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Original poster

Guilt Free Railing 16

978 replies

WouldBeGood · 19/12/2021 09:43

The festive special!

As always, all railing welcome, along with good things or humorous asides. No resilience wankery. This is the safe place to let out anything that’s doing your head in.

OP posts:
2022HereWeCome · 19/12/2021 10:14

I have decided not to watch the news or read anything about Covid for a couple of days. I've had enough of the constant gloom-laden speculation.

OnceUponAWhine · 19/12/2021 10:19

Xmas Smile thanks for new thread,16Xmas Shock

the year is 2031, thanks @WouldBeGood for thread #56789

shouldistop · 19/12/2021 10:26

My mum text me saying there will be a lockdown. I feel sick with dread. I can't work from home with a 1yo to look after and a 5yo to homeschool. I can't work in the evening as I'd be on the phone to members of the public for appointments so it's set times.
It was hard enough in the first lock down just with a 3yo and second lock down was hard but at least I was on mat leave.
I wish she hadn't text me.

shouldistop · 19/12/2021 10:28

If it happens then we'll have to put the house up for sale, move to something cheaper and hand in my notice.
We just can't do it again.

shouldistop · 19/12/2021 10:30

Or the other scenario is I'm still out working with the public but we won't get keyworker places as DH can wfh. That would be even worse than both of us trying to tag team at home.
I feel panicky and close to tears. I really didn't think this would happen again.

Scottishskifun · 19/12/2021 10:39

@shouldistop if your DH work will categorise as key worker and provide a letter that's all you need same with your work. Teachers may not like it but redundancy versus child attending is far better IMO (realise it might be a polarising opinion though!)

It also depends on your LA as well. Some accept 1 key worker ours does so DS attended all last lockdown and about a third of the first after they changed the rules.
We were lucky our nursery is very understanding and actually offered parents to apply for places after key workers for those struggling.

Lidlfix · 19/12/2021 10:55

Why would teachers not like it? Many of my colleagues were in similar situations so know exactly the struggle of attempting to work from home with young DC whilst not being considered entitled to a hub place as they could WFH. I know many who will get signed off if it happens again, as last winter nearly broke them.

Scottishskifun · 19/12/2021 11:06

@lidlfix just going by friends who are teachers who weren't happy with the number of children they had in second time around and the amount of posts on MN with teachers saying parents were taking the biscuit.

Personally I think we are in a very different place teachers are vaccinated and many boosted with them being on the priority list in Scotland so I am hoping it won't be as extreme.

I honestly don't think we can put children through this again. The whole it doesn't impact them has been shown time and time again to be the exact opposite!

shouldistop · 19/12/2021 11:06

@Scottishskifun our council says both key workers working outside the home. Dh would be a keyworker too. I asked for childcare in the first lockdown and was turned down.

Scottishskifun · 19/12/2021 11:08

@shouldistop personally I would do what you guys need to and if that's requesting letters from employers then so be it!

ssd · 19/12/2021 11:15

I'm hoping all the rumours if lockdown again is just to frighten us into getting vaccinated

Lidlfix · 19/12/2021 11:19

Being blunt , your observation says more about your friends than teachers in general. I generally don't think social media is great representation of real views. I certainly don't think parents view teachers in reality they way some social media posts portray.

None of the teachers I know said anything like that, in fact they were reaching out to parents to try to get more pupils in to the hubs for a variety of reasons. But all our experiences are different and what we knew.

OldaRailer · 19/12/2021 11:20

Here for railing and venting. Thanks for the new thread.

ssd · 19/12/2021 11:21

I really don't see how they can justify a lockdown at this stage. The problem is the nhs. And if they want people to get vaccinated they'll need to get tougher with them. Not take it out on everyone else. Different if you can't get vaccinated through medical reasons, although I've read here its difficult actually getting confirmed as unable to take the vaccines.

2022HereWeCome · 19/12/2021 11:22

@Scottishskifun it's not that straightforward unfortunately. I work in health-related role but was unable to access a key worker space because I did not have a specific job title ... yet various friends working for the Scot Gov and in other non-frontline health roles (not in Covid-related work) were able to access spaces even thought their DH/DPs (like mine) were not classed as key workers. It's really arbitrary and caused a lot of resentment tbh.

2022HereWeCome · 19/12/2021 11:23

My LA was being really strict about numbers who could go into school. Expect it various across the country

shouldistop · 19/12/2021 11:24

It's frustrating as I can't be furloughed for childcare reasons as I'm public sector keyworker but I also can't get childcare.

Lidlfix · 19/12/2021 11:26

Very much, we had hardly places in lockdown one as hub provision was centralised. Version 2, where I am, each school offered provision, and there were far more places.

Lidlfix · 19/12/2021 11:32

Many public sector workers would gladly have been furloughed. Instead they had Ito work through the night when their DC slept or faced the wrath of their employers if their calls were interrupted during the day.

OldaRailer · 19/12/2021 11:33

I agree ssd about the problem now being the NHS.
Forcing vaccinations is wrong though imo.
They need to get out among communities and address the fears. Not put out centralised diktats to people who already are in a position of distrusting authority.
I hope public health are out there trying to persuade.

shouldistop · 19/12/2021 11:39

@Lidlfix

Many public sector workers would gladly have been furloughed. Instead they had Ito work through the night when their DC slept or faced the wrath of their employers if their calls were interrupted during the day.
I know, I would have loved to have been furloughed. I can't even work through the night. My boss was flexible in allowing me to spread my 3 days over 5 in the afternoons so I only crossed over with dh for 2 hours a day. It was just about manageable as we stuck then 3yo ds on an iPad with a snack for 2 hours. It would be impossible with a 1yo too and to do homeschooling on top.
ssd · 19/12/2021 11:59

Can i rail against that advert with the woman sitting crying on the couch saying she has a drug problem? Its on all the bloody time and its getting on my nerves.

Scottishskifun · 19/12/2021 12:06

It's very frustrating the discrepancies as actually the SG said that 1 parent had to qualify in June last year so DS was still able to as my work also refused to class us as key workers despite being on the list!

@lidlfix probably I think they were stressed out trying to do online lessons and hub work.

@shouldistop if private nursery then they might be like ours which second lock down offered to parents who were struggling just had to fill in a form.

My biggest hope is that the SG pay attention to all the dire reports on impact on children and don't do it in the first place!!!!

mibbelucieachwell · 19/12/2021 12:07

Thank you for the new Fred wouldbegood

shouldistop · 19/12/2021 12:08

The nursery maybe would take the baby but he's only in 2 mornings a week. MIL and DM will be doing the rest of the childcare which they won't do if there's a lockdown Sad it would obviously help a bit but it's not enough