visiting family during lockdown

I feel exactly the same. It breaks my heart when I'm near or see the granchildren and I can't hug them. My granchildren are not coping with comming to the end of Nannys drive without comming in the house so I guess they feel the same. My daughter heard her 3year old playing and talking to himself saying 'are you still my nanny and grandad?' There are nanny and grandads in my area looking after their grandchildren while their parents go to work.

I agree with Franbern. I am 80 on my own no visitors. I see people families together by every day. As long as you are careful. I don't see the problem. I live in an over 55s area most of them have been having visitors. I cannot see my friends as they won't break the rules and it is effecting my mental health especially as I recently moved to a new area.

I may not see my 2 daughters, and 4 dgc, one of whom has just graduated in Connecticut, as they live in the U.S and oz maybe for a year due to this
So many of you are fortunate to have that dilemma, shall we visit or not?
Many of us dont have any choice

I haven't met any of my family except by Zoom and FaceTime.
My 94 year old Mum lives a seven hour journey away.
Not sure of the logistics of travelling by train with three/four changes of trains at different stations.
Will make do with a daily phone call and be thankful for having a chat.

And to add....I’m always upset when I come off a FaceTime call to family....but it doesn’t stop me wanting to do it. The tears may be worth it!

Bit of background - I am a fit 68 year old and have been looking after my 2 year old grandchild and 5 year old after school one day a week (before Covid) They are returning to school and nursery on 1 June - can I resume my duties do you think? I will be spending all day with 2 year old and after school until 6.pm with 5 year old - I could leave when parents return thereby limiting contact
Or am I just kidding myself??

Well, I would say the longer distance anyway, isn’t really in the spirit of the current advice. And would you need the toilet with that length of trip....which could be a problem. For the daughter much closer, if your granddaughter is very young, would she understand that you need to be at a distance and how would it affect her? If very young, it may be better to wait. If older and you really want to see them at a distance (and them you!) why not? You may find it’s ok to just have a chat...maybe take them something...food or a treat....to ‘soften’ the situation...keep it light and cheerful and just a short time and you may enjoy it....why not..?

People breaking the clearly set out rules are the ones I would blame if there is a spike in those catching the virus....

so sad.. I live alone, and my family, two ds and two dils, 4 gc
are keeping away from me, other than essential, (very few and far between) to protect me!

when I have seen one or more of them, it is good, then afterwards, the tears... better to have loved?
so complex....

If you can find a safe way to see your family take it !!!

I finally saw my daughter and grand daughter who is a baby and although we didn’t touch it was just soooo good to actually see her and be in the same park .

Hang on to what we can do

Well said Lucky Girl Common sense must prevail!

You are allowed to see one person who is not in your household in an open place such as a park social distancing. Going to someone's garden breaks the rules. Simple really. How would you feel if you saw every family doing this?

We are all different. If you feel that a visit would be too upsetting for you then stick to Zoom.

It's not just about following rules and physical safety. Being near loved ones (2 metres away) means you have to strongly resist the urge to hug them, that's the trouble.

My daughter and grandchildren have visited twice since lockdown, when she's brought shopping for me.

We spoke through the closed window - on our phones, waved and clowned around. The little one played up, not understanding why she couldn't come in.

I slapped a happy smile on - but cried when they'd gone - as it seemed so unnatural and upsetting. We've stuck to Skype since.

The rules have become deliberately vague so people will blame others if there is a second spike rather than the government. I think it’s much lower risk to meet a family member in a private garden at a distance than in a crowded park with all sorts of people we don’t know crowding about.

YES YES The advice/rules/guidance is Barmy
Take Care

I am lucky as I can see my daughter and teenage grandchildren quite often, as she includes items for me in her online deliveries so she brings the shopping to me. Occasionally I go to her, a 10 minute drive and she has a huge front garden so there is plenty of room. Actually since we and she have not mixed with anyone we are as safe as possible, but if and when the children go back to school it will be much more risky.

Samaromo, , I feel the same. Dd wants to drive an hour and a half with her youngest, nearly 5 month old Gdd, to do a socially-distanced walk in our local park, so we can see the baby.
I know I shall be absolutely dying to give her (and dd) a cuddle, so really I’d rather stick with the photos and little videos dd sends almost every day. But I feel we shall have to do it, or dd might be upset.
At least we were lucky to see the baby from birth for a few weeks, though, which is more than some GPs have been able to do.

I thought it was still only meeting one other person in a public space, which doesn’t include gardens, and socially distancing.
I realise a garden is an open space and doesn’t seem much difference, but that’s what was said on one of the government briefings earlier this week. Maybe it’s changed and I’ve missed it.

Yesterday, we had a huge swarm of bees cluster on a small tree at the vpbottom of our front garden.
I shared the photos on WhatsApp with family, and dil rushed up to ours immediately so the dgc could see them.

While we all agreed that it was a shame that we couldn't give each other hugs (and kept well over 2m apart at all times), I was just happy to see them in person and wasn't sad. ☺

I would only see my daughters at a 2-3 metre distance, at separate times in an open space.

I love them far too much to want to firstly risk their health, or secondly, my own.

I don’t have any GC. , but I can feel - just reading the thread -how some GP’s yearn for their GC’s ?
From the lyrics of a haunting Elton John song “it’s a sad, sad situation”.

Stay safe GNetters.

I agree with Samaromo. I'm believing to wait and do not understand rushing to meet up.

I thought the guidance was to meet ‘one to one ‘ in a park or open space ?
Have I missed an update to the guidance somewhere, as people seem to meeting multiple people from another household in private places ?

My daughter lives 15 mins away by car. I've had several visits in the garden. I don't have to go through the house and the children know the rules.
My grandaughter makes a big pantomime of air hugs and kisses.

Samaromo. I fully understand you want to see your GC. I need to see mine too ,one lives a 45min drive , what if the car broke down. Would you be able to get breakdown assistance, would they come out to you. Also as other posters have said. What if you needed the toilet. Try to just hang on a bit longer, ask you DH to be patient. It will soon be over well at least as is possible.then you can get all the loving hugs you want , ?

As someone on Have I got News for You said, if you employ your mum (or dad) as your cleaner then you can see them in own house!!

Keeping a distance and preferably with the windows open if possible