Tiery Weary & Crackers!

[Bikingbear]

As a carry on from the last thread

@Peppafrig

I just heard back from our primary school the school are only providing a place for children that both parents are key workers . So guess unpaid leave for me as I’m not a key worker and neither of us can work from home.

Yes, we've had the same email this morning. Also that key workers that had space in the spring may not get a space this time as the conditions are stricter.

I just don't know what you are expected to do! Or indeed, anyone who hasn't got the kind of job that can be done from home with no pressure on time or deadlines that can be fitted around child tantrums/ fights/ IT failures/ explanations of the history around the Scottish wars or independence (DS doesn't understand that we were taught different history in England in the 80s, so I don't have a clue either). I would honestly like to see their equalities impact assessment into this. And if it doesn't recognise that closure of schools will lead mostly to impacts on women, it's a load of balderdash.

@Peppafrig

Oh yes I know it’s not the schools fault. It wasn’t a problem last lockdown as we were both furloughed as construction sites were shut down . But obviously that isn’t the case in tier4 . The head actually said as long as they are watched don’t worry about school work . If I can get any family members to take them . But I don’t have anyone. Who would take three kids in two weeks while they are trying to work from home. I couldn’t ask that of anyone.

Precisely. Regulated childcare is only allowed to take key worker and vulnerable children, so even if you're willing to pay for the care, it's not available. The government is saying "use informal childcare" which, as you demonstrate, isn't available for everyone. And those most likely to be able to provide it (retired grandparents) are hardly the kind of people you want to be imposing these potential plague spreaders on now, are they?! It's just ridiculous that they can't see the unintended consequences of this utterly unnecessary step...

Our local out of school care is open for keyworkers who can't get other childcare but I suspect their definition of keyworker will be more lenient! However, that leaves people out of pocket...
I'm going to ask family for help and just pray someone is off work. The school work probably won't be done to be honest.

Ignore me on that, the definition is set by the Scottish gov but I suppose it's an option for people who get rejected a school place.

@Peppafrig

Oh yes I know it’s not the schools fault. It wasn’t a problem last lockdown as we were both furloughed as construction sites were shut down . But obviously that isn’t the case in tier4 . The head actually said as long as they are watched don’t worry about school work . If I can get any family members to take them . But I don’t have anyone. Who would take three kids in two weeks while they are trying to work from home. I couldn’t ask that of anyone.

That's mince. I work in construction too and have a letter stating I'm an essential worker. Any old nonsense to get everyone back in the office and regain control.

Why are the criteria for key worker school places stricter this time round?

If I could pay for full time child care I would bite their hand off even if I was out of pocket it would be better than letting my work down. We have so much work on as we are catching up from being closed for so long over summer. My husband earns 4 times what I do so if he took the time unpaid we wouldn’t be able to pay our bills.

I think out of school care will need to close along with nurseries so I wouldn’t be relying on that - I know our out of school care won’t be open.

@Jellycatspyjamas mine text this morning saying they'll be open.

I’ve no idea why it’s stricter all the school said was this time round both parents need to be key workers . The criteria from last lockdown was

staff working for the NHS
staff working in health and social care
staff workig in the police
staff working for the fire and rescue service
staff working for the ambulance service
staff working for the prison service
energy workers
social workers

In my area it was always that both parents needed to be key workers, but I’ve noticed our local authority is only allowing what they call Category 1 key workers to apply for places, which excludes social workers amongst others 🤷‍♀️

Absolutely carnage in local Aldi. Couldn't wait to get out shop.

They had no bottles of Bailey's so headed over to local Tesco which was even worse😬

Ah shit I'm going shopping tonight, that doesn't sound good!

Shelves cleared of tins of chopped tomatoes in my local Aldi. Hardly any eggs.

Way too much deflection going on, is it a deal or no deal with regards to Brexit??? Government needs to stop using new variant of Covid 19 as an excuse to not let us know.

Our school (private) has emailed about what's happening and said the definition of key worker is much stricter this time because there is an expectation that non key worker DCs will be getting online education from the teachers who will be in school and they don't have enough teachers to do both successfully unless key worker DC numbers are low.

I'd imagine they're tightening the criteria because teachers didn't require childcare places last time, but are required to be in this time so will need childcare for their own kids. If that makes sense?
Don't know if we'll get a place as DH is key worker cat 3. He can work from home but not with 2 toddlers.

My local coop had some nice pigs in blankets and seemed well stocked - coop is now doing one hour delivery slots in our area too.

I just begged for unpaid time off as I can't get anything done whilst remote schooling the primary aged dcs, it's going to be sanity shredding enough as it is.

I've got zero informal childcare options - aren't they penalising people whose real life support systems are already thin?

We have had a update from our nursery seems private ELC is a bit more flexible and it's up to nursery to decide on places so key workers can be one parent.
They are also trying to meet the Scottish government today to get further clarification on if the nursery can accept working parents who have no adhoc childcare available.

I'm so grateful to them they are really working hard for parents about half of the parents fall into key workers us included but like us it's just 1 parent. I fully trust my sons nursery he spends 90% of the day outside and they were a designated key worker nursery hub so they are very good at bubbles, covid measures, no contact handover of children etc. My son regressed so much last lock down that he became terrified of other people so hopeful that he will be able to attend! Him attending nursery is the only contact he has with his peers as we generally avoid others (mostly because the other families we know don't follow the guidelines and I'm not prepared to risk it!)

Been to Sainsbury’s and it was fine

Yes, I agree about the schools shutting. What informal childcare do they think I can access when both my parents are in their 70s? plus how am i supposed to work when I have a 7 year old in the house ... .

Seems like the SNP are happy to throw working parents, especially women, under a bus again (because let's face it the impact on women is always going to be higher as we are the ones who probably work part time and / or have the lower salaries and are expected to sort out the majority of childcare). My DH helped a lot last time round but he can't do it now because he's under massive pressure at work.

Yes same here make plus he took the brunt of a two week covid isolation period - how many of us have also done that this half of term only to now face this crapshoot in January.

Still, onwards we trudge. Vaccinations!!

@Jellycatspyjamas

I think out of school care will need to close along with nurseries so I wouldn’t be relying on that - I know our out of school care won’t be open.

They're covered by the same rules as nurseries - can open for keyworker only. Out of school care network sent an email suggesting cat 1 and 2 only but govt website doesn't back this up.

Rookie that's an interesting take from the school. And really doesn't fill me with confidence that its only going to be a week online.

I managed to get my LO into nursery when they reopened I can't imagine I'll get him in this time.

I really don't know what they expect parents to do. I'm just so cynical is this a way to stop women working and get back to every household having one earner?
Reduce the unemployed- honestly I'm so cynical about everything they do.

The challenge we have is that they're currently saying 1 week, and the council haven't yet been clear about who will get spaces. We tried to run in lockdown 1 but we ended up with under 10 kids as parents were thinking it wouldn't last long so they'd muddle through.