visiting family during lockdown

My son and wife and grandchildren and great grand children all live the other side of the country and apart from my son and one grandson haven’t seen any of them for years. I am unable to travel far. Thank goodness for the internet.

I think i do agree with you samaromo- as most of my AC and GC are over 70 miles away- so yes i think it would be better waiting till can hug them all! But i do have one Daughter& family about 15 mins drive away,and im not rushing to see them either- as id still want to hug them- i totally agree with you- it is still NOT getting through to folk either- we can only meet ONE person outside, not a whole family- so how would that work then?would i expect them to send out the kids, one at a time??No,Notagran55, you are not wrong- its one person at a time! NOT whole families. And definitely outside.so its too ludicrous to try out if your AC have any smaller kids! Just be happy with what you have- ive not even had pleasure of a facetime call as i dont have iphone.& when theyve tried my sons phone its not been on! So just a few chats on the phone.And next mth its one GC's birthday and following mth my birthday then close after mine 2 GC's birthdays in 2 days! And somewhere in between theres a new GC due- Then following mth 2 DD birthdays in a wk apart- its already been eldests milestone birthday& her wedding anniversary at easter& her brothers birthday wk after- (he's the only one i could be here for as he's at home) So yes their birthdays are the hardest! I rang my ex MiL(&FiL) last wk,to check to send a card for a birthday-& she said yes its 'so&so's- then as we chatted she said "oh she's here now" & they let her in!! I was so shocked i couldn't even say she shouldn't be coming in!!& then she rang off! Their daughter, who DOES NOT live at their house- and they'd just said they were being careful& staying in- i was so angry with them!

But truly, what is the difference between a public open space and a (large) private open space? It’s the same fresh air. If people are sensible - and we are - for the life of me, genuinely I just cannot see the difference. There is no need to access the house, social distance is adhered to, and there is no hugging. As it ever was, the majority are suffering for the idiocy of the few.

It actually not allowed at the moment

We intend to visit my sister who lives 60 miles away, sit in her garden and have a picnic. She has been made very low by social isolation. She is caring for her very disabled husband who has no speech and needs 24 hour care. Her family insist she doesn’t go out at all. We will keep our distance but I haven’t seen her for several months and I am worried about her mental health. We will take the risk.

Again! All the talk of 'meeting in the gardens!'- ITS NOT ALLOWED. the gov't talk of 'open spaces' means parks or similar. Not our back gardens. And yes if they cant find a vaccine- it could be for a lifetime! What then???

Its people who really cant see differences whose been spreading this all the time- over 36000 deaths in UK and still folk think its ok to mingle! Im sorry if you think im being harsh but i think lockdown should have been sooner and should have been total,like Italy,and should be for at least 3 mths- a few measly weeks and you all think its safe?its delusional.im angry that itl never go away just cause people cant stay in.and cause the gov't are putting economy before health& safety.

I have seen my daughter several times when she has dropped shopping off. She stands on the pavement and I'm in the doorway. She brought DGD over on the 10th as it was her birthday and I put her present on the wall. I have been seeing neighbours when I walk down the road to the park and chatting at a distance, what am I meant to do, ignore them?

And what do you think would have happened to the economy Nannan2 if we had done as you suggested and had a total lockdown for three months ?

As it is it will take years to recover.

It has to be a balancing act doesn’t it, and now is the time to get people back to work to salvage what jobs are left

This is what you need Samaromo!

t.co/n4zxYgX8zB

Yes, I have “distance walked” with the family on a spacious green common. It was lovely, the little ones (8&4) were like puppies but they diligently kept away from us, as did their mum and dad, but we could chat and joke and be with them as they climbed trees. Wonderful.
20 minute drive. If I broke down? Call a garage (know many are open) be cross but survive. Need a pee? Yes, both daughter and I did, and graced a nettle patch. No-one was at risk and seeing them was a tonic. Daughter has had Covid, better for 3 weeks now, and staying way for the 14 days she was very poorly was awful.

Samaromo
yes I feel exactly the same. Seeing them with no hugs etc would be very hard.
I am amazed at how many people are not keeping to the government guidance, it's one to one in a public park. Feeling very disappointed that so many people from gransnet are seeing family and not following government advice.
It makes me so cross when I am following the rules and see and read so many people who are not.

Government rules are a bit of a pickle. I am being “alert”, not risking catching or giving. If I thought my family would not be “alert” and distance I wouldn’t go near, but they do and they will. Probably zero risk to us if we hugged but not going to take any risk.

