So there we have it…
After 6 months, that’s 177 days, for the first time all three of my children are in school today! I repeat…177 days!!!
It has been the longest, most complicated process ever getting them back this year and I remain astounded that I think I got them all to the right place at the right time.
Middle child was off first and started back in Year 6 last Wednesday BUT starts at 08.30 now and finishes at 15.25 (both times different to previously).
Eldest started back last Thursday…but online from home. Four days of pre-recorded online lessons before he finally started back in school today…at 10.15! 08.40 tomorrow…I think.
Youngest started school in reception on Monday from 09.00 until 12.00. This changes next week and then again the following week when I will (fingers crossed), finally have 3 children at school for full days.
So far, so good. Then add in the fact that middle child woke up vomiting, totally out of the blue, at 05.00 Monday morning, therefore keeping her out of school again until today to fulfil the schools 48 hour sickness policy. She had two days off sick before the eldest even went back!
As if all that hadn’t been enough throw in a cancelled train on day 1 at the last minute this morning for the eldest facilitating a mad scramble to catch a train 25 minutes earlier.
Given all of the above I’m not quite sure why I am writing this and not sitting a hot tub with a glass of champagne!
Whilst as a family we have been lucky enough to have a blast through the majority of 2020 and really enjoy the opportunity to spend so much time together we are truly ready for some space. For the sake of my business, my sanity and theirs I really hope we get a few weeks back in school now!
Having said that in less than a week, as well as my daughter being absent, three of her four closest friends in her class have already had to go into self-isolation. Two because younger siblings had developed high temperatures and the third because she has developed a cough. The first two have already come back with negative tests and are back in school but for each one that has meant two children out of school (one completely healthy) and two healthy parents off work for two days again. And that’s in the first 5 days back. What makes this illness so much more frustrating is pretty much all mild childhood illnesses and colds start with a temperature or cough. It wouldn’t surprise me if classrooms are half empty by next week.
Add into that that it is getting harder and harder to actually get your hands on a COVID-19 test and it’s a bit of a disaster. Friends in Kent this week have been offered appointments in Cardiff, Gatwick and Haywards Heath! I am certainly no politician but I could have predicted many weeks ago that there would be a huge increase on testing in September, surely they could have forseen this?
With last nights news announcing social gatherings back down to groups of no more than six it really does leave me wondering where we will be in a few weeks time.
