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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

COVID planning for your DCs?

12 replies

MrKlaw · 04/08/2020 07:53

Just thought about this last night - haven’t spoken to DS yet. They’ll be on their own, in various mixed groups. Sharing a house/halls with one group, going to tutorials in limited fashion with another group, potentially meeting up with yet more socially.

Have you thought about how to approach COVID - both prevention and dealing with issues if someone near to them catches it?

Eg if one of a shared house has to self isolate, does that block the entire house or maybe you could keep them to their room and the others can help with shopping etc. Shared bathroom may make that difficult in a private rental..

OP posts:

TheDrsDocMartens · 04/08/2020 07:56

Dd2 is very cautious and follows rules to the letter. She’s not easily influenced either. I also suspect she will prep as much as she can, plus will be in Scotland(hopefully) so tighter rules.

Dc1will (hopefully) be abroad. The country is lower risk than here and again tends to be a rule follower. More complicated if they get ill but decent medical care at least.

MarchingFrogs · 04/08/2020 09:30

maybe you could keep them to their room and the others can help with shopping etc. Shared bathroom may make that difficult in a private rental..

Surely a shared private rental household of students is the same as any other household unit? - if one tests positive, they themselves isolate for 10 days and everyone else for 14 (or more, if they then also have a positive test) etc. Or whatever the rules will be at the time.

Lavenderblues · 04/08/2020 14:35

Surely a shared private rental household of students is the same as any other household unit? - if one tests positive, they themselves isolate for 10 days and everyone else for 14

This is what I think too!

Yellowfeather · 04/08/2020 14:37

And they are adults. Back away and leave them to get on with it!

Original poster

MrKlaw · 04/08/2020 15:25

@Yellowfeather

And they are adults. Back away and leave them to get on with it!

Sure they’re adults but this is new for everyone and also potentially serious. I don’t think I’d be alone in thinking perhaps at 18-19 they aren’t necessarily blessed with as much common sense as some of us (some will of course..)

And I don’t think it matters how old they are - we’re still allowed to be concerned for our family members and their well-being

OP posts:

Yellowfeather · 04/08/2020 16:19

If course we should be concerned for their well-being. And part of that is allowing them to make them learn for themselves, rather than organising them.

You said "...maybe you could them to their room..." But it's not up make them do anything! And "Have you thought about how to approach Covid?". Again, it's not about you.

It is up to their household to act as a family, and to follow whatever the guidelines are in the autumn.

Cranmer · 04/08/2020 16:31

They are adults, but they are inexperienced adults without the network of support around them.

I suppose my worry stems from a conversation I had with a work colleague a few months back who said she has a really close relationship with her mum as her brother died 20 years ago whilst at university. He had what he thought was fresher's flu, took himself off to bed. No one checked on him and he was found dead 3 days later when his family had not heard from him. It was meningitis.

I know everyone has mobiles now, but families (unless you are Dominic Cummings) cannot drive to the other end of the country to bring back their covid positive DS/DD in a car when they have to self isolate.

Yellowfeather · 04/08/2020 16:40

Yes, you can't go and get them. Which is why they need to rely on their households rather than their parents. I am as guilty as many others here of over-organising in the past , and I have learnt that they grow up when you back off.

Purplepooch · 04/08/2020 16:59

@Yellowfeather I totally agree. I expect the Universities will issue them guidance of what to do.

You shouldn't go and get them if they are isolating hard though it is, as that would spread the virus further.

AgileLass · 04/08/2020 20:24

They can’t rely on their households if they test positive for Covid - everyone in the household will have to isolate.

God almighty PLEASE tell your DC this. Making me feel very nervous about teaching in the autumn.

Yellowfeather · 04/08/2020 20:34

The wonders of the internet supermarket delivery? Students households are going to have to operate like a family for the duration of the virus in some ways.

Cranmer · 04/08/2020 20:35

So if someone on a corridor in a hall of residence tests positive everyone who has had contact, whether that is because of shared bathroom, common room or dining facilities will have to self isolate. So basically the whole hall if it is catered with shared dining.

DD has been told that there will be different sittings for dinner in her hall, so I suppose that keeps them in smaller bubbles. I wonder if it is like my workplace where we have employed a person to go round every building cleaning tables, banister rails, door handles, light switches etc constantly between 9-5pm

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