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Closing Schools - What about working parents !!!

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    #32
    Idbatterim
    Registered Users Posts: 17,849 ✭✭✭✭Idbatterim


    closing the schools should be a last resort, not the first resort it usually is :rolleyes:


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    #33
    Bullocks
    Registered Users Posts: 5,890 ✭✭✭Bullocks


    Sleeper12 wrote: »
    I read the OP. If the schools close down everyone will need someone to mind their kids. Even if the after school place stayed open he'd have no one to mind the kids during school hours. This is my point. Schools aren't a babysitting service

    He's not saying they are babysitting services. No one is.
    But kids go there 5 days a week and that's how a lot of lives are organised. No one planned for school closures in the middle of terms so therefore have no alternative childminders in place.
    I wouldn't like to be looking towards that situation with bills to be paid


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    #34
    killbillvol2
    Registered Users Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭killbillvol2


    AulWan wrote: »
    They said the number of new infections would double per day.

    So, there were ten NEW infections yesterday. Total cases 36

    Expect 20 new infections by tomorrow. Total cases 56

    Expect 40 new infections by Saturday. Total cases 96

    And so on.

    You really don't grasp this, do you?

    'And so on' takes you to 655,360 new infections PER DAY in a month's time.


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    #35
    Icyseanfitz
    Registered Users Posts: 7,409 ✭✭✭Icyseanfitz


    Idbatterim wrote: »
    closing the schools should be a last resort, not the first resort it usually is :rolleyes:

    Last resort? What wait for when everyone is all ready infected by which time closing schools will make no difference at all as people will be dying and the health service will be non existent.


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    #36
    jlm29
    Registered Users Posts: 3,818 ✭✭✭jlm29


    Idbatterim wrote: »
    closing the schools should be a last resort, not the first resort it usually is :rolleyes:

    I interested to know what measures you think should come before school closures?


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    #37
    Spanish Eyes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,919 ✭✭✭✭Spanish Eyes


    If Secondary Schools close there has to be a Lugs Brannigan cohort with a few water pistols and those ear splitting devices so that teens just go home if caught in large groups.

    You can just see it. Masses of them on DART to Howth with crates of cans on a jolly every day.

    Won't someone think of the elderly and at risk people....

    On the other hand, if they are at home using online resources with the teacher looking at them, they'd have to be home, or at least get up out of the leaba for the schoolday.

    Trying to be lighthearted about a big change to our lives coming down the tracks.

    I appreciate that younger kids will need minding somehow. It's a difficult one.


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    #38
    irishgrover
    Registered Users Posts: 2,496 ✭✭✭irishgrover


    we are looking at a situation where it is probable that a couple of million people will get this virus which will result in the death of 50,000 to 100,000 people (and that seems to be very conservative). Most of the people that will die are older people and people of all ages with existing issues (cancer, asthma, hearth issues etc)
    This is going to put an incredible strain on our society, on every single part of our society, the economy, healthcare, mental health etc etc.
    Too many people reading this will end us loosing loved ones, be they old or sick.

    Anything that can be done to slow this down should be done. Slowing the growth should increase our ability to prepare better. In addition the slower it grows the closer we will be to a resolution and the less people will die in the meantime.

    Our ability to holiday is gone, our ability to be fiscally solvent is as risk. However my main concern is how to I prevent my children from getting this and if/when they get it how I prevent them from passing it on.
    So not being able to work is very very problematic. However not as problematic as my child fatally infecting my parent or some random compromised member of society.


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    #39
    AulWan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,653 ✭✭✭AulWan


    killbillvol2 wrote: »
    You really don't grasp this, do you?

    'And so on' takes you to 655,360 new infections PER DAY in a month's time.

    I honestly don't know what your problem is. They gave this figure as an example of how rapidly it can spread. Thats what happens with pandemics.

    The mass spread of this infection here is highly possible if steps are not taken to contain it.

    RTE have already published that its possible up to 1.9 million here could be infected, another figure given was 60% of the population.

    https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0308/1120943-covid-19/

    Earlier, the Health Service Executive said that it cannot dispute projections that 1.9 million people in the Republic of Ireland may fall ill with coronavirus.


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    #40
    iguana
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 12,915 Mod ✭✭✭✭iguana


    killbillvol2 wrote: »
    So health care professionals met yesterday and said that the number of infections would double every two days, which would involve over 600,000 new infections PER DAY in just over a month.

    I'm going to guess that your family member either didn't grasp the figures or, more likely, that you don't.

    Our exponential rate, since the first case was identified is currently averaging at slightly less than a two day doubling time, which is disastrous. So presumably they were working off figures for if this trend continues. And we truly are fuçked if we don't stop it. The only way to arrest the trend is with serious social distancing measures, which will almost certainly include shutting schools.


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    #41
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,971 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    Bullocks wrote: »
    He's not saying they are babysitting services. No one is.
    But kids go there 5 days a week and that's how a lot of lives are organised. No one planned for school closures in the middle of terms so therefore have no alternative childminders in place.
    I wouldn't like to be looking towards that situation with bills to be paid




    So you need a babysitting service to replace the roll of the school. Can you get my drift here? Because parents have become reliant on schools to mind their kids during certain hours doesn't mean that , that's the schools function. Schools can teach via Skype if needs be.


