“School is not childcare”

[Anonymous]

That is 100 percent the wrong tack to take. I really, really, really, really hate the "school is not childcare" line. No, it's not, but compulsory public education has been a thing for a long time, and much of our society (and certainly the lives of working parents) is set up on the assumption that kids over the age of 5 or 6 will be in school much of the day.

And if two parents work, then they need childcare. Period. And there aren't enough competent, trustworthy adults who want to be full-time babysitters/distance-learning managers to all the kids who might end up needing it. It doesn't matter if you could technically afford it if you can't find someone to hire. Many parents want schools to be able to open so that they can send their kids to school, both for the childcare aspect (so they can work) and because they think it's a better education.

You are unwilling to provide full-time care for your nieces and nephews. Your parents are willing. It's not about whether "school is childcare," it's about you being upset that your sister doesn't want her kids educated using your homeschooling curriculum, and perhaps about you thinking she's taking advantage of your parents. But that's between your parents and your sister.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.

EXACTLY. Of course one of the functions that school serves is to take care of children. I, too, think DCUM is weirdly obsessed with thinking this isn't the case and there is something wrong with a parent who took a job assuming their kids would be in school during certain hours M-F.

Schools do not exist to be childcare. It is a fact. Insisting that schools start up again to be childcare is outrageously selfish and entitled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.

Not op. It shouldn't be. It's part of the crap basket this country has become that everyone has to have everything so people live so close to the edge financially that when something like this pandemic hits, those parents don't give a crap if their kids get sick or if teachers die. Both parents have to get back to work because they can't afford care for their kids if school isn't online.

Say what?

Yeah, it's like that comment was written by a computer and designed to offend everyone without knowing exactly why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.



EXACTLY. Of course one of the functions that school serves is to take care of children. I, too, think DCUM is weirdly obsessed with thinking this isn't the case and there is something wrong with a parent who took a job assuming their kids would be in school during certain hours M-F.

Um, no.

People who say "school is not childcare" are trying to remind parents that teachers are not simply glorified childcare providers who they can look down their nose at. They are licensed professionals who work very hard to develop lessons for their students, provide learning, and support students socially and emotionally. Yes, other parents depend on the school day as a place where their children are cared for during the day. But it is not a "weird obsession" to remind certain uppity DCUMers that teachers are highly trained professionals and not their nannies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.

Not op. It shouldn't be. It's part of the crap basket this country has become that everyone has to have everything so people live so close to the edge financially that when something like this pandemic hits, those parents don't give a crap if their kids get sick or if teachers die. Both parents have to get back to work because they can't afford care for their kids if school isn't online.

You’re quoting me. If by “have everything” you mean food and homes, sure. The bottom half, socioeconomically, have depended on school as childcare for a hundred years are more. And not just in “this country.”

Adults work. Kids go to school. That’s how we, collectively, can “have everything” like CNAs, taxi drivers, cashiers, dental hygienists... It’s not a modern concept, it’s not an American concept, it’s normal and a pretty good system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.

EXACTLY. Of course one of the functions that school serves is to take care of children. I, too, think DCUM is weirdly obsessed with thinking this isn't the case and there is something wrong with a parent who took a job assuming their kids would be in school during certain hours M-F.

Schools do not exist to be childcare. It is a fact. Insisting that schools start up again to be childcare is outrageously selfish and entitled.

I do not personally need schools for childcare because I’m rich. But I can look around and see we as a society need school as childcare.

[Anonymous]

The real issue is that you are graciously providing free childcare and in return they decided it is appropriate to crap on your life choices. What a-holes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.



EXACTLY. Of course one of the functions that school serves is to take care of children. I, too, think DCUM is weirdly obsessed with thinking this isn't the case and there is something wrong with a parent who took a job assuming their kids would be in school during certain hours M-F.

Um, no.

People who say "school is not childcare" are trying to remind parents that teachers are not simply glorified childcare providers who they can look down their nose at. They are licensed professionals who work very hard to develop lessons for their students, provide learning, and support students socially and emotionally. Yes, other parents depend on the school day as a place where their children are cared for during the day. But it is not a "weird obsession" to remind certain uppity DCUMers that teachers are highly trained professionals and not their nannies.

