Tier 4 - Are you sending your child in?

[Vemjs]

As the question says really - if your in tier 4 are you sending your little one in to nursery?
She's an only child and really could do with playing with people her own age but she doesn't need to go we can have her home but what are other people doing?

Yes we are for now- we’re tier 4, but cases are around 230 per 100,000, so much lower than other T4 areas. He’s also an only child, and DH and I both work. Keeping an eye on case numbers and rates of increase and will pull him out if our feelings change.

(Should also add that DH and I are both CV, and that DS starts school in September). We’re constantly juggling so many conflicting priorities to make this decision.

Yes. 11 months old. Full time.

Nope, made the decision on Thursday. Both our works are flexible 🙌 and we'll go back to lockdown 1 working patterns which worked ok.

Really relieved we have the choice as DH is CEV.

Our nursery doesn't start back until 11th (had always been planned to allow staff a proper break over Christmas) but yes, once term starts, DS will go back. Also an only child and I'm due to start back from maternity leave on the 11th so we need the childcare plus DS loves it and we've been very happy with the precautions they've taken so far. They did have a case in DS' bubble but it was quickly identified and nobody caught it (all the teachers were tested repeatedly and are tested regularly in any event). All the other parents seem to be sending their children in based on the discussions in our WhatsApp group.

Yes. I almost lost my mind in May and June as I was working from home full-time on critical projects and was getting up to work at ridiculous times then awake with the kids and then working til midnight to finish the work. It was horrendous and if I try to do that again I will likely end up in a very dark place.

Should add that I am also CV because I'm immunosuppressed but I also need to pay my mortgage so 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes

I am 66 wife is 40 and we have no other family here and our daughter is 4 1/2.

She is at Nursery and due to go back tomorrow.

My only concern is if we get sick there is no one to look after my daughter.

She loves Nursery.

My wife and I are going round in circles trying to make the right decision.

We live in Tier4 Kent and nursery is in Tier 4 London and either my wife or myself needs to take care of our business in central London.

I am hoping some other comments may help.
Thank you

Yes

Yes, definitely. I'm sure the March school/nursery closures will be upon us again soon enough and it was awful the first time.

I work in a T4 nursery. I am dreading going back to work. I have literally spent most of the day crying with fear. We don't get to social distance from your children or have the option of PPE. If you don't have to send your child why would you risk them and others. Children don't understand not to put things in their mouth. A common phrase I hear is please don't lick your friend, pick your nose or cough all over your friends food. Children are super spreaders at the best of times. They are your babies surely the most important thing is to keep them safe?

@Fandabydosey

I work in a T4 nursery. I am dreading going back to work. I have literally spent most of the day crying with fear. We don't get to social distance from your children or have the option of PPE. If you don't have to send your child why would you risk them and others. Children don't understand not to put things in their mouth. A common phrase I hear is please don't lick your friend, pick your nose or cough all over your friends food. Children are super spreaders at the best of times. They are your babies surely the most important thing is to keep them safe?

Why don't you have the option of PPE? Our nursery staff wear it most of the time.

I'm in London and I'll be sending DD in. I expect nurseries will be forced to close at some point so I want her to get every chance of interaction and learning while she still can. I view it as early years education rather than childcare, so I see it as necessary for her development even if we don't need it for childcare. I don't consider her to be unsafe there as they've had no cases in the nursery, and none of us are vulnerable in our household.

Throughout this pandemic local councils have recommended PPE is not mandatory and in some cases not advisory in early years because of the impact it has on PSED and communication and language. We have sent children home who have been coughing and when we asked parents they said yeah they have been coughing for a couple of days. Or when they have been in for a few hours the child deteriorates and turn out they had a temperature so parents gave calpol now the calpol has worn off and we have had a sick child in the building for 4 hours. When asked parents just say they wanted to play with their friends or I can't take time off work. Whilst I am sure most parents are considerate and sensible there are some who are not and they are putting everyone at risk. This is not unique to my setting. While there are people out there still behaving like this, it is not safe and purely luck that there haven't been cases in your child's nursery. Schools are shut and only open to keyworker children but nurseries are open to everyone, how does that make sense?

I’m a nursery manager. Please do not send her in. The staff with thank you endlessly.

My partner is currently on unpaid time off to ensure my daughter doesn’t have to come to nursery with me.

Well after all considered , we will not be going to Nursery. I simply can not understand why they are being allowed to remain open.

The sad thing is they need to be closed the same as primary schools (except for key workers children) and the government needs to find a way to compensate the business owners.

Currently I still have to pay the full fees.

@SteveBassi there has been an “explanation” published which might attempt to answer your question around why they can remain open.

www.eyalliance.org.uk/news/2021/01/dfe-provides-update-rationale-behind-decision-keep-early-years-providers-open

But they’re probably remaining open, like you said, so that parents still have to pay the fees.

Interesting article. However it does not reassure me sadly. All I can say , is I seem to have had more colds and flu since my daughter started nursery and I suspect this virus is similar to flu in terms of how it is transmitted.

Yes will be sending in but feel very judged by some people

What a crock. What is the difference between a 4 year old in a, primary school and a 4 year old in a nursery? Parents in my nursery don't want to get their children tested so if they show symptoms they isolate. Plus until just recently under 5s couldn't get a test. Teachers are represented by a union nursery staff are not.

@Fandabydosey I’m sorry the parents are your nursery are so unwilling to cooperate. My sons nursery require proof of a negative covid test. He have a temperature back in September and I didn’t question getting him tested. Many of my friends with children of a similar age have also had to get tests and haven’t questioned it. The nursery my son goes to had a confirmed covid case a month ago and no one else was infected. I’m inclined to believe the data which suggests nurseries are not causing big outbreaks but for this to affect you only requires one case so whether or not their our big outbreaks is moot on an individual level. I hope your nursery are doing everything they can to protect you. I definitely appreciate my sons nursery staying open and accepting him so I hope parents at your nursery feel the same.

Yes, I will because I need to be able to teach remotely, preferably by going into school where I can use the better quality equipment, or when that isn't possible from home, where I will also be looking after my baby.

The bar for online teaching has been massively raised from last time, whereby I could work in the evenings, upload my lessons ready for the next morning and care for my children, while responding to questions via email during the day. That's not going to cut it this time.

I'm pleased that for now our private nursery is remaining open, as last time there was only hub provision, and at age 2 as he was then, I would not have felt happy sending him to be looked after by strangers.

Nope, gritting teeth and keeping her home. The staff need to be protected.

No, we've taken him out for a few weeks. Two year old, Tier 4, very high cases - around 900/100k. Local hospital is really struggling. We both work from home so it's do-able, just hellish. I really feel for the nursery workers, it must be so scary.

I know my child's nursery haven't had any cases - they've had parents that tested positive and so their children isolated, but no positive tests in the kids. I'm happy with how they've managed it so far, it's a very outdoorsy nursery and they've taken good precautions, but this new variant seems to transmit so much more easily.

We'll send him back when our local hospital is in a better position and cases have dropped. At the moment I know a lot of people with the virus (mostly seemingly caught from their kids) and I really don't fancy joining them.