    The real elephant in the room is the schools will be closed to stop the virus from spreading BUT the vast majority of the kids no longer in school wont be isolating. They will be going out to play & older kids hanging out at shopping centers.


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    #42
    Cordell
    Registered Users Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭Cordell


    killbillvol2 wrote: »
    So health care professionals met yesterday and said that the number of infections would double every two days, which would involve over 600,000 new infections PER DAY in just over a month.

    I'm going to guess that your family member either didn't grasp the figures or, more likely, that you don't.

    Actually that is precisely how an exponential rate works. Obviously it will not reach that number (they never said that number, did they?) as we will be running out of people but up to a certain point this is how it is.


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    #43
    Bullocks
    Registered Users Posts: 5,890 ✭✭✭Bullocks


    Sleeper12 wrote: »
    So you need a babysitting service to replace the roll of the school. Can you get my drift here? Because parents have become reliant on schools to mind their kids during certain hours doesn't mean that , that's the schools function. Schools can teach via Skype if needs be.


    The real elephant in the room is the schools will be closed to stop the virus from spreading BUT the vast majority of the kids no longer in school wont be isolating. They will be going out to play & older kids hanging out at shopping centers.

    So should all parents have a back up childminder for when the schools their kids go to year in and year out suddenly close? This hasn't happened before. People don't use schools as babysitters.
    What is your solution to working parents that can't afford to stop working but will have to?
    To me it feels like you're saying feck those parents sure they have just been using the school as a babysitter all along they'll just have to get real now


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    #44
    killbillvol2
    Registered Users Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭killbillvol2


    Cordell wrote: »
    Actually that is precisely how an exponential rate works. Obviously it will not reach that number (they never said that number, did they?) as we will be running out of people but up to a certain point this is how it is.

    I know how an exponential rate works - that's how I calculated the number. My problem is, and I'm out after this, that a group of health professionals allegedly sat in a room and stated that cases would double every two days without doing the maths past about day 3.

    Anyway, I'm off to self isolate and watch Cheltenham.


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    #45
    AulWan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,653 ✭✭✭AulWan


    Bullocks wrote: »
    So should all parents have a back up childminder for when the schools their kids go to year in and year out suddenly close? This hasn't happened before. People don't use schools as babysitters.
    What is your solution to working parents that can't afford to stop working but will have to?
    To me it feels like you're saying feck those parents sure they have just been using the school as a babysitter all along they'll just have to get real now

    Bullocks, you're right, this hasn't happened in living memory (pandemics have happened before) but this is an extraordinary situation the country is facing into.

    We don't know exactly how its going to pan out over the next few weeks, but the State has already committed 3.5 billion towards this and there will have to be some contingency plan made for workers who have to stay at home.

    It may be an extension of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, but not containing the virus is not an option.

    Sit tight.


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    #46
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,971 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    Bullocks wrote: »
    So should all parents have a back up childminder for when the schools their kids go to year in and year out suddenly close? This hasn't happened before. People don't use schools as babysitters.
    What is your solution to working parents that can't afford to stop working but will have to?
    To me it feels like you're saying feck those parents sure they have just been using the school as a babysitter all along they'll just have to get real now


    Well yes of course. Otherwise you'll end up sending in sick kids just because you haven't someone to mind your child. Your child will be one of those poor unfortunate kids with the perfect attendance records that infected all the other kids throughout the year.



    If you don't have grandparents, neighbors or friends to mind your child then you have to take time off work. It's not rocket science


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    #47
    Cordell
    Registered Users Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭Cordell


    killbillvol2 wrote: »
    I know how an exponential rate works - that's how I calculated the number. My problem is, and I'm out after this, that a group of health professionals allegedly sat in a room and stated that cases would double every two days without doing the maths past about day 3.

    Anyway, I'm off to self isolate and watch Cheltenham.

    1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024,2048,4096,8192
    We're good for 2 weeks.
    Also, this may suggest we're severely underdiagnosing it.


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    #48
    Salary Negotiator
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,148 ✭✭✭Salary Negotiator


    killbillvol2 wrote: »
    I know how an exponential rate works - that's how I calculated the number. My problem is, and I'm out after this, that a group of health professionals allegedly sat in a room and stated that cases would double every two days without doing the maths past about day 3.

    Anyway, I'm off to self isolate and watch Cheltenham.

    They more than likely said could double, not would double.


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    #49
    jlm29
    Registered Users Posts: 3,818 ✭✭✭jlm29


    Sleeper12 wrote: »
    Well yes of course. Otherwise you'll end up sending in sick kids just because you haven't someone to mind your child. Your child will be one of those poor unfortunate kids with the perfect attendance records that infected all the other kids throughout the year.



