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Are T1 parents sending their (non diabetic) kids back to school / nursery?

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M

MiaVision

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all,

Apologies if someone's covered this already, I'm new here so finding my way around.

I'm type 1 with a 3 year old son we've had out of nursery since early March. I'm interested to hear if other T1 parents are sending kids back in yet? I've been promising him it would just be a few weeks since Easter and he's desperate to see his friends, plus I've completely run out of home-based activity ideas. My partner works from home and I'm on maternity leave with our baby so nursery is our main risk of covid exposure. They've had no cases yet but we're in London and it feels like there's always a risk.

I'm just not sure how I'm ever going to feel like it's safe to send him back? What do other people think?
 
My children are older so they have to be back at school in September. If I had a nursery age child, I’d be making my decision based on the individual nursery ie what precautions they’re taking, what the other parents are like, the size of the rooms, etc.

Only you can make the decision unfortunately. It’s a question of weighing up the risks against the benefits. Are there any other socialisation options available? Any groups that you could, say, meet up with regularly for walks?

Personally, that’s what I’d do - avoid nursery but identify other options.
 
My daughter is year 9 and will be going back in September, she has hated lockdown and is absolutely desperate to go back. We have had a letter from the school detailing how they plan to manage social distancing, cleaning etc and to be honest I think they are doing everything they possibly can. If I kept my daughter off any longer I think we would be heading for mental health problems.

You are right there's always a risk, and that's the main problem - you can’t keep yourselves locked up forever, normal life has to return to some degree at some point. There are always diseases out there but you don’t catch all of them, it's all about weighing up risks and acting appropriately. I realise it's harder to keep little ones socially distanced as they don't really understand why the rules have changed and only live from one moment to the next. Have you contacted the nursery to find out how they plan to manage things? I work at a primary school, they have had key worker children in since March and years reception, 1 and 6 since the beginning of June (although not all of them). Things are very strange with all the “bubbles” and rigorous hand washing routines etc, but it seems to be working, we have had no cases of covid19 and I don’t think any suspected cases either.
 
Thanks both. I think as you've rightly identified my main concern is around the inability to socially distance pre-schoolers! My son has a best friend at nursery and we recently attempted a doorstep visit to see him. They thought it was hilarious to reach over and try to touch each other when the mums weren't looking. Argh. I feel like I'm horribly overreacting but I know the best friend's family haven't been distancing and reuniting the two of them at nursery terrifies me!

The nursery generally seems to have lots of good protocols in place - keeping parents out of rooms, not allowing items brought in from home, constant handwashing etc - but ultimately if the kids are allowed to touch each other it all seems a bit pointless??

o_O
 
It must be hard with his age group.
I have heard mixed reports on nursery’s. And I think each one is taking a different approach.
I would speak to them about what they are doing. And then that will help you,
I will be sending my 9 year old back in September. I would have earlier if it had been an option, the impact on her has been more than the slight risk based on where we live, there’s been hardly any cases at all here.
Also from the details her school have shared it sounds like they are doing everything they can, things like small class sizes, fixed teachers, staying in certain rooms only, and staggered pickup and drop off times.
Get all the info you can, and talk to any other parents whose children go.
The way I think of it is, there’s not going to be a cure, so we need to do what we can to have some sort of life, there’s things I wouldn’t want to do yet but there’s some things I will take the risk and do.
We had a family friend die in April, at accident at home, she’d been at home locked down for weeks, done nothing, seen no body so her last weeks were horrible. Just find a balance you are happy and safe with and do that x
 
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