FabSwingers.com forum: Preparing children ....

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

for the possibility of schools not reopening in September.

Is anyone doing this just incase?

My children are all adults now, but my friend has 2 children. One is counting the days until his school reopens, the other is dreading it.

My thoughts are that if they were my children I would be explaining to them that it might not be happening.

I think children have had enough to deal with this year, without yet another upheaval.

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By *oncupiscence73Woman
over a year ago

South

"for the possibility of schools not reopening in September.

Is anyone doing this just incase?

My children are all adults now, but my friend has 2 children. One is counting the days until his school reopens, the other is dreading it.

My thoughts are that if they were my children I would be explaining to them that it might not be happening.

I think children have had enough to deal with this year, without yet another upheaval."

Tbh I haven’t committed anything to my children just told them we have to wait and see. I think it will end up being blended learning in September one week on one week off.

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By *ETSHAVEFUN1Man
over a year ago

bromsgrove

Its tuff

This is new and different to all of the inabbints of the planet earth.

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By *allySlinkyWoman
over a year ago

Leeds

I think it is better to tell them that they will be going back rather than give them another five weeks of uncertainty.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I think it is better to tell them that they will be going back rather than give them another five weeks of uncertainty. "

But what if they don't go back. It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it. That's why I would tell them.

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By *obka3Couple
over a year ago

bournemouth

"I think it is better to tell them that they will be going back rather than give them another five weeks of uncertainty.

But what if they don't go back. It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it. That's why I would tell them."

Children coped with being shipped out of London during the war and many were displaced by the war in europe, they dealt with it fine, they will cope pretty well with not going to school as ong as the adults dont make a big thing of it

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By *uited staffs guyMan
over a year ago

staffordshire

I think it’s next to certain they will be going back - it’s not really an option to just stop educating kids long term

What I would prepare them for more is swabbing/disruption, possibly having to have a vaccine etc as all of that is more likely

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I think it is better to tell them that they will be going back rather than give them another five weeks of uncertainty.

But what if they don't go back. It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it. That's why I would tell them.

In those days children were of a completely different mentality. Modern day children don't know hardship or instability.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I think it is better to tell them that they will be going back rather than give them another five weeks of uncertainty.

But what if they don't go back. It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it. That's why I would tell them.

Yep exactly the same. Children of 80 years ago and today are the same and can be compared.

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By *heBirminghamWeekendMan
over a year ago

here

"I think it is better to tell them that they will be going back rather than give them another five weeks of uncertainty. "

... exactly this.

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

We’ve two in the same school but one is in the high risk category. So do we send one & not the other, neither, both, use the school (standard bus service, though rarely anyone else in it) drive them ourselves & pick them up????

Eldest has just picked subjects for next term & it’s them that’s at high risk. So they really need to be back but is the risk worth it. The school themselves have already said it’ll be our decision & they will support us 100%

An absolute minefield at the moment but we have a few weeks yet to see what pans out.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"We’ve two in the same school but one is in the high risk category. So do we send one & not the other, neither, both, use the school (standard bus service, though rarely anyone else in it) drive them ourselves & pick them up????

An absolute minefield at the moment but we have a few weeks yet to see what pans out.

Huge sympathy.... I can't imagine

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

An absolute minefield at the moment but we have a few weeks yet to see what pans out.

Huge sympathy.... I can't imagine

Thank you, it’s a good job neither of us are stress heads but this is close up there to when they had the big C & potentially could have a worse outcome.

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By *inky-MinxWoman
over a year ago

Grantham

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it."

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

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By *uenevereWoman
over a year ago

Scunthorpe

It's not an issue for me as ours are adults.

However, if they were school age, I would be working on the assumption that they are going back in September.

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By *inky-MinxWoman
over a year ago

Grantham

Missing school is not such a big deal. Children will adapt and, where necessary, catch up.

Missing a whole year, though maybe not ideal, will not ruin their education or their life.

It is odd times but we all adapt. I had broken schooling at times, for good reasons. I have 2 degrees so it did no harm.

I also believe this could be a great opportunity for children to learn things they want to, and not be 'forced' down a particular academic route.