    If you don't have grandparents, neighbors or friends to mind your child then you have to take time off work. It's not rocket science

    There is a bit of a difference between one person having to take a day or two off work if their child is sick, and thousands of people having to take an undetermined number of weeks off work in a case like this.
    Remember also that lots of healthcare workers have kids, and the health service is in enough trouble as it is, without thousands of people announcing they can’t work. I’m not saying you’re wrong, people do need to make arrangements, but it is a worry for a lot of people, and not an unreasonable one


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    #50
    Cordell
    Registered Users Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭Cordell


    Salary Negotiator wrote: »
    They more than likely said could double, not would double.

    No one can say for sure, but this it's what have been observed in the other affected places, an exponential rate of 2.something.
    Of course, here it may be better, or it may be worse, it depends on a lot of factors. For example, things like one-of housing and bad public transport which are generally perceived as negative may actually help us this time :)


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    #51
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,971 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    jlm29 wrote:
    There is a bit of a difference between one person having to take a day or two off work if their child is sick, and thousands of people having to take an undetermined number of weeks off work in a case like this. Remember also that lots of healthcare workers have kids, and the health service is in enough trouble as it is, without thousands of people announcing they can’t work. I’m not saying you’re wrong, people do need to make arrangements, but it is a worry for a lot of people, and not an unreasonable one

    In most cases it should be easier to get someone to mind your kids when every school closes. You buddy up with another parent or two or three parents & take turns in minding each others children. You take turns in taking time off work. Now is the time to make these arrangements & not wait until the school closes


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    #52
    jrosen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭jrosen


    If schools need to close then they need to close.
    But its totally understandable for parents to be concerned. Taking a day or two off for a sick child is totally different to needing to take time off at short notice for an undetermined length of time.

    Not everyone has grandparents or friends. Not to mention elderly grandparents in the higher risk category.
    We have no family support.
    Working parents try really hard to balance their work around school as it is, start times end times, schools holidays and other days in the calendar year that require early pick up or teaching training days off.


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    #53
    Antares35
    Registered Users Posts: 3,845 ✭✭✭Antares35


    Understandable that parents are concerned, but as someone in an at risk group, I'd be really annoyed if they were left open just so people have somewhere for their kids to go during the day.


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    #54
    Captain Flaps
    Registered Users Posts: 1,834 ✭✭✭Captain Flaps


    Cordell wrote: »
    If their kids are not at school their parents can't be at work, and this will affect us all when the economy collapses.

    What does OP do with their kids during the summer months?


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    #55
    Princess Calla
    Registered Users Posts: 5,843 ✭✭✭Princess Calla


    Captain Flaps wrote: »
    What does OP do with their kids during the summer months?

    You know those months are off so arrangements are probably made well in advance.

    This is unprecedented.


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    #56
    Cordell
    Registered Users Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭Cordell


    Well, ask him, I reckon they usually make arrangements as summer is something quite predictable, at least time wise :)


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    #57
    Captain Flaps
    Registered Users Posts: 1,834 ✭✭✭Captain Flaps


    Absolutely, I'm just making the point that if solutions exist for 25% of the year, I'm sure they're plausible options for this. Unless of course you save up during the school year to pay for extra childminding which would A) be too expensive to maintain longer term or B) not available because those people are also not working.


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    #58
    iamwhoiam
    Registered Users Posts: 16,127 ✭✭✭✭iamwhoiam


    Captain Flaps wrote: »
    What does OP do with their kids during the summer months?

    Most people have arrangements for the summer as they know the school calendar . I know for example many Polish workers bring their parents over for the summer to mind kids


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    #59
    ax530
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭ax530


    Reducing the impact of the virus is something that everyone can do a bit to help.

    If schools are closed so will the secondary schools and colleges.
    There will be plenty of people willing to do babysitting jobs as those who have part time work/ 0 hour contracts in hospitality type jobs will be glad of some work. Already there are lots of people impacted by loss of earnings. It would work well if you hired someone like that to cover your childcare while school closed.

    My work is flexible and can work from home. So I expect I would be able to do an hour in morning and afternoon then fill in rest of time evenings when children bed.
    I would be willing to help out friends\neighbours during the day by minding their children also.


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    #60
    Princess Calla
    Registered Users Posts: 5,843 ✭✭✭Princess Calla


    ax530 wrote: »
    Reducing the impact of the virus is something that everyone can do a bit to help.

    If schools are closed so will the secondary schools and colleges.
    There will be plenty of people willing to do babysitting jobs as those who have part time work/ 0 hour contracts in hospitality type jobs will be glad of some work. Already there are lots of people impacted by loss of earnings. It would work well if you hired someone like that to cover your childcare while school closed.

    My work is flexible and can work from home. So I expect I would be able to do an hour in morning and afternoon then fill in rest of time evenings when children bed.
    I would be willing to help out friends\neighbours during the day by minding their children also.

    As a parent I would be reluctant to "hire" someone not garda vetted.

    I'm not affected by this, so I'm not saying that to be awkward.


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    #61
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,971 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    Cordell wrote: »
    Well, ask him, I reckon they usually make arrangements as summer is something quite predictable, at least time wise :)




    What if your child was Jaundiced? They could have to be off school for months with some illness. You'd have to come up with a plan then on even shorter notice & if your child had a contagious illness like Jaundice you couldn't buddy up with other parents.



    It's part of life & part of being a parent


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