This is what you need Smaromo.
Actually we could al l do with one!

t.co/n4zxYgX8zB

All

Agree wholeheartedly with Lucky Girl - as a psychotherapist I know that it’s so much better to see people in the flesh than to use IT - we can socially-distance and have a great conversation and feel that closeness —
and as for the official guidance, I think there’s something very wrong with the idea that I might allow my cleaner in my house but not be able to have my daughter in when I know she’s also been locked down. I now feel that all government advice is coming from an economic perspective / let the cleaner who might visit several other houses come into your house but not your mother or daughter or son who have all been socially isolating. Crazy and inconsistent.

Without a vaccine it is NOT just for a 'few more weeks'. Yet, already the government is talking about tailing off the furlough payment scheme.
How many tens of thousands of people are in serious economic crisis already, and this will get far worse as schemes like that go down, and prices, particularly of basic commodities will rise expendentiously.
S
So, easy for those of us who are retired, therefore on fixed income, and in nice homes with gardens, etc to talk about even a 'few more weeks'. Try doing it for a few days in a high rise flat in the inner city, with two or three young children screaming with frustration and boredom and pent up energy, and/or maybe with a partner who takes out their own frustration on your and/or the children?
Sorry I find so many people on GN to be smug and self-rightness. 'No, it is against the law'!!! Stay home, Stay Safe; - rely on thousands of people who cannot and are not doing this to deliver your shopping, keep utilities up and running, etc. etc.
Commonsense!!! Be good to see just a little of that in those daily briefings - but do not expect that to happen anytime at all. Be vigilant - what does that mean??? - each to interpret in their own way.
The only reason that there are plans (against all medical, scientific and union advice) to send the little ones back to school is purely so that their parents can return to their jobs. A really, caring government we have!!!

Does a farm count as an open space then, even if a large garden doesn't? Obviously some GNs think it does as I've read at least one person who will be sitting in a field for a picnic. In the main, fields are privately owned & not open for public use unless the owner's permission has been asked for or there's a footpath running through. In this case, walkers can use it as long as they stay on it, don't wander off, keep walking & certainly no picnics! We live right in the middle of our farm, nowhere near anyone else, & we also have a huge garden & orchard. We have no neighbours to enjoy dinner parties through the fence with or to have coffee on the communal driveway or even just some one to talk to &, like Grammargran, I really don't see why it should be deemed unacceptable to meet family members in the garden or on our land with social distancing in place. The rules are completely ridiculous, they make no sense whatsoever and have been very badly put together.
Nannan2 I don't think anyone has been suggesting wholesale mingling with all & sundry - more a socially distanced meeting with family. Perhaps you don't speak to neighbours or the postman? I agree lockdown should have come sooner & remind you that the 3 months you suggest is literally just around the corner - long enough?? I suspect for some people, no length of time would be long enough but, apart from anything else, the country cannot sustain this lockdown for ever, which is why steps are being taken to gradually ease it. Yes, we're all scared of what will happen but life just can't carry on as it is at the moment.

I find it hard to believe that grandparents are looking after grandchildren. It is well known that children can have the virus without symptoms. To break the rules is selfish. It will keep this going for a long time. Reading this on here makes me so annoyed. Do you people have no common sense? Please think...

Let’s not all forget developing FOGO.

It’s gradually seeping in. By all means stay safe, but also keep an open mind.. unless some of you want to stay in forever.

Anniebach - I feel so sad for you. We are often far to quick to see the negatives. Lockdown will end and we will see our loved ones again. Sadly for us that have lost our daughters or sons we will never be able to meet up again. My thoughts are with you.

I rest my case!

I'm for the commonsense approach. If builders can now work on the outside of my house then my AC can stand at the end of my garden path, a good few metres away, and have a 5-min chat when leaving groceries. It's not possible for the govt to give guidance that covers every single one of us, working, schooling or shielding, so why expect every separate rule to be spelt out for us? A colleague once fell off the edge of a raised island in the middle of the road, hurting her leg, and was asked 'Are you going to sue the Council?' 'No, she said, 'I'm going to tell myself off for being b***y stupid, crossing the road there and not paying attention.' We could all do with using a good dose of commonsense atm like her, instead of blaming everyone else.
As others have said samaromo I'd be more worried about using the facilities en route to your DDs unless you can find a way around that. More importantly your OH doesn't appear to have asked them and they may not feel comfortable with you visiting yet. If everything can be sorted, and your OH is clearer about what you're going to do when you get there then, yes, go see them and use a bit of commonsense when you visit. Maybe you could do a trial run with the nearest DD. So much better face-to-face even without hugs.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Does a farm count as an open space then, even if a large garden doesn't? Obviously some GNs think it does as I've read at least one person who will be sitting in a field

Yes, you have, GrammaH, and no doubt one of them was me, seeing as I mentioned a field earlier on this thread.

The field concerned is in fact publicly owned, as many still are. Big enough for anyone to sit in the middle well away from the dog walkers and joggers that frequent the paths that criss-cross it.

I do hope this puts your mind at rest.