The commitment of the parents/carers will also help

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

No, not because they are being schooled at home....although lots of them aren't anyway, but because they are struggling anyway without the disiplines of the school routine and being kept apart from friends, and normality.

Boredom and lack of interaction with peers and teachers too.

Parents are saying their children are losing their spark.

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

A lot of people who were evacuated as children in the war did NOT cope. There are plenty of cases where evacuated children were mistreated, unloved, ran away because they missed their families etc. Plenty of people grew up with mental health issues, but of course, these were not openly discussed or treated seriously in many. The fictionalised ideal of sickly London children living like they were in a Famous Five novel, skipping round the countryside, eating jam sandwiches and growing strong and sturdy is to wear rose tinted specs. Can anyone of any age on here tell me they'd not have struggled mentally if suddenly torn away from your parents at perhaps the age of 4, 5, 6 etc, stuck a label on and piled on a train, knowing your parents were staying behind? Would you have coped with that for 5+ years? No.

I don't think the pandemic is on the same level, but avoiding sounding very certain now and making children age-appropriately aware of the uncertainty is probably suitable. We can say "as things stand, you will be going to school in September" but can also point out that things are still changing often due to changes in the disease.

Our 3yo understands the concept that a nasty bug is making some people poorly and that's why we have to do some things differently, why we can't do certain activities etc. She understands that, so I'd imagine most children of school age can be prepared for the most likely scenarios (full time at school, mixed home/school based learning, possible further lockdowns etc).

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By *inky-MinxWoman
over a year ago

Grantham

"No, not because they are being schooled at home....although lots of them aren't anyway, but because they are struggling anyway without the disiplines of the school routine and being kept apart from friends, and normality.

Boredom and lack of interaction with peers and teachers too.

Parents are saying their children are losing their spark.

I think this a sad proof that (many) parents need to take a more active role in their childrens' behaviour and education.

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

Boredom and lack of interaction with peers and teachers too.

Parents are saying their children are losing their spark.

Agreed, We are lucky in that we moved to very rural Wales last year, here all but one of their friends are miles away so keeping in touch online has already become the norm for them. What they can also do here without us worrying too much is wander off with the dog (People tend not to approach him @ 10st) up onto the forestry commission land & play. We just use apps to track them live. I do go with them a lot of the time but we’ve walked there all day before now & not crossed a road or seen a soul so we are happy enough to let them wander. They spend enough time on electronic devices as it is so they need to be given some freedom to breathe.

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By *inky-MinxWoman
over a year ago

Grantham

"Can anyone of any age on here tell me they'd not have struggled mentally if suddenly torn away from your parents at perhaps the age of 4, 5, 6 etc, stuck a label on and piled on a train, knowing your parents were staying behind? Would you have coped with that for 5+ years? "

Equating that with maybe not going back to school in September seems a tad ott to me.

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By *j48Man
over a year ago

Wigan

Not a chance the schools will open in September

The snowflake unions will see to that...

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By *eeleyWoman
over a year ago

Dudley

I'm trying to let her have as normal a summer holiday as possible, I'm bringing up school until closer to the time. I'm going to give her 4 weeks of peace from stress and school worries.

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

"A lot of people who were evacuated as children in the war did NOT cope. There are plenty of cases where evacuated children were mistreated, unloved, ran away because they missed their families etc. Plenty of people grew up with mental health issues, but of course, these were not openly discussed or treated seriously in many. The fictionalised ideal of sickly London children living like they were in a Famous Five novel, skipping round the countryside, eating jam sandwiches and growing strong and sturdy is to wear rose tinted specs. "

Spot on, Same as the old un’s saying the Krays & Ruchardsons only messed with other hoodlums. What a load of rose tinted bollox...

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

Boredom and lack of interaction with peers and teachers too.

Parents are saying their children are losing their spark.

I think this a sad proof that (many) parents need to take a more active role in their childrens' behaviour and education."

