Coronavirus ROI/NI part 3

[YoungsterIwish]

The 3rd thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/craicnet/3874978-Coronavirus-in-ROI-NI-part-2?pg=40

The latest numbers are really serious. I live in Galway and it has jumped to 66! I have two dds in University and two in secondary school and I am preparing them ( mentally) for lockdown! Surely we will need to try and break this trajectory or Christmas will be a write off.

My ds is supposed to be arriving in Gal ay on Nov 11th. Don’t know what to do.. we live in France, he knows no-one in Galway, I want him home for Christmas. And although he is super sporty and fit, he is asthmatic. My dh is insisting he go ( he is currently doing his course online) but we have paid his halls. What to do....

I can't see courses going back to face to face anytime soon tbh. I know halls are paid but don't let the sunk cost fallacy catch you, that money is gone no matter what you do...

Horrible situation for you to be stuck in!

I’ve also been debating taking the dc out of school early to isolate before Christmas, even though I’m anxious that they get as much time in school as possible. I suppose we could settle for getting together at the end of the holidays instead. It’s a pity they couldn’t just move the holidays back a couple of weeks.

Pinkhousearebest, both my daughters are in University in Galway (NUIG) but live at home. All lectures are online at moment, except for Laboratories. Students in college student accommodation have been advised to return to their homes and are getting refunds for their accommodation. I don't see things improving in Ireland any time soon, so if it were my kids I would not let them travel. All lectures and assessments are on line for foreseeable future so no need to be on campus.

@thelegohooverer

I’ve also been debating taking the dc out of school early to isolate before Christmas, even though I’m anxious that they get as much time in school as possible. I suppose we could settle for getting together at the end of the holidays instead. It’s a pity they couldn’t just move the holidays back a couple of weeks.

If it's any help, just before Christmas isn't when class teachers would try to cover tricky concepts (at least in my experience). Kids are often out sick, everyone is tired and concentration is poor, pressure is on to do lovely seasonal stuff...the last week is about holding the line and the week before is winding down too.

That's primary though, I can't speak for secondary!

No nativity plays or Carol concerts, that's a shame. What dates were Christmas holidays supposed to be?
I hope nuig can advise on travel?

Thanks SionnachRua that’s helpful. Mine are in primary.

Simon Harris is asking for no trick or treating.

Last December I took my DD out of school a few days earlier. There was something nasty going around the class. They had just done their Christmas concert and there was a distinct shortage of shepherds due to illness.

Oh last December was horrendous for bugs Fuzzy! I remember it well! I only had a quarter of my class in for about a week, the rest were all off sick. Think a lot of schools around the country were the same.

Christmas holidays are the 22nd Dec - 6th Jan under the Department standardisation.

AnSionnachGlic Thank you so much for that information. My absolute nightmare would be that he would go and be stuck there, I’ll and isolated. All our family is in the north and nobody ( understandably) wants him.

Even finishing about 17 December would help, and return a day early, there's not going to be a Little Christmas!

Yes, agree with that, eggandonion. It would be a help. The 17th is a Thursday.
I always think that teachers must have good immune systems, Sionnach, to cope with the various bugs that crop up in classrooms!

My daughter works in education and had constant illness for her first two terms. That is fairly common I think.

A schoolfriend of mine is a teacher and was constantly sick for the first few months. Then after a few years she took a break to go travelling and was notably the only one in the group of them in Thailand who didn’t succumb to something nasty. They all put it down to her múinteoir immune system. But when she got back to an Irish classroom after a year off, she got floored by the bugs again! It’s not to be estimated what’s floating round those classrooms!!

• underestimated

Would much prefer the kids to finish Dec 17th & have an extended Christmas break & even skip Halloween midterm... However the teachers, kids & school staff need this to recharge & will all be looking forward to the well deserved break.

I have been priming DD about no trick or treating this year. I've promised her that me, daddy and herself will have a party in the house instead with a Halloween hunt for treats ( like Easter but with Halloween candy instead of eggs), she seems to be happy enough.

DD has also been fussing about whether she'll be going out this Halloween. I've told her almost certainly not, and anyway she's a bit too old for it this year as she's in first year in secondary. She's never liked the cheap sweets anyway, so I usually end up throwing out a load of them around Easter time.

We always do elements of the old fashioned Halloween here as well as t & t. But we will ramp it up this year.

Im thinking apple on a string from the door frame, bobbing, cutting the flour to find the hidden tokens which tell your fortune .... maybe even look up some spooky stories and tell them round the fire with the lights off and some hot choc.

So you reckon I don't need to buy fun size Mars bars?

@eggandonion

So you reckon I don't need to buy fun size Mars bars?

Yes and then when trick or treating is cancelled, you can use them to make Mars bar and banana toasted sandwiches! (Only good use for Mars Bars)

My class are desperate to dress up in school...they know trick or treating is very unlikely this year. Poor wee sods.

Poor wee sods indeed, yearning for something ordinary. Mars bar and apple sandwiches are a thing for Ulster Protestants, poor Catholic dh is still not able to cope with the idea.
Our local bakery has a long, narrow cafe, shut since March as social distancing couldn't work. I bought bread this morning, and brought croissants home so we had pretend cafe. It was crap. I didn't get a tip.

@eggandonion

So you reckon I don't need to buy fun size Mars bars?

I reckon you do!

But erm Mars bar and apple sandwiches..? I mean I dont want to get all political but..... 😱