Both my kids are having major panic issues about going to school in the current situation.

Both of them (9yo & 13yo) are worried that they’ll get infected not know and pass it on to either my wife (at risk due to asthma & kidney issues) or either my Dad (74) or MIL (80).

Problem is I don’t want to just pull them from school – not because I don’t want to get fined – but I want them to do ‘normal’ for as long as is feasible.

Lack of direction from government and schools is becoming increasingly frustrating.

Daughters school is still going swimming at local leisure centre today when other schools have cancelled anything external.

Not overly happy with her going so will probably get an ‘absent’ when I collect (along with other parents) at lunch time.

I don’t get the “I can work from home – but kids can carry on going to school” – they seem at odds with each other, and that’s what the kids have picked up on.

Anyone else in a similar boat?

Lack of direction from government and schools is becoming increasingly frustrating.

I’m not sure where you get your updates, but it’s been pretty clear. Schools stay open as long as possible.

When most of the teachers are off with a cough, they will have to close.

Trouble is, once they close, when can they re-open?

Trouble is, once they close, when can they re-open?

Teachers should be returning after 7 days if they have a cough.

From my very limited experience, individual Teachers seem to understand their job in all this and are accepting the risks where they can. Heads on the other hand seem to want to close ASAP.

I can see a time when they send kids home and run small classes for key workers kids.

Just the opposite; my 5 year old is massively sulking and being a little shite because she can’t go to school.

Our 1 year old has a cough and temperature (due to teething same as she gets every time a tooth comes through) but Nursery sent her home and because the symptoms are close to the virus we all need to stay home for 14 days. 2 days so far and I already want to throttle them! I hate working from home!

Have the same issue here. The government have been crap with advice and clearly have sent mixed messages.

I’m not working from home as the kids are meant to be in still.

I can’t square damaging the hospitality industry with one statement then keeping the kids at school when discussing social distancing, it’s almost like the Tories think everyone goes to boarding school so don’t mingle with the older populations….

Nope no problems at all here even though they can’t see my parents for 12 weeks they understand that even if they get it they’ll be fine.

Lack of direction from government and schools is becoming increasingly frustrating.

They’re not closing yet, they’ve made that very clear on a number of occasions.

Mrs Dubs is really happy about having to go to the germ factory every day.

Won’t be long before they close – her school has sent every year except 11 and 13 home because they don’t have the staff.

Yep kids are worried. We’re collapsing classes and staff are off 7days if they have symptoms 14 if it’s family members.
There’s a rush to get more evidence for exam boards but staff are dropping like flies, can’t see it lasting to Friday.
My worry is my mum who is just out of hospital. Schools are filthy as cutbacks have hit cleaning and kids don’t follow basic hygiene advice no matter what parents think. We’ve got 30% in SIMD 1&2 so concerned about them being fed clothed and kept warm is high.

Yep, My daughter. But she’s a teacher.

At her school yesterday, they were 22 teachers down. They are not teaching anymore, they are providing childcare.

No, our kids love going to school, and KJ01 has his SATs in May so hopefully it continues as long as possible.    I’m really impressed with the handwashing routines & cleanliness the school has imposed TBH.

Although he has extra tutoring once a week and thats been defaulted to Skype.

I’m not sure where you get your updates, but it’s been pretty clear. Schools stay open as long as possible.

Ok, lack of direction probably should have been ‘lack of consistency’.

They’re telling people to socially isolate and avoid public transport etc.

Loads of secondary school kids use public transport, load of parents taking kids to school use public transport.

Don’t go to the gym or pub – but it’s ok to take a class of kids to the leisure centre for swimming.

A lot of primary kids are picked up by the ‘at risk community’ for those that can’t WFH or pay for after school clubs.

The whole school thing just seems at odds with everything else.

Yes kids don’t get it very badly – but they can pass it on, and that is what’s worrying my kids with vulnerable people in the family – regardless of seeing grand parents.

The government have been crap with advice and clearly have sent mixed messages

Example please. The message on schools is clear AFAICS.
Schools staying open until absolutely necessary/the right time.

We’ve one refusing to go as he had a cold and doesn’t want to pass it on…

Since Monday when one of the kids was confirmed C19, attendance has plummeted and staff dropping like flies. I can’t see the school open beyond Friday as more and more staff are off.

There’s also a toxic air on the school parents Facebook group, I think it’s feeding the children’s anxiety a lot.

One of mine is, but not because of Coronavirus. He’s had a cough since last week but his mum, a nurse, is sure it’s just a normal cough as he’s had no fever at all. Even so, he’s had his week off school and has made so much progress on some PlayStation game that he doesn’t want to go back tomorrow.

I’ve taken my daughter out of school since Monday.