Just be careful. Many parents are now expected (and need to) work FT, either from home or back in their workplaces, but also had to or will have to home educate their children. Those choosing to home educate under normal circumstances don't generally attempt to work FT at exactly the same time or even FT at all. Most home educators are part of home ed groups where children meet together, they take their kids on educational trips, which have been impossible under lockdown. Parents have been between a rock and a hard place. We worked for 3 months, FT, same hours, with a 3yo at home, including live teaching and meetings with all sorts of key stakeholders. It was incredibly stressful and we were very grateful for the option of nursery again in June (and our daughter is happy to be able to play with her friends as she has no siblings within 14yrs of her age). To try and actually actively educate and supervise at the same time as working is incredibly hard and we cannot criticise parents who have to work to keep up their rent/mortgage and put food on the table AND become teachers.

And aside, imagino being cooped up indoors all day if your family home/flat has little/no outdoor space or only communal space that might have been locked up during lockdown. Not pleasant at all and no-one's choice.

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By *eeleyWoman
over a year ago

Dudley

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

Yes, that is uncaring and totally dismissive of the struggles our children are dealing with at this time. Don't forget, they are young and this is an unseen danger, they cannot put a face or image to what is scaring them so their imaginations run wild. Their entire lives have been turned upside down, parents are stressed, people are dying and they have lost the release of school and spending time with friends. If you can't see how that would affect someone mentally, I'd say YOU are the one that has more serious things to be considered.

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

Equating that with maybe not going back to school in September seems a tad ott to me."

Did you read the rest or just cherry pick? I was replying an earlier post that said the wartime generation of evacuated children coped with that, implying modern children are somehow less tough than those of the 1930/40s? I then stated that I DIDN'T think the two were directly comparable and suggested some ways children could be prepared in an age appropriate way.

But, if you wish to apply your blinkers and just pick the bit that you want to read, I can't stop you

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By *eeleyWoman
over a year ago

Dudley

Boredom and lack of interaction with peers and teachers too.

Parents are saying their children are losing their spark.

I think this a sad proof that (many) parents need to take a more active role in their childrens' behaviour and education."

Your posts get more and more judgemental, if a child is losing their spark, it might not have anything to do with parents and their role in their behaviour and education, they might just be struggling with life dealing with a deadly virus that has grown adults losing their spark too.

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By *oggoneMan
over a year ago

Derry

"I think it is better to tell them that they will be going back rather than give them another five weeks of uncertainty.

But what if they don't go back. It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it. That's why I would tell them.

Now thats what you call rose tinted spectacles.

I have spoke to mine regarding what may be ahead

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By *oncupiscence73Woman
over a year ago

South

Boredom and lack of interaction with peers and teachers too.

Parents are saying their children are losing their spark.

I think this a sad proof that (many) parents need to take a more active role in their childrens' behaviour and education."

This

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

"I think it is better to tell them that they will be going back rather than give them another five weeks of uncertainty.

But what if they don't go back. It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it. That's why I would tell them.

Now thats what you call rose tinted spectacles.

I have spoke to mine regarding what may be ahead"

Oh and I missed the earlier bit about surviving the war in Europe. Presume the author of that comment felt the children of Europe who survived were unscathed?! What a lack of understanding that shows. There are relatives of mine who, due to their religion, were hidden by the Resistance during the war. They were hidden, away from their parents and passed from safe house to safe house. One was reunited with her father (but not mother, she'd been exterminated) after the war but did not recognise him. The other did not see his parents ever again. These people are now in their late 80s and I can assure you that they are traumatised. They do not wish to speak about their experiences because it is too traumatising. Just because people didn't/don't outwardly express their anguish and distress does not mean it was not there. Of course the children of Europe (and many other countries) in the post 1945 period were traumatised and only a fool would think otherwise.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Boredom and lack of interaction with peers and teachers too.

Parents are saying their children are losing their spark.

I think this a sad proof that (many) parents need to take a more active role in their childrens' behaviour and education.

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By *oggoneMan
over a year ago

Derry

Boredom and lack of interaction with peers and teachers too.

Parents are saying their children are losing their spark.

I think this a sad proof that (many) parents need to take a more active role in their childrens' behaviour and education.

