so who knows how much she spread it before I checked her.

funji · 12/01/2022 08:27

My DS's school fully expect parents to comply, and wouldn't take a coughing child without a negative PCR result.

Ours is similar actually

LaChanticleer · 12/01/2022 08:29

Maybe she can't afford to self isolate?

But it’s OK to pass on a still potentially dangerous disease?

Selfish.

LethargicActress · 12/01/2022 08:31

The parent did the right thing IMO. Healthy children should be at school.

cookiemonster2468 · 12/01/2022 08:38

@lollipoprainbow

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.
You seem to be telling OP to stop being judgmental whilst also making fairly unpleasant and judgmental post yourself.

If the child was coughing badly then he should have been taken for a PCR.

Your point about the parents' jobs possibly being crucial is a little misinformed. Even if they're healthcare workers, if the child has Covid, goes on to infect other people in the nursery, who then go on to infect their elderly/vulnerable relatives who end up hospitalised - well, that healthcare worker isn't exactly helping the current health situation of the country, are they?

People need to try and see the bigger picture. PCR tests are crucial, as is being sensible when showing symptoms and not leaving your coughing kid to potentially spread infection to hundreds of people.

Case numbers are high and the risk is high. People are acting like we are back to normal. We aren't, people are still being hospitalised at high rates and dying.

TheKeatingFive · 12/01/2022 08:39

But it’s OK to pass on a still potentially dangerous disease?

Selfish

And if she can't pay her rent/put food on the table, are you going to do that for her?

onelittlefrog · 12/01/2022 08:39

@LethargicActress

The parent did the right thing IMO. Healthy children should be at school.
He's not a healthy child if he's coughing all over the place.
itsacovidxmasone · 12/01/2022 08:39

@LethargicActress

The parent did the right thing IMO. Healthy children should be at school.
I don't think the child sounded particularly healthy