Covid-19

[Edith Bacon]

At S's school, all food is to be eaten at their (freshly cleaned) desk in x minutes before they can go out to play. Lunches are to be wrapped in disposable wrap, so there is limited school to home transference. They will also have an additional afternoon break.

Interesting. Complete with brown paper bag? We haven't heard anything direct from our school yet, but I suppose fabric lunch bags are probably not the best idea because you can't give them a good clean each day really.

The different approaches are interesting. A’s school is also keeping the kitchens closed, so it’s packed lunches at their desks. But school has stipulated that all rubbish from lunches must be taken home and may not be left in school bins.

E’s school will be doing hot lunches but she will start taking packed lunches so she can avoid the busier canteen areas. Her school covers a wider demographic range than A’s school and has been providing lunches to quite a few students since lockdown started, so I’m pleased they’ve taken that decision.

[Edith Bacon]

Probably, kiwi.

Edith, I'll be doing a long school run now too. Honestly, I'm not terribly thrilled about having 1.5 hours of extra driving per day. But I am relieved we can accommodate it. (And it's by choice.) Most of the kids use the busing service, but I expect many will avoid it this year if they can - pick-up will be interesting.

Pick up and drop off will be carnage, won’t it? I thought hard about whether to let A use the bus but taking and picking him up myself would take four hours out of my day. Plus, E has no bus available and I can’t be in two places at once, so...

[Luce]

Our school did no hot lunches and all children had to eat in their bubbles at their desks. They wore whatever uniform we could manage at short notice but no ties. Nothing could be brought in to school, you just had to go in PE uniform on your allotted PE day. You had to bring your own drinks bottle for the day, no more water fountain thingies. Door and windows wide open - no one seemed miserable about that but maybe the novelty value of being back would eventually wear off?

If someone got a Covid test they would self isolate until the results. If it came back positive, everyone in that bubble had to take the two week hit. Luckily that never happened for any of our school bubbles in the 5 weeks it was opened.

I was genuinely surprised at how quickly it felt normal -
one of the reservations for me at the time was that it would feel too weird and cause even more damage. The school had so many creative tricks up their sleeve for keeping the kids both outdoors (in rainy Yorkshire) and apart - like measuring out how much space a dinosaur use in a playground, etc.

We had staggered drop offs and picks ups so it was all calm and quick - like a turntable of children. It's something I hope they keep if this is ever over. All children washed their hands on entering the building (and at about a million other times) but not masks or temperatures were required.

[olive]

God it’s all so complicated isn’t it? Living close to the school and not working feels like an absolute luxury right now. I really don’t know how some people will manage.

Our start times are staggered and initially they said you could only drop off your child during their slot regardless of sibling timings. One of my friends has 3 children and was going to have to circle the building for close to an hour to make her 3 drop offs! Thankfully the school have revised this so children can be dropped off in the time slot of your youngest child.

Lunches will be eaten at desks in your bubble. Children can bring their own lunch bags and hot lunches are still being served. I’ve got Lysol disinfecting spray for backpacks and lunch bags.

[Little My]

Good call with the Lysol spray, we bought two big cans of it from Costco. Perfect for backpacks! I am just imagining myself spraying the kids before I will allow them in the car. Can you even fucking imagine this conversation a year ago?!

[Edith Bacon]

Door and windows wide open - no one seemed miserable about that but maybe the novelty value of being back would eventually wear off?

Yeah - I was envisaging November/December/January/February when I said it seems miserable I bet it will be lovely for them whilst the weather is nice.

[Luce]

We did have a few stifling days but way more days of pissing rain, - June was like April. It wasn't freezing cold, though, at least, just wet.

Oh we had designated sibling waiting areas (outside, obvs) so avoid pick up taking too long.

For the first week I'd make the boys strip at the front door and put them in clean clothes, I'd spray them down, hand washing etc. Eventually my nurse friend told me that unless I was going to make them shower immediately as well then it was pointless to make them change clothes etc. They weren't allowed bags anyway so nothing to spray there, just just had to wash their hands before going anywhere else in the house and all shoes were kept elsewhere.

Oh, also, once they were back at school, we went into a kind of self isolation again. We were allowed to start seeing people and go out and about but we kept it to two families just in case - my parents and my best friend (because our kids were at school together anyway). It seemed like a good trade off.

[FiveO'Clock]

What would you spray your boys down with, Luce? I've asked Mr5 to stip, shower and change into clean clothes when he comes home from work. He's agreed, but I'm sure I'll have to remind him most days.

More companies locally are telling their workers who are able to work from home that they will not return until January at the earliest. Some have said they will not return until there's a vaccine.

The most impoverished public school system locally is having a three trimester year with the first part all virtual, the second part half time so they can keep social distancing and the third with everyone returning to the classroom with extra cleaning, masks, etc.. I feel so sorry for all the parents here who have to send their parents back to school and don't really have another choice, it must be gut wrenching. :sad:

[Luce]

I used to use the Dettol multi spray thing in a can, the one that can be used for hard and soft surfaces and air. Probably utterly pointless on boys' clothes but they weirdly like it, like a sheep dip

[emma_p]

The kids had baths as soon as they got home from school and their clothes went in the wash. The school suggested it when reception went back. I’ll do it again when they go back, gets bath time out of the way!

[Edith Bacon]

Sheep dip

[rosy]

Antonio Banderas has tested positive!

[Texaco Shirley]

My company have officially abandoned any attempts at getting normal office working back this year. Everyone seems quite happy about this.

[Ella77]

That’s interesting. Do they have a date/month in mind? My employer is still saying September (but they’re not enforcing it). I can’t help thinking that will have to change.

[baargain]

We're going to offer f2f appointments soon, but only for people who absolutely need them and can't access therapy over the phone/video. There's no move to get the rest of us in. I doubt we'll get there this year, and then why bother in winter, so I'm guessing next spring at the earliest.

[Disco]

My employer is still saying September (but they’re not enforcing it).

Same and last I heard officially is that they want to be leaders in getting people back into the office but no one is being forced as it can only be 20-30% presence at any one time. Logistically though for my actual local office I doubt people will be back in September. I'll be digging my heels in as much as possible anyway.

[Texaco Shirley]

That’s interesting. Do they have a date/month in mind? My employer is still saying September (but they’re not enforcing it). I can’t help thinking that will have to change.

I don’t think they have a specific date in mind. I have heard that senior management has been stunned by the Texas/Florida situation (Houston head office) so I think we’re all just battening down the hatches.

[Ella77]

Oh dear, Dic. What a thing to want to lead in right now.

That makes sense, Tex. I really don’t know what I want to happen with my place. I’m so grateful not to have lost my job so far: that’s all I’ve got.

[Texaco Shirley]

Our local management have been calling everyone today to say that we’re relaxing things slightly from only going in if you absolutely have to to going in if you would feel you would benefit. I assume that means anyone who needs the occasional day of working without small children mithering them every five minutes

[Disco]

I know! It pisses me off but after a twat manager mused to me that he thought I'd probably have to go in [last month] a senior manager rang me and said twat was talking out of his arse and to rest assured that no one will be forced to go in so we'll see. Like you, I am grateful to still have a job so will play it all by ear. My department Partner's cousin died from Covid in April so I know that he will hear my concerns if it comes to it and I get on really well with him so am happy to approach him if I feel I need to.