Her brother had a temperature later on the Monday so turns out it was the right decision too.

But I would take kids out now and deal with any fallout after. Me and my wife can both work from home. I don’t do any work in day time but some in the evening.

These are not normal times, you need to adjust accordingly.

Mrs FB is in a high risk category due to post chemo drugs she is on as is FB jnr (cerebral palsy & epilepsy). She has been advised to reduce social contact and consider the kids exposure at school. FB jnr is in yr 9 at a SN school so it’s less academic.
Little miss FB in mainstream yr 6 so SATs are nearing. Both schools have agreed absence for them but they were so stroppy about it and still wanted to go. I’m relaxed about the SATs as I think it more for the schools benefit than the pupils.

Mine are geared up to be sent home at any time, but certainly not panicking.

They are seeing the same news and social media info that the rest of the country are seeing, they both seem to have understood what they are seeing and got their heads round it.

There’s also a toxic air on the school parents Facebook group, I think it’s feeding the children’s anxiety a lot.

Seems to be a connection between attitudes from posters on here and their kids reactions.

Both of mine are keen to have school on for as long as possible as they know that when it shuts, that will be it for face to face contact with their mates for a while. My eldest’s school has already shut 2 years, so he knows it is coming. They have online learning already set up. Primary were prepping my youngest’s class yesterday for online learning too.

Mrs SWSD has had an almost full class of 9 year olds all week.

Some of them were a bit worried, but they had a proper Corona virius lesson – this is what it is, this is what it does, this what “vulnerable” means and this is what you can do to help. They all seem very sensible about it, as are their parents – (and it the first time she’s ever seen 9 year old boys want to wash their hands).

I can see a time when they send kids home and run small classes for key workers kids.

Mrs SWSD is actually looking forward to this (if it happens) – You can get away from the curriculum and all the shite box ticking and do some fun teaching instead.

No problems here. My 8yo understands why the schools are open and why we’re trying to minimise social contact elsewhere.

She also understands that if one of us gets a cough or a temperature we all have to self isolate.

She’s also 100pc clear that we’re at little risk ourselves and we’re taking these actions for others.

(The younger one has no clue what’s going on except he has to cough into his elbow.)

From my very limited experience, individual Teachers seem to understand their job in all this and are accepting the risks where they can.

My wife is a teacher and in her words “I signed up to be a teacher, not on the front line medical risk”. Her colleagues are dropping out like flies and word went out yesterday for all pregnant / underlying health issues not to come back for 3 months. Yesterday was just spent doing cover for classes, no real teaching other than getting kids up to speed on whatever form of online learning they can find.

Couple this with her mum, who needs steriods for a common cold and my wife is displeased to say the least at the handling of this affair.

My wife (secondary teacher) has stopped going in but for medical reasons – she’s on a drug which lowers her immune system to slow down her progressive MS. Getting this virus could have serious consequences. As a result we also pulled the kids (7 and 10) from school and I’m working from home for the forseeable future. Wifes school was down 18 staff members yesterday and they’re expected to close by the end of the week regardless of government direction.

Kids school were brilliant when we told them the boys wouldn’t be going in. They know that we’re not going to let them sit on the xbox all day and we’ve devised a timetable of mixed learning activities split by free time for footy in the garden, laptop, lego etc. They’re missing friends etc but to be honest, they’re having a great time. The biggest thing they’re missing is their football on a weekend as all grassroots stuff is cancelled…

one at school and loving that its half full so getting quality learning done. So many are “developing symptoms” to have a week or two off…the other has been advised she no longer attends as she is type 1 and asthmatic, we are now both working from home as best we can.

“I signed up to be a teacher, not on the front line medical risk”.

My wife’s also a teacher and is a little more public spirited. Her pupils are coming up to GSCEs and many of their parents work in the NHS.

My 12 year old loves school and went without any issues. My daughters school closed last night after of their 18 teachers self isolated in two days.

but it’s ok to take a class of kids to the leisure centre for swimming.

I took 750jnr swimming yesterday. We had the pools to ourselves for most of our time there.

Oh another virus thread. I thought it was just about kids being normal and not liking school. Oh well.

Alex, the oldest, really doesn’t want to go to school but that’s nothing new as he doesn’t like school anyway. So he’s gone in again today. The 3 youngest all love school so have gone in as normal and not overly worried about it. I think they are worrying more about not seeing their friends than anything else. Either that or the thought of spending all their time stuck with me isn’t really appealing. Don’t blame them either if I’m honest.

As I said in another thread, I am crapping it. I try not to let my anxiety and depression become a factor when talking to them about things so they are still quite upbeat about things luckily. But they do know the seriousness of it all too.

My wife’s also a teacher and is a little more public spirited. Her pupils are coming up to GSCEs and many of their parents work in the NHS.