And those people need to get off their high horses and accept they’re both childcare and educators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.



EXACTLY. Of course one of the functions that school serves is to take care of children. I, too, think DCUM is weirdly obsessed with thinking this isn't the case and there is something wrong with a parent who took a job assuming their kids would be in school during certain hours M-F.

Um, no.

People who say "school is not childcare" are trying to remind parents that teachers are not simply glorified childcare providers who they can look down their nose at. They are licensed professionals who work very hard to develop lessons for their students, provide learning, and support students socially and emotionally. Yes, other parents depend on the school day as a place where their children are cared for during the day. But it is not a "weird obsession" to remind certain uppity DCUMers that teachers are highly trained professionals and not their nannies.

Exactly. And this is why teachers need to be teaching. Not parents.

[Anonymous]

Stop watching her kids.

You only control your actions. The BIL sounds ridiculous. You are homeschooling their kids right now. The only difference is that he insists on using a haphazardly put together curriculum that was thrown together last minute instead of something more thought out. His choice.

Your choice is to say “No” to any more childcare. You can talk to your parents about protecting themselves and exposure if the grandkids are in and out of school. You can’t make the decision for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.

EXACTLY. Of course one of the functions that school serves is to take care of children. I, too, think DCUM is weirdly obsessed with thinking this isn't the case and there is something wrong with a parent who took a job assuming their kids would be in school during certain hours M-F.

Schools do not exist to be childcare. It is a fact. Insisting that schools start up again to be childcare is outrageously selfish and entitled.

What country are you living in? They very much are childcare + education. "It is fact" - wow's that's persuasive, you have legal precedent for that, imbecile?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real issue is that you are graciously providing free childcare and in return they decided it is appropriate to crap on your life choices. What a-holes!

Saying they want their kids to participate in their online schooling is not crapping on OP’s life choices. OP may not have the bandwidth to do it, in which case the sister can remove her kids from OP’s care, which it seems like she’s doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.

EXACTLY. Of course one of the functions that school serves is to take care of children. I, too, think DCUM is weirdly obsessed with thinking this isn't the case and there is something wrong with a parent who took a job assuming their kids would be in school during certain hours M-F.

Schools do not exist to be childcare. It is a fact. Insisting that schools start up again to be childcare is outrageously selfish and entitled.

No, that is not their sole purpose. But it is an integral part of their existence. This is why we perform background checks on teachers - because they are the sole adults in charge of our kids while they attend legally mandated school. So while the primary purpose is to educate, the knock on effect is that they are caring for our children in a location apart from home for many hours a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
School is, of course, childcare, and our entire economy is built around that assumption. I have no idea why DCUM is obsessed with this fiction.



EXACTLY. Of course one of the functions that school serves is to take care of children. I, too, think DCUM is weirdly obsessed with thinking this isn't the case and there is something wrong with a parent who took a job assuming their kids would be in school during certain hours M-F.

Um, no.

People who say "school is not childcare" are trying to remind parents that teachers are not simply glorified childcare providers who they can look down their nose at. They are licensed professionals who work very hard to develop lessons for their students, provide learning, and support students socially and emotionally. Yes, other parents depend on the school day as a place where their children are cared for during the day. But it is not a "weird obsession" to remind certain uppity DCUMers that teachers are highly trained professionals and not their nannies.

And those people need to get off their high horses and accept they’re both childcare and educators.

That’s ridiculous. When I take my daughter to highly specialized music lessons, a positive externality is that I get “childcare” for 2 hours. That does not make her violin teacher a nanny. Same for ballet. Same for school.

YOU need to get over yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real issue is that you are graciously providing free childcare and in return they decided it is appropriate to crap on your life choices. What a-holes!

Saying they want their kids to participate in their online schooling is not crapping on OP’s life choices. OP may not have the bandwidth to do it, in which case the sister can remove her kids from OP’s care, which it seems like she’s doing.

From the OP: "her husband wrote me a strongly worded email about how homeschooling is good enough for my kids but not theirs"