This

No one is saying it out loud but covid has also demonstrated that teachers also act as childcare, its only a couple of months since Gove was trying to strongarm schools into reopening.

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By *oncupiscence73Woman
over a year ago

South

Boredom and lack of interaction with peers and teachers too.

Parents are saying their children are losing their spark.

I think this a sad proof that (many) parents need to take a more active role in their childrens' behaviour and education.

This

No one is saying it out loud but covid has also demonstrated that teachers also act as childcare, its only a couple of months since Gove was trying to strongarm schools into reopening."

Absolutely ... and how society actually needs teachers to do so much more than teach. Paid a pittance and treated like shit though as you can see by lots of people on here.

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

This only works on the 2.2 children, 2 car, dog Mr & Mrs average principal. Our kid at three was sitting in Grt Ormond St pushing their own chemo drugs through their Hickman line or insisting on riding a pedal car around the corridors with me chasing behind with the drip stand as 1/2litre of evilness slowly dripped into their body until they finally fell asleep

I do not & should not expect a whole school to stay shut for my daughters health, In the same way I do not & should not have to bend because somebody raised a worrier. Kids mirror their parents if they are shit scared of hats happening then that comes from somewhere & the only people they are seeing at the moment is you the parent(s)

We have one that could potentially die, yet she sits here concerned yes, crying, panicking, worried for her future or if she has one?

No, because we don’t!!!

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

Do people realise that there hasn't been another time in the history of education in the UK that schools have been closed to the vast majority for 6 months plus, with parents expected to offer education in lieu? Even during WW2, schools continued to operate, unless physically unable eg bomb damage. I'm a teacher (been working all the way through, continuing to do so now, no leave booked in August yet) but I would not expect our student's parents to be able to offer A level education in every possible Science/Maths subject. It's just not possible. We've taught pretty much FT online and are preparing to continue in September (due to nature of the students we take). I'm desperate to get back to our teaching centre and would go back tomorrow if I was allowed by SMT.

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By *riar BelisseWoman
over a year ago

Delightful Bliss

I am a keyworker so we will be going back into school bubbles again regardless of whether they let the whole school back in or not

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By *eeleyWoman
over a year ago

Dudley

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

We have one that could potentially die, yet she sits here concerned yes, crying, panicking, worried for her future or if she has one?

No, because we don’t!!!

My child is 15, she can think for herself and she's bloody terrified of covid, I, however, am not and have been positive throughout. Who's asking you to bend?

The nonsense about 2.2 kids etc, I'm a single parent who is the sole carer to my mother who has to live with us, how does that fit into your neat little judgmental box?

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

We have one that could potentially die, yet she sits here concerned yes, crying, panicking, worried for her future or if she has one?

No, because we don’t!!!

My child is 15, she can think for herself and she's bloody terrified of covid, I, however, am not and have been positive throughout. Who's asking you to bend?

The nonsense about 2.2 kids etc, I'm a single parent who is the sole carer to my mother who has to live with us, how does that fit into your neat little judgmental box? "

Sorry for sounding that way, I from my perspective at the moment am finding the talk of fully healthy kids having worries & breakdowns at odds with the likely reality, which is they in all likelihood go to school & not get it or they go to school get it & survive unharmed..

The second option for our 13yr old could kill her with one of a few linked secondary problems that have been confirmed by research & hospitals & it’s why she & her sibling were pulled by us from school a full week before they officially closed.

Our daughter understands 100% what is going on & the risk to her health, possibly life yet she is not phased by it, not panicking, not constantly bringing it up in conversation, she’s just concerned atm.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

We're in Wales and my 3 will all be back full time by the 2nd week of September. Some staggered days the first week. Confirmed by their individual schools a couple of weeks back

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

"We're in Wales and my 3 will all be back full time by the 2nd week of September. Some staggered days the first week. Confirmed by their individual schools a couple of weeks back

As long as you don’t spike down there I guess? Ours gave the dates but also the bottom line

“Subject to change by the Welsh Assy” or words to that effect.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"We're in Wales and my 3 will all be back full time by the 2nd week of September. Some staggered days the first week. Confirmed by their individual schools a couple of weeks back

As long as you don’t spike down there I guess? Ours gave the dates but also the bottom line

“Subject to change by the Welsh Assy” or words to that effect.

