New school term, risks for grandparents

My wife (aged 70) is picking up one of our grandaughters from school daily. She uses public transport to get there and then walks her to her home, and when my son gets home from work, brings my wife home. My main concern is that I was rushed into hospital a month ago with pneumonia and was diagnosed with COPD and spent 12 days in hospital. After 2 weeks at home I was admitted again under emergency and spent 3 days there,should we really be doing this school run, given our ages and medical condition?

Judging by the way a common cold has run rampant through DGC’s class this week, if a pupil with asymptomatic Covid is present that will spread phenomenally. They have been taking all the precautions: keeping the windows open in class, no sharing of equipment/resources, lots of hand washing. However, the desks are in rows but because of the size of the classroom children are sitting directly next to each other.
We locked down with our daughter and DGC from the start and we are still seeing them every day but wonder if we should as we are both over 70.

Apart from our age, under 70, we are very well and healthy. Neither of us has any underlying conditions,, are not taking any medication and are not overweight. We live in an area that has a very low incidence of the virus.
We are picking our GS up tomorrow and had him last week when he wasn’t feeling well. Not with symptoms of CV. We are both quite happy about seeing him but that is our choice, I do understand that many grandparents are much more worried.

Both my husband and myself are vulnerable, especially my husband. My daughter is autistic, and has other health issues. She can only manage with lots of support from myself. Her six year old daughter has spent almost half of each week with me since she was born. I did all the home schooling during lockdown, and she did very well. Now she is back at school, and the infection rate is rising. My daughter's anxiety is going through the roof. She's terrified that we might get ill, but knows she can't manage on her own. I've got to decide whether to risk infection or go back to home education. I can see no other choose. Is anyone else facing such a decision?

Everything will soon be thrown into chaos again.

Elder GS 14 was back at school one week before the txt msg came through" PUPILS of yr 10 should stay off school tomorrow as a case of Covid has been reported"

Two days later another txt "Pupils of yr 10 can now return to school"!

This is obviously going to just go on and on, pupils parents not knowing from one day to another.

If elder GS has to stay off then the younger GS age 5 will have to stay off as his brother has to stay off school in case of infection.

Daughter has more or less lost her job as nhs worker as no childcare, childminder are not allowed to mix from different schools.

It is another nightmare waiting in the wings.

I have returned to looking after DGS when lockdown ended and will continue to do so after he finishes school each day. As some might know I post on The Black Dog Gang thread and have struggled with depression all my life. Yes I’m being careful , but the benefits of being with and hugging DGS for me far outweigh any risks.

We are grandparents who have our Grand daughter living with us permanently.
There dosnt seem to be a lot of advise about this.
We both have been shielding but
Now need to send our granddaughter

But many of those who look after their grandchildren will have had a flu vaccine; a protection we don't have against covid thus far. And flu doesn't cause the long term problems that covid can have in many people. I would also assume that children don't suffer from fly asymptomatically but I do stand to be corrected. Covid and flu are two entirely different viruses and have to be treated as such.

It is now being reported that deaths from 'Flu is running at three times the number than than that from Covid. Even those are lower than norm. for the time of the year. Probably several reasons, one being better hand hygiene being used by many, but also, the fact that many who would have died from 'flu were amongst those who died earlier this year.
Flu has long being a serious illness and can be fatal. Yet, I bet there are very few of the people on here who normally look after their g.children have ever refused to do so because of that danger.

That's lovely Cornwallgal and memories for you in the bleaker winter months. I think we underestimate the mutual benefits of close contact and cuddles at that age. It is impossible not to hug or to comfort a little child. I agree we have to make it work for us as safely as we can without being paranoid.
Flowing on I also think body language and facial expression plays such an important part in the development of little children which is why I am against teachers wearing masks at primary level. The younger children are so often guided by our own expressions and watch for responses in our eyes too.

Yes: mask up. The more people do to stop the spread the safer it will be for those that can’t avoid contact with others. Every single one of us is responsible for the safety of everyone else. We’ve just got to get through this winter but spring will follow and there will be an end to all this.

