Will you go to family at Christmas?

I am extremely vulnerable and have hardly met anyone since the beginning of March. My daughter and granddaughter are both recovering from covid and my daughter has invited us on Christmas Day.
I am missing my grandchildren like mad but have said to her that maybe we could have a late Christmas when things have settled down and we have probably had the vaccine.

I am classed as clinically vulnerable. Ive been largely at home, other than long walks. I've seen my children and grandchildren outside on walks, or over their garden walls. During the summer when the R dropped, they came for a cup of tea, we all sat in the garden, and the children played outside.

I am bemused that Mr Johnson is saying people can meet over five days in a bubble of three families. All the experts agree that families meeting indoors is guaranteed to increase the R. Also, the message it must be a bubble of three with no one outside the bubble allowed to mix feels like a nonsense to me. Which relative do those three families agree to exclude?

Put three families together and the number of other people outside that group but involved as potential disease spreaders seems limitless. Our four young grandchildren go to two nurseries, two schools, four other grandparents -this is just to support their working parents. We are currently not helping with child care but give us that immunisation and we will.
It all feels a bit Wilfred Owen - survive to the day before armistice day.

Not sure of the logistics yet, but will definitely be getting together with family on Christmas Day.

I have 3 AC and they all have families, so who do I leave out?

No, it’s not worth it.

I will have Christmas lunch with my daughter but If I stay once her grown up children arrive in the late afternoon it will be 4 households if I leave it will be 3 so within the rule. So I will have lunch, leave my Secret Santa gift with my daughter and drive home before they arrive. That means all the siblings and their children can see each other and their Mum it also means I’ll be alone for the rest of the day but so be it.

To be perfectly honest, I feel that so many of us have come this far being extremely careful about who we meet and how many, and have tried to follow the guidelines, that I don’t feel like throwing all that away just for a few days over Christmas - otherwise what was the point? As much as I’d love to be in the company of different family members over the festive period, especially as I rarely see some of them at other times, I feel that this year we have to be extremely careful. With that in mind, it is highly unlikely that I will see those I would normally see, as much as I would like to ( and none of us are as young as we once were, and every moment with them is precious, therefore not seeing them this year is especially hard - as it must be for so many of us). I think, though, that visiting these loved ones could potentially put them at risk, which I’m not prepared to do, so sadly, this year will be a very quiet Christmas, and I won’t be mixing.

To be perfectly honest, I feel that so many of us have come this far being extremely careful about who we meet and how many, and have tried to follow the guidelines, that I don’t feel like throwing all that away just for a few days over Christmas - otherwise what was the point?

I agree with this. Why spoil the ship for ha'porth of socialising? Why go to all the trouble to be careful for months, then blow it all in one day? Seems crazy to me.

I plan to wait and see how the R is going and what the situation is in my area before making a decision. I could go to my "bubble" family, but they are mixing all over the place.

The rules are not designed to protect the individual but to try and limit the spread. I think that there are those who seem to think that their bubble protects them from catching covid, which of course it does not.

Unfortunately the coronavirus does not know it is Cristmas.

We’ll do a Zoom breakfast and present opening on Christmas morning and a Zoom games session after Christmas Dinner. Sometime between Christmas and New Year, we'll meet up at a NT place but keep socially distanced as we walk around the grounds. As others have implied, we’ve not come this fair to die within reach of the vaccine

no, I think it would be totally irresponsible for us to travel, even if quarantine is no longer required. I wish we could just forget aout Christmas this year- and give us all a real chance.

The FM said just because you can doesn't mean you should,think carefully before you decide.We already made our decision its us and OH's mum .We haven't ben with our daughter and her family since the 7th of March,she is in an at risk category so we'll keep our distance and keep her safe .

Christmas at home, just the two of us, lots of tech communication with rest of family, not wasting ten months of cuddle deprivation for the sake of one day.
Family get together once we’ve all been vaccinated and the virus is on the way out, hopefully April but maybe later.

Seems to me that it's the media who are making a massive fuss about Christmas. It would be good if the population could be sensible and careful and just made sure people who are vulnerable and those who live alone are taken care of.

I thought it might be nice if they dropped round with a dinner I could reheat and we could swap presents in the garden or go for a walk.

Nana3

Seems to me that it's the media who are making a massive fuss about Christmas. It would be good if the population could be sensible and careful and just made sure people who are vulnerable and those who live alone are taken care of.

It’s not just the media - they are imo reflecting the message the Government has promoted. We’re going to be naughty anyway so they’ll get in first and give us permission to be naughty so it doesn’t look like they’re not in control. Well, plenty of us are not going to be naughty children but sensible grown ups who won’t forgive them for the suffering and deprivations we’ll all suffer in January.

suziewoozie
Agreed.

Our daughter has asked us to join them, our grandson, who will be going home for Christmas, and her MIL.

It was a lovely thought, but thinking it through, I think we will stay home, and hope our DS2 does not ask to come here! If he does, we will have to say no.

kircubbin2000
I hope this happens for you, sending best wishes.

This Tory would have liked a tough line from her government saying that we must put Christmas on hold this year, keep to space, face and hand washing, get the r down and then get vaccinated as soon as it’s available. Okay some will break the rules but the vast majority would be grateful for a tough stance.

Definitely not. We have all said no. How can we not do our bit for the precious NHS and industries that keep us going?

I am truly confused at a government saying that as people will break the rules anyway, there won’t really be any meaningful rules. I’ve already heard people complaining that 3 households is too restrictive and I guess they’ll think it won’t matter if they stretch it to four - who’ll know and who’ll care? There’s lots of burglaries over the festive season so I propose we suspend the laws against burglary as people are going to burgle anyway and as there won’t be any jaws against it, we won’t have to bother to deal with it.

Laws ?

Just had an emotional call with my DD and told her we've decided we're staying put this Christmas. We both ended up crying but we know it's for the best. Don't want to be the soldier who gets shot just before the armistice! Also let DS know but he wasn't as bothered and said we'll have a bloody good Easter! So we won't be seeing any of our kids/grandkids over Christmas. Very sad I know but I think it's the right decision.

We do childcare for both DDs and DD2 already part of extended family so probably will see them as we already do. All of us are very careful.