We'll be fine

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By *eeleyWoman
over a year ago

Dudley

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

We have one that could potentially die, yet she sits here concerned yes, crying, panicking, worried for her future or if she has one?

No, because we don’t!!!

My child is 15, she can think for herself and she's bloody terrified of covid, I, however, am not and have been positive throughout. Who's asking you to bend?

The nonsense about 2.2 kids etc, I'm a single parent who is the sole carer to my mother who has to live with us, how does that fit into your neat little judgmental box?

I understand totally you taking your children out of school early considering the health implications. My daughter is just a worrier, she's been like it all her life, she's always asked alot of questions and she sneakily listens to the news etc when we think she's engrossed in voice chat, she's ended up being really scared of covid and I pretty much have to make her leave the house so she gets used to being out and realises that the risk to get is very low.

It's a horrible situation for everyone and each of us has suffered in different ways.

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By *reat me rightWoman
over a year ago

Rotherham

My daughter is my only child. She was with me and her nana in self isolation (moms old and I'm knackered) from 17 mar and only saw her dad for a total of about 2 hours. He video called her so she could speak with the kids he lives with and has also spoken with her cousin but her behaviour and everything that makes her her was deteriorating. She cannot cope without the routine of school - I've made her do every stick of work that has been set but even I recognise it's not the "right" thing for her, she needs time with her peer group. I have arranged for a visit from 2 of her friends on fri (itll be baking, they will be outdoors) and shes beyond excited. She even spent 10 mins playing with 2 kids from one of her activities groups. They didn't remember her name and she can only remember one of theirs but she had interaction with her peers and even in such a short time I can see what a difference it's made to her. I really really hope they do go back and have been preparing her for how different things will be for her at school now.

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

We have one that could potentially die, yet she sits here concerned yes, crying, panicking, worried for her future or if she has one?

No, because we don’t!!!

My child is 15, she can think for herself and she's bloody terrified of covid, I, however, am not and have been positive throughout. Who's asking you to bend?

The nonsense about 2.2 kids etc, I'm a single parent who is the sole carer to my mother who has to live with us, how does that fit into your neat little judgmental box?

It's a horrible situation for everyone and each of us has suffered in different ways. "

Yes it is & unfortunately it’s not going away anytime soon.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The whole modern world is based on kids going to school. People cannot survive in many areas without both parents working. It's not like 70s and 80s when a lot of mum's were stay at home. For generations. Life is not like that depicted in the tiger that came to tea when daddy comes home from work. Without school. People can't work, prop up the economy or afford expensive phones.. Internet streaming services.. Cars. The govt, who have yes been a bit crap, have said business will be forced to shut if it means all schools not opening as normally as possible, outside of local lockdown one presumes. Also I think, the kids are looking forward to resuming normal life as much as we are. So told my kids they'll be back in September

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By *ady LickWoman
over a year ago

Northampton Somewhere

No, I'm not preparing mine for the possibility that they might not go back in September. We've had an email outlining the plans the school have made so that all year groups can go back.

I'm not 100% happy with it but my kids need it. They will be yr 10 & 12 and intelligent enough to know that things can change.

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

Their education is essential though I'm not trusting the seriously inept 'leadership' to improve much on their track record. They may be better to continue learning at home for now, including learning about our systems here.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I think in truth the kids are going back to school come what may. We will see lockdown easing methods clawed back over education not returning.

I go to uni in September and the messages I am getting is we have no idea how it will work yet... but it will be happening.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I think in truth the kids are going back to school come what may. We will see lockdown easing methods clawed back over education not returning.

I go to uni in September and the messages I am getting is we have no idea how it will work yet... but it will be happening."

I hope so.....my daughter is due to start in Sept too and I am soooooo ready to have the house to myself

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

We are absolutely preparing ours for going back. After months of uncertainty for them they need it. We must remember, yes our lives changed over night, but as adults we can adjust better, these poor kids worlds were turned upside down over night and the youngest ones didn’t fully understand what was going on, until we explained. Our youngest didn’t fully grasp why she couldn’t see her friends or family to start.