+1

It’s been eye opening (and somewhat depressing) to see which of my friends are public spirited and which care about themselves only.

From my very limited experience, individual Teachers seem to understand their job in all this and are accepting the risks where they can. Heads on the other hand seem to want to close ASAP.

In my limited experience it’s the other way around, the head and senior leadership team are doing everything they can to keep the school open as long as possible and protect vulnerable members of staff, the support staff are mucking in, helping where they can, many teachers are also doing so and then there are the militant and selfish teachers who think it’s their right to go home, won’t be flexible and are generally pushing up the stress levels of those who are trying. Foremost in this latter group of complete ***** is one of the union reps who is being as awkward and confrontational as possible.

Back on topic, kids seem OK at the moment, one’s not keen on school due to other issues although some very good pastoral care from the school on Monday may have sorted that. The other is a bit more aware and is in boarding school and is very fed up with the lack of communication from teachers or house parents (apparently the teachers have been told not to discuss it with the kids). There’s a lot of inconsistency, year 7 have been sent home but auditions for next year entry are still going ahead today (it’s a ballet school), most other ballet schools have cancelled their final auditions (which is also adding to the stress as she was due to attend finals at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she really wants to go next year but now we don’t know what’s happening. On top of GCSEs, auditions, me job hunting and now this it’s been a tough couple of months. To cap it off my wife is an exams officer and they’re getting very little direction from the exam boards at the moment, they can’t really see how the exams can be cancelled, the knock on effect would collapse the system. Invigilators are now also (understandably) pulling out as many are in the at risk category. Apparently it’s in the teachers contract that they don’t cover invigilation, I expect the better ones will and the unionised ones won’t.

Guess it depends where you are. We’re in a town just south of Luton, trains into London overflowing every morning – station carpark now 2/3 empty, so possibly in a different situation to Northumberland wrt exposure.
Wife is wfh, a couple of health issues, so we’ve kept the kids out of school all this week. Monday there were only a few kids off school- today it’s only running yr7, 11 and 13 due to limited staff, and not sure whether it’ll be able to open tomorrow.

Our girls’ primary school is still open but they have made it clear that anyone that decides not to attend will have their absence authorised. They are gutted though as their week-long ‘residential’ in two weeks is expected to be cancelled.

My 11 year old was deffo in the reluctant side of things this morning. I think it’s more because he thinks they’ll be sent home full time soon rather than impending doom.

My son is yr13, A levels after easter. School is open, but he is reluctant. He’s got a confirmed unconditional offer from his first choice uni so is sitting pretty compared to most. I can’t see the school lasting until easter now households stay home for one symptomatic member.

The advice is clear: schools should stay open.

What’s not clear is why this is ok. People are being told they shouldn’t go to a wedding or for a group bike ride, yet it’s fine to keep schools with 2000 people going. I don’t see how both these strategies can be correct.

If the kids stayed with the same teacher and in the same classroom all day I could maybe see it, but each teacher and classroom will see maybe 150 students every day, and a different 150 the next day. It seems to be the perfect way to spread disease.

Nothing personal here by the way. I work with adults with physical and learning disabilities – we’re keeping things as regular as possible, although many changes are unavoidable. Our people don’t really have a choice, but schools do – I’m not convinced they’re making the correct one.

Our girls’ primary school is still open but they have made it clear that anyone that decides not to attend will have their absence authorised.

Same here. But given that most after school clubs have closed, and teachers are dropping like flies, it’s clear that once again the government advice will be rendered moot.

My wife’s also a teacher and is a little more public spirited. Her pupils are coming up to GSCEs and many of their parents work in the NHS.

It’s been eye opening (and somewhat depressing) to see which of my friends are public spirited and which care about themselves only.

Using children as a vector to infect the population in a semi-targeted uncontrolled way is not really public spirited however you twist it.
Should it turn out the WHO’s teams of epidemologists turn out to know more than Boris’s “experts” it seems very unlikely the GCSE’s will take place at the normal/planned time anyway.

On the other hand GCSE’s and the “even more important SATS” can be deferred with a penstroke.

we are self isolating (wife has a crappy cough) and last night my eldest was hatching plans to get up early and escape to school today. course he didnt, he just got up and watched crap on youtube on his phone)

Yes my daughter is unhappy going to school. They are 15+ teachers down, so combining ability classes etc. She says they aren’t actually teaching anything and she’d get more use staying at home revising (which I’d agree with as she is conscientious).

She has GCSE’s exams starting in May which is the worrying factor, as IMO these are the most important exams of her life.

no issues here with kids not wanting to go to school and nursery. The issue is a possiblity of a lack of teachers. No reason why kids shouldn’t go to school.