I don't know what to do...

Nanna, you will need to protect your husband from infection.

This will mean wearing freshly laundered overalls when with the children. Try to cover your hair too or at least tie it back. Wash your hands thoroughly after being with the children and again immediately you enter the house you share with your husband.

If the children show signs of respiratory illness I think you should occupy a separate room in the house from your husband and maintain six feet distance for one week but check up on the quarantine rule.

What a lovely lady you are, it's hard during this time when we have to continue working.
Please keep yourself as safe as you can wear gloves and wash your hands.
Have you thought when the weather is ok you could go for a walk with your Dad just no physical contact.

It's an emotional, scary time for us all.

Daffydilly my heart goes out to you. I would avoid being in close contact with your dad as if he did catch the virus you are the kind of caring person who would never forgive themselves. Instead you need to look at other ways of being in contact. There is telephone contact, you can go and stand outside the house and wave to him through the window and blow him umpteen kisses, leave a pot plant or some flowers on the doorstep. I would chat to him now to see how he is feeling and how he thinks he can manage presuming he has mental capacity.
I am very surprised your employer is not taking more steps to protect you and I think you should be asking them about this. After all you are frontline and very important to the whole community - hats off to you.
Take care. we can all get through this together. If any of us throw a wobbly which is quite likely given the circumstances we are all here to support each other.

To everyone

You can’t calm the storm
...so stop trying
What you can do
...is calm yourself
The storm will pass

I feel for everyone so much I am not in the vulnerable category just old so although I m staying away in general I m still having contact with my family that live near me
I cannot imagine how hard it is if you have a close vulnerable relative daffy I used to go to mum and Dad nearly every day I don’t know how I would have managed
marydoll my heart goes out to you please stay the strong lady you are , dig deep?

I was supposed to be taking my youngest(so far) GD age 6 on holiday with me this easter,(uk) but now i think will have to cancel.she had never been away on holiday with me before and was so looking forward to it! We will both be heartbroken.

Marydoll and everyone else facing these awful dilemma's. Try to stay strong. I to have children and GC's I can't see but all we can do is keep our distance from each other for everyone's sake. Please wear latex gloves at work if you can. I also have seen people with paper facemasks and then another one made of material that they have made themselves placed on top. Then at least you can change the paper one as it get s damp. Suffering from anxiety myself, I know how hard it is to stay calm but we must try. 'This to will pass'. Does anyone know who first coined that expression? hugs to you all.

I won’t be seeing my beautiful kids or my joyous grandkids for 3 months.... my daughter /granddaughter both have asthma ! We must all keep in touch with technology or phone. I’m assuming tour dad has a phone.... it will have to do for now.

I am 68 with no underlying illness and look after 2 small grandchildren once a week 48 miles away, my DH however has an artificial heart valve and a kidney disease, would it be wrong to carry on and in fact increase my child care to 2 days a week when the school and nursery close? Dilemma !

My daughter is a nurse and for the first time yesterday she had to pick her children 7 & 8 up from school and not hug them or even hold their hands. They went home and all three showered and changed their clothes before having a cuddle. She's sat them down and explained everything as gently as she can and they seem to understand. Hubby's in a vulnerable category, yet we both work in the school which is still open. I face timed the girls last night and felt much better afterwards. My parents are 81 & 83. I have already visited them for the last time for the time being. Such a tough, sad time for everyone, but we must try our best to keep ourselves and everyone else safe.

Daffydilly, is your father capable of understanding what is happening? If so can you have a talk with him about what his wishes are regarding the risk of his dying of Covid19 compared with not hugging you?

If he is not capable of understanding and is an affectionate man who likes physical contact, perhaps his loneliness would be such he'd be happier if you took the risk on his behalf. How old is he anyway?

I understand your own feelings however I am afraid your own feelings have to be put aside regarding physical contact.

If your father can understand what is happening there are some few precautions you can take when you visit him. You can wear disposable plastic shoe covers(cheap from ebay or Amazon) and disposable rubber gloves. You can keep your own cutlery and crockery separate at his house, You can keep a distance of six feet away and make sure the room is ventilated.