Taking away the need for education, kids needs to be at school for social development too. It’s a fundamental part of growing up. We have 3 girls ranging from 6 to 12, at the start of lockdown they coped very well but as I said kids NEED the socialisation aspect of school too.

I strongly believe schools opening will be top of the agenda for September, even if other things have to take a back seat.

This is the generation of the future, they need to go back to school and I know we have fully equipped ours mentally for this.

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

"I think in truth the kids are going back to school come what may. We will see lockdown easing methods clawed back over education not returning.

I go to uni in September and the messages I am getting is we have no idea how it will work yet... but it will be happening."

My son's uni, local to Manc, seems to have a plan, but then again, his course is usually fairly small groups anyway due to the nature of the course.

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By *uzz And WoodyCouple
over a year ago

Maidstone

"Not a chance the schools will open in September

The snowflake unions will see to that... "

Are they the same unions who stopped school staff working since March? Because all the schools around here have remained open to vulnerable children and the children of key workers since then. And they’ve been open to years R,1 and 6 since June. As the children have needed to work in smaller groups pretty much all of the staff have needed to be in working. In fact, they even opened over the Easter break and May half term. So, chances of the children going back in September is very high. In fact, our children’s school sent us their full re-opening plans in July and all children will be in every day with but staggered timetables.

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By *est Wales WifeCouple
over a year ago

Near Carmarthen

According to the latest report (August 4th 2020) from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there have been five deaths involving (not necessarily from) COVID-19 in children aged one to 14 this year in England and Wales.

Meanwhile there were 68 victims of homicide aged under 16 years in the year ending March 2019 (ONS)

Offences of child abduction recorded by police in England and Wales increased by 7 percent to 1,268 (in 2018/19) (ONS)

In the year ending March 2019, the police in England and Wales recorded 73,260 sexual offences where the victim was a child. (ONS)

But it's dangerous to open schools.

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By *ornyhappyCouple
over a year ago

perth

Ours are going back next week. I'm a bit anxious about it but have done my best to prepare the kids and to hide how apprehensive I feel.

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By *ackformore100Man
over a year ago

Tin town

This is a glorious opportunity for a lot of parents to really have a huge positive impact on their children's development. Some will struggle without being told what to do and when to do it. But I really hope people don't look back at the 9 months they had at home with their beloved kids with regret at the things they never did. It's easy to say I know but we have a responsibility to our kids to step up as parents. Lets meet the challenge. Just because it's different doesn't make it worse or impossible.

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By *uckslut and MCouple
over a year ago

Poole

Mine went to school during lockdown. They will be going back in Sept too. It's annoying as I'm getting email updates of changing uniform polices after I've brought all new for Sept. They now have to wear polo shirts, not blouses, and trainers not shoes.

Start/ end times have changed. Starting at 8am! Finish at 2.45pm.Another hurdel for working parents.

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By *allySlinkyWoman
over a year ago

Leeds

That seems a long day. Our highschool is doing 8am - 1pm

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By *ady LickWoman
over a year ago

Northampton Somewhere

Our school is doing staggered start/finish which is a pain for parents with children in different year groups.

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By *om and JennieCouple
over a year ago

Chams or Socials

I’ve told mine & their head of year that they will be back in September even if the school is closed. I reached breaking point. I am not a teacher or their friend. They need to be in school. They are our future

J x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I think it is better to tell them that they will be going back rather than give them another five weeks of uncertainty.

But what if they don't go back. It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it. That's why I would tell them.

In those days children were of a completely different mentality. Modern day children don't know hardship or instability."

I agree with you on this but it's because they aren't given the opportunity to problem solve and build natural resilience. As a society we make everything out to be 'mental health issues' we talk our children into being unable to cope, we encourage them to believe they can't cope. Kids are going to be a bit all over the place yes but what do we do? Label them with a mental health issue when we should be reassuring them that their reactions are a normal response to abnormal circumstances.