My GC live over four hours drive away. We used to childmind and do school pick ups for one week every month but from March we didn’t leave our house. Finally this last week they came for a two week holiday. I love the cuddles and yes I know it’s a risk. We are in our sixties. But I couldn’t bear not to hold them and they are both demonstrative. It’s impossible to socially distanced from them (aged 6 and 3) and truly hard even with my DD and DSIL. The house lay out has worked. They have separate bedrooms and their own bathrooms but in the main living areas...
We obviously won’t do the monthly visits come Sept but I don’t regret this family reunion. This might be with us for some time so we have to make it work for us as safely as we can as well as protect others. Mask up people! X

If I lived alone I would probably be less isolating, but I cannot risk DH getting the virus as he has several vulnerable factors and it would probably kill him.
I too am worried that when my DGC start mixing more in September it will be too risky to see them, especially once the weather changes and we cannot sit outside. They are at secondary school, with a long bus journey.

Oops pressed button too soon. So I didn't have the children until the end of June. When they go back to school , I don't know whether I should risk having them , but it makes it difficult for DD if I don't . Their biological dad doesn't like their stepdad looking after them, even though he is more than capable

I have been looking after my 4year old granddaughter throughout the summer holidays so DS and his ex (GDs mum ) could work. She starts school in 2weeks and I will only be needed in the school holidays then.But I also look after two other grandchildren, my daughters, overnight as she works night shifts twice a week at a care home. They lost quite a few residents to covid in May, so I

Thanks jane....

I think this is the link Maybee
m.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Z6wdu1eI0

I can't do a link [I will try] but please listen to Dr John Campbells latest blog. It is very optimistic regarding the number of people that appear to have immunity already and that those that have had the virus do have long term immunity. Which doesn't mean that we won't be one of the people badly affected if we do catch it so we must still be careful but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I just need to listen to it again as there's a lot to take in.

I am not going to look after my grandchildren, which breaks my heart. I want them to come to my house but it is too dangerous. Their parents are back at work and soon the oldest two will be back at school. I worry about all of them, but I know that DH and I are in the vulnerable group and would be most at risk if they passed it to us.

Has anyone watched "Surviving the virus : my brother and me" on iplayer? It is made by twin brothers who are doctors - they do a lot of medical programmes, including ones for kids - and it is a salutary reminder of just how bad the virus is. It's not just a killer, there are also some very serious after-effects for those who survive.

Than you Marydoll . It’s certainly been & still is a very worrying time for those that have been shielding. A lot of parents queue at a safe distance from one another at our school gate , as each child is greeted by one of us , but then gather in large groups to chat as they head back to their cars!

nannafizz, welcome . That's lovely you managed to continue your relationship with your granddaughter.
However, many of us have been sheilding or are vulnerable. Therein lies the dilemma.

I’m new to gransnet & usually just enjoy all your posts and chats .What a lovely lot you are . !
However I felt the need to join this thread as I work as a teaching assistant at my granddaughter’s primary school. I worked all through lockdown with key worker’s children. When my granddaughter returns to school I will see her everyday . It’s a strange situation to be in at this time but I’m sure we will work around it!

DDs friend who works in management in 3 large local hospitals says they're anticipating & preparing for a covid spike in mid September i.e. 2 weeks after schools return The next will be after half term. DD works in a different school to her boys. She is concerned as am I They’re in different bubbles in school but then mix once home. ?

Am I the only granny that doesn’t bother about cuddling my grandchildren? I’ve never been the most tactile of people. All that matters to me is that they’re safe. I do worry about schools reopening but I feel that they need the chance to live a more normal life. And, given that they hopefully are not likely to be as badly affected by the virus as I am I’m quite ok with protecting myself as much as possible to take the pressure off the NHS and also my family.

Paddyanne, the HT is a former colleague of mine and she has put some measures in place to try and improve things after the first day melee.
However, some parents still think the rules do not apply to them.
Parents are not allowed in the playground, so there is a huge crowd at the gate.