Gad3,i think its ok to touch your face with clean hands.or probably ok if youve not been out at all & you're in your own home,which youve cleaned/ antibacced/ antiviralled already- and you've washed you're face/ hands.

Daffydilly Mary and all others with extreme medical conditions - just sending love . It is so very scary as we have not known anything like this.I have 3 siblings and 2 in-laws with underlying health issues in 70s and 80s as well as husband 85, and am trying to be positive but it’s not easy is it?
It’s heartbreaking separating ourselves from those darling GC that bring us such joy.

CrazyGrandma2,i know,i darent even report any repairs,as you dont know what risk is to let them into your home,ive a cleaner now,who said she was going to deep clean a local college after a coronavirus case,and i darent let her come again here for a couple of weeks i dont think!?

Our local pharmacy has a barrier at the door. You have to ring the bell for someone to come and you are served at the door. The owner has said if any of his staff were to come down with the virus he would have to close so he's making it as safe as he can. It must be dreadful not being able to visit an elderly parent but better being safe.

I know we should avoid touching our face but does that mean I should not be putting on foundation?

Marydoll you are definitely not a wimp, your posts are generally so positive and give hope and encouragement to all on GN

We had to give our DD an ultimatum yesterday, in as much as if the whole of the UK is forced into a quarantine situation she has to make the decision to either come to us with the 2 GC and be in strict "lock down" or not visit. (Her partner travels U.K. Wide for his job). It literally broke my heart, she visited yesterday they were at one end of the lounge me at the other and not being able to cuddle the 10 week old GC or play puzzles and read to the 5 year old GS whilst snuggled up was soul destroying.

It is going to be so hard for all of us Grandparents, but our GN friends will become our support system.

Thank you all so much for your virtual friendship

Are you allowed to self isolate from work? And also get(make) your siblings pull their finger out and take responsibility for your dad too.ive a new grandchild due in nxt few months(possibly will be born early) and i dont think ill be able to go greet her.(coming after a previous still-birth,so much longed for& loved)and family live over 70 miles away anyway.but im in one of higher risk groups due to my health too.

I think all we can do is just keep putting one foot in front of the other as we have done every other day of our lives. It's all very surreal.

Rightly or wrongly I'm just relieved that the carpet fitters arrived this morning. Having to live with the house in a total mess for an indeterminate amount of time would have sent me over the edge!

Trying to keep positive.

Daffydilly, sorry to hear your dilemma, and I hope you have managed to find some sort of solution.

Marydoll, we will not hear of you being a wimp. Whatever next? Anyone les wimpy is yet to come out of the mould.

My Darling Dad died some years ago but it would be my worst nightmare to think of him struggling alone and that if I infected him I might kill him.
My heart goes out to you.

After my wobble yesterday, I'm feeling more upbeat. Repeat after me: I am not a wimp!....
Thank you all for your kind words.

Yes you have my respect too Daffydilly being on the front line is scary. Your concern for others does you credit but take time for yourself to relax and do something you enjoy.
To everyone else who is worried and sad, take heart, this too will pass .
especially for Marydoll, Gillybob and Daffydilly.

I feel for you all and probably for the first time am actually grateful my parents and in laws are no longer with us as they would all have been extremely vulnerable! It doesn't stop me being frightened for my family though - small GC in NZ with parents whose livelihoods are in serious jeopardy (along with millions of others) and older GD's in the UK one of which works in a major supermarket as does her mum. Also other family members and friends in the older age bracket with serious health issues. We are on our own here though so we are taking as many precautions as we can as we have no one to call on if we fall ill.

There is little any of us can do to alleviate the worry and concerns other than take heed of the advice and try to keep busy. Those who are in the front line whether they're health workers, shop workers, carers or delivery people have my utmost respect

It’s so upsetting how this is affecting everyone and sadness being inflicted on everyone. Breaks my heart reading some of these posts.
Not sure when I’ll be able to see and cuddle my super spreader grand babies next either, and they are my world. Be strong grannies x
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