It's relentless in the media this determination to produce a sense of instability in kids and parents by constantly drumming it into them that they are not equipped to cope, positive reinforcement, minimising long term impact by normalising their feelings not catasrophising is where the focus should be but no, we set them up to fail by showing little belief in them, its sad

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Dates have been given for our children to return to school. They all will be back in school full time by the 8th September. They have seen the preparation video school made and as far as the head is saying, it is all systems go for school being fully open and operational at the start of the new term. My kids are excited.

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By *ister_ee_1981Man
over a year ago

Sunniest Exeter...

Children are very adaptable and capable. They are also not idiots. My personal thoughts are just tell them, the world has changed (it dies all the time) and it will be different but it is still school. My 3 yr old loves copying daddy "putting a mask on"

To paraphrase Darwin. Adapt or fail.

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By *mmmMaybeCouple
over a year ago

West Wales

We received a mixed letter from the Welsh Healthboard, two pages of as of xxx you no longer need to shield (for our daughter)

Ya we though, then the last paragraph

“Children are less likely to become very ill, however we have asked GP’s to look at childrens records ASAP & to advise any parents directly if they feel a particular child needs to continue to isolate. We have asked for them to do this by early September”.

Which is after they are due back in school.. & I’m not hopeful of “Early Sept” either with all that’s going on at Dr’s surgeries.

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By *reya73Woman
over a year ago

Whitley Bay

My children are 15 and 7. They are aware that we are adapting to changes and that school will be a bit different. We we will deal with it as it comes and we know that some of the experience will be great and some tricky.. Just like before really.

Were taking a curious and pragmatic approach. Any fears or concerns that I may have, I will not be passing on to them. They are resilient and will have their own thoughts, feelings and opinions.

Going with the flow and we will deal with whatever comes along. The most important thing is that my kids feel heard, considered and are allowed to have their own response to each and every situation that occurs in life.

They need to see their peers and and process and share their experiences.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

Sadly this appears to be the norm now.

I concur with an earlier poster who pointed out how different kids are now to those 80 years ago, or in other countries.

80 years ago as he said, they were moved out of London to avoid the Luftwaffe, right now there are children in China who can make Nike's (leaving aside the disgusting practice).

Our children, highly educated in outstanding rated schools, can't be trusted to shut a garden gate to prevent the dog being run over.

Sadly we have bred a generation of fairly useless people and it's rather frightening thinking that these will be the people running the country in my old age.

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

Sadly this appears to be the norm now.

I concur with an earlier poster who pointed out how different kids are now to those 80 years ago, or in other countries.

80 years ago as he said, they were moved out of London to avoid the Luftwaffe, right now there are children in China who can make Nike's (leaving aside the disgusting practice).

Our children, highly educated in outstanding rated schools, can't be trusted to shut a garden gate to prevent the dog being run over.

Sadly we have bred a generation of fairly useless people and it's rather frightening thinking that these will be the people running the country in my old age. "

What utterly tosh. If you speak to anyone in their 80s now, who were evacuated, who were bombed out, who lost relatives, who ended up in concentration camps or hiding, they WERE traumatised. They were just encouraged to internalise it and they have spent their lives dealing with it. I know people who were hidden by the resistance in the war due to their religious/ethnic group and they are STILL traumatised. Any mention of the war or the Holocaust and it brings it all back. Just because you haven't seen it or heard about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's more acceptable nowadays to talk about trauma in an external manner rather than to suppress it and so we hear more about it and its more public. That is all.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

Sadly this appears to be the norm now.

I concur with an earlier poster who pointed out how different kids are now to those 80 years ago, or in other countries.

80 years ago as he said, they were moved out of London to avoid the Luftwaffe, right now there are children in China who can make Nike's (leaving aside the disgusting practice).

Our children, highly educated in outstanding rated schools, can't be trusted to shut a garden gate to prevent the dog being run over.

Sadly we have bred a generation of fairly useless people and it's rather frightening thinking that these will be the people running the country in my old age.

Struggling to understand how you think that putting more weight on the heavy side of a set of scales is likely to bring it back to balance.

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

Sadly this appears to be the norm now.

