Wondering what most do about quarantining kids from school

amother

Tue, Sep 22 2020, 11:36 pm

I am bh not sick (yet) but my dh is very. And because I'm frazzled out of my mind keeping little kids occupied, I'm not taking proper care of him. He just cried to me he isn't eating normally and he needs me to make him healthy meals. He's right! I just cant. Maybe "counting with hashem means its time for me to put my husband first, not mommy day care time. Maybe hashem doesn't approve of my 10yr old playing game boy all day instead of learning with his rebbe.

amother

Denim

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 12:10 am

Op maybe hashem put a gameboy in your house for this time period.

My kids are home For two weeks because they were exposed to someone covid positive out of school and we told the school and are doing the right thing. I don’t need to come up to beis din after 120 and find out that my actions or cover up caused anyone loss of life, loss of an organ, loss of a parent, a child etc.

Yes it’s a pain. Yes I had to take off from work. Yes they are having more screen time than I want. But this is our nisayon now.

OP you are not alone, may Gd grant you strength to continue to make the right decisions....and send a Refuah shelaima to your husband.

amother

Lawngreen

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 6:10 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Ummmm what???? Let your 10 year old play game boy for the next month if that's what it takes.

OBVIOUSLY if a family member is positive, the other family members stay home!!!

In fact, I know some people who stay home if one family member is quarantined (not positive, just quarantined due to possible exposure). If the exposed family member can't stay quarantined in their room, then all the family quarantines themselves for the entire period.

I am aghast at even the thought of sending a boy whose father is sick to school.

baby12x

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 6:14 am

Now is the time to throw money at the problem.

1. Order food. Either takeout or perhaps someone you can pay someone to cook you food and drop it off. When my relative had COVID they paid someone to make them supper every night and drop it off.
2. Order books, puzzles and yes, a gameboy, to your house. Have the kids do whatever they want that is not dangerous.

Iyh, you will all be feeling better soon

amother

Seafoam

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 6:17 am

Op,
I know it's tough, especially if others aren't following the rules. But ignoring these simple rules is how we'll be stuck with everyone home for months at a time again.

Ask the rebbe if there's anyway to call into class so at least your son can learn something.

Make a big pot of soup one morning for dh and offer meals from it whenever he wants. Your can also throw a pan of chicken in the oven if he wants, but with kids home there's no short order chef.

FranticFrummie

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 6:18 am

OP, I hear that this is very hard. It's hard for everyone.

I'm seriously considering getting my antibody levels checked, so I can advertise myself as a nanny/babysitter/mother's helper who can be around people with Covid. I've already BTDT.

Whatsapp or FB post around your community, and see if there is anyone who can help you out. If you are already in quarantine, there may be an older teen who is also in quarantine, who can come to your house and help out. Maybe there's even a lonely bubbe (like me) who would love to be around kids for a while, just to get out of the house and have company.

I know you're not supposed to have people over, but if everyone's already exposed, and everyone is staying home, I don't see if it matters that much who's home people are staying in. It's going to UNEXPOSED people that is the problem.

Community cooties! LOL

amother

Orange

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 6:58 am

ruchelbuckle wrote:

Please- go easy on this poor amother. You see that this is a systematic issue. There is no clear leadership in many geographic areas on COVID- not from city Rabbonim, not from schools, etc.... people don’t feel that they can trust the judgement of Dept of health or other health officials to give them fact-based information..... people feel that the advice is all politically motivated or whatever....So basically, people are doing whatever they want based on whatever “facts” they read on imaother or yeshiva world news or whatever. I don’t blame the OP for asking this question.

Ideally, your kids school would have sent out some guidelines. But since they didn’t, you need to make a decision on your own. And yes, it’s annoying, but if you think (or know )that someone is sick with COVID, keep everyone home. It’s a very challenging situation, especially when no one else seems to care, but it’s the responsible course of action.

Hatzlacha! You being careful — even when it’s challenging and no one else seems to care— should serve as a zchus for you and your family.

okay, so for every school in ny, there are clear guidelines from DOH.