I concur with an earlier poster who pointed out how different kids are now to those 80 years ago, or in other countries.

80 years ago as he said, they were moved out of London to avoid the Luftwaffe, right now there are children in China who can make Nike's (leaving aside the disgusting practice).

Our children, highly educated in outstanding rated schools, can't be trusted to shut a garden gate to prevent the dog being run over.

Sadly we have bred a generation of fairly useless people and it's rather frightening thinking that these will be the people running the country in my old age.

Struggling to understand how you think that putting more weight on the heavy side of a set of scales is likely to bring it back to balance. "

I have no idea what you mean. I am trying to point out that anyone claiming children of 80yrs ago were tougher than today's, because they "survived" the war, is taking crap. The only reason people believe that is because talking about the trauma experienced was taboo and so people bottled it up. Today's youngsters, thankfully, do not have to endure that because we encourage them to talk. That doesn't make them any less robust or tough or adaptable. I wonder how many of the people who think today's youth are all wimpy snowflakes actually HAVE children under 18 and/or work day to day with young people?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"It will be a crushing disappointment for some, and others might not be able to cope mentally with it.

Sorry to sound uncaring, but a child that will have a 'breakdown' because they are being schooled at home has way more serious things to be considered than if schools open or close

Sadly this appears to be the norm now.

I concur with an earlier poster who pointed out how different kids are now to those 80 years ago, or in other countries.

80 years ago as he said, they were moved out of London to avoid the Luftwaffe, right now there are children in China who can make Nike's (leaving aside the disgusting practice).

Our children, highly educated in outstanding rated schools, can't be trusted to shut a garden gate to prevent the dog being run over.

Sadly we have bred a generation of fairly useless people and it's rather frightening thinking that these will be the people running the country in my old age.

Struggling to understand how you think that putting more weight on the heavy side of a set of scales is likely to bring it back to balance.

What I mean is that yes, I have no doubt that the evacuees went through hell, and had lasting effects, but they survived.

What the kids of today are going through right now is a tiny fraction of what they went through and people are reporting that they are freaking out and can't cope.

As for me, yes I have two, 9 and 11. And from what I can gather from the various parents groups we are connected to is that we are lucky, and they are coping better than most. But even they are unbelievably soft.

Parents in the group have been reporting that they simply couldn't get their kids to do anything school work related during the term, and that they can't deal with the idea of going back. Parents in this very thread are reporting similar.

There's little denying that kids these days are simply too coddled, by their parents; particularly mothers though it can certainly be both, and their schools. They are also hugely held back by pathetically low expectations of conduct and performance in key areas. Paradoxically we also demand high performance in areas of debatable value for their age group.

We expect kids to be learning foreign languages at KS2, and yet not an eyebrow is raised when a kid isn't properly toilet trained at 5.

We chose to selectively remember what kids are capable of. When they succeed we laud it, which is great, but when they fall short we pretend that they aren't capable and convince ourselves that such failures are unavoidable rather than ascribing them responsibility and accountability.

Parents are so caught up in creating "positive mental environments" that they forget their primary job - Prepare the child to achieve in the real world.

This doesn't mean being the highest flying overachiever in academics, though that's helpful. It means instilling personal autonomy and agency as primary virtues from which self worth should be derived. It means creating an environment where taking responsibility leads to rewards and shirking it leads to detriment. Learn how to tie your shoes and tidy your room, practice mindfulness, be considerate of others without allowing their needs to dominate yours. Adapt or die. Be aware of the help you receive and be ready to repay it with help given rather than respond with expectation and entitlement.

Parents who can instill these values, rather than the chattering classes who favour the fashionable causes will create titans in a sea of fools.

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By *ir-spunk-alotMan
over a year ago

Southern England

they will be going back. The government cant afford them not too.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I've got 2 boys, both primary school age and this is effecting them in a negative way. They are missing the interaction and routine. They have slowly gone into themselves and are struggling with weight, as before they were in clubs 4 times a week.

It's not just the education they are missing, it's the social aspect, and in my opinion,that's more important. If something isn't sorted soon, then we will have another generation thinking they aren't good enough. So sad.