I dont know if all the schools are following the guidelines as they are required to and may not have told the parents

but the guidelines clearly ask if the student was exposed to someone with covid that student should stay home.

yes its hard, but the guidelines are very clear, and since when do we look at other ppl doing WRONG/ NOT FOLLOWING GUIDELINES as a message for us to do wrong too?

amother

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 8:00 am

I hear you all. I'm really not selfish like you all think. I am just confounded by the arbitrary rules. 14 days from when test positive. But what if never tested - then no quarantining? What if the test gave a false negative at first? 14 days from start of symptoms would mean we're past that point already and I can send my kids back. 14 days cus of these iffy tests with 50% failure rate is what's still keeping us home.

Plus my town is exploding with covid now, it's all over.

I'm really afraid. I need to take care of my husband. And myself, so I'm not the next victim. Is our blood less red?

amother

Pumpkin

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 8:04 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I'm really afraid. I need to take care of my husband. And myself, so I'm not the next victim. Is our blood less red?

Sorry this is hyperbolic. You'll die if you keep your kids home?

There's anyway nothing much you can do to protect yourself from catching it at this point if you've already been exposed. Yet, you're okay with going out making others victims of the same disease you're afraid of?

The point is that if you go out and infect others, who might be more vulnerable than you, then they may get a serious case and even die ch''v.

amother

Lawngreen

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 8:06 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Just wondering - are we only talking about a 10 year old here? Because I can't imagine it's so hard to watch a 10 yr old who is busy with a gameboy.

amother

Periwinkle

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 8:52 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Call your kids school. Ask what guidelines are. When kids can return.
If they are taking kids back no reason for you to be a martyr if all orherbkss are in school. (I’m shocked at the good schools taking kids back in) . If they aren’t then keep him home and come up with entertainment ideas. (I just lent my neighbor some really old Jewish CDs - neither of us do videos or game boys but now is the time to make some small allowances. ). Maybe buy a circuit toy or building toy. Or order a book binding kit and let him bind all your books.

And everyone stop critiquing op. I have a friend with a child home and I think it may become a real mental health issue soon. You never know what ppl are dealing with.

gold21

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 8:57 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

So you see how difficult it is to be in your situation. It's tough. Why would you want to potentially put someone else in your exact same situation by passing covid to others? Is their blood less red?

Order takeout. Your husband doesn't need homemade food. If you were sick, would you be requiring homemade food? Who would make it for you? No need to push yourself to the point where you get sick.

amother

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 9:00 am

amother [ Lawngreen ] wrote:

Just wondering - are we only talking about a 10 year old here? Because I can't imagine it's so hard to watch a 10 yr old who is busy with a gameboy.

No. Other littles as well. And I also work from home, but I can't with kids around. So I stay up late to get my job done. Lack of sleep equals lowered immune system and will directly attribute to my catching covid next. Plus my husband can't nap with the noise. That's why am I asking why our own health is worth less now.

gold21

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 9:04 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Your own health isn't worth less, but is the health of the people you would be passing it to worth less?

You should take off from work. Also, your husband can contribute to the family, even if he's sick. Same way you would if you were sick.

amother

Cerise

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 9:07 am

gold21 wrote:

This. When I had Covid and the kids were home, DH took off almost 2 weeks. It's the only way to manage.

Mama Bear

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 9:49 am

hey, OP, I just want to commiserate with you and extend you my heartfelt sympathy. It's a horrible catch-22 situation that when you or your husband has covid, and you need to rest up and feel better, you're actually busy dealing with having all the kids home!! It's not easy or fun!!!
That's what happened back in March.... All the kids were home, it was erev pesach, and I was sick in bed with covid!!!
And my husband ran out to work every day, bc he has ants in his pants and couldn't stand being home all day....
So there I was, coughing, fever, trying to push food down my gullet with no appetite, while also dealing with kids bickering, phone lines not working, trying to get my kids to stay on their phone lines, trying to get pesach going, etc. It was awful! And impossible to get any rest with the noise of the kids on their porches/backyards.
It was really hard! but BH it passed.
The 14 days will be over before you know it. Yomtov is coming up soon when everyone will be home anyway. Remember, for every person who does not get infected thanks to your intervention, you will get major s'char.
((HUGS))!

amother

Lilac

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 12:36 pm

I am awaiting my sons test results, so yes my other children are at home with me, I"m working from home.

I can't even believe this question. Your child may go to school and infect a classmate, or a classmate may bring it home to his grandparents and Chas,v shalom get them very sick.

Just because it's an inconvenience or hassle for you don't infect others who may become gravely ill

amother

Olive

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 12:43 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

Your husband went to work when you were sick with covid???????Whaaaat