I’m being made to feel stupid for sticking to the rules, anyone else?

We must all do what we feel comfortable with even if other people do otherwise. You can’t change their minds and they can’t change yours. If they comment just say that’s your preference and decline any activity you see as risky. If they are friends they’ll understand.

My eldest son is like that. He doesn't say it in so many words but I know he thinks I am an old fuss pot. He keeps asking me if I know anyone who has had Covid and when I say I don't he shrugs his shoulders, as if me not knowing anyone with Covid gives me some sort of immunity. I just carry on with what I feel safe with.

Point out to these friends that Covid doesn't come with a calling card, we cannot see that someone might be infected with the virus, they don't know that the person they stood next to in the supermarket/chemists/hardware shop wasn't a carrier.

Above all, carry on being sensible yourself and in your shoes I would avoid these "friends" like the plague!!!

nadateturbe You're not alone. I am still religiously either washing anything that comes into the house, or quarantining it.

It's true we can't eliminate all risk from life but having been meticulous for 9 months and with the vaccine in sight, I will carry on as it would be awful if I contracted Covid at this late stage ... like being killed on the last day of the war.

I don't mind making this extra effort, I can whizz through it in no time when my shopping is delivered.

I washed mine religiously for a few weeks, nadateturbe, then moved on to just leaving things for a few days in a box under the kitchen table and on a separate shelf in the fridge. I don’t do any of this now, but certainly wouldn’t blame anyone who did.

Thanks Farnorth and JenniferEccles for comments.
Hmm. To wash or not to wash.....

Sorry TerriBull that should read TenaciousB

Even with sticking to the guidelines we all probably still vary slightly in how we go about our lives.

I for instance have never wiped groceries before putting them away but I wouldn’t criticise those who do, if it makes them feel better.

However it is a fact that we can’t live our lives expecting to eliminate all risk. That way madness lies.

All family and friends keeping to the rules. Most of my family are in Tier 4.

Sorry their behaviour towards you TerriBull has made you feel this way. Don't get bullied into something you could really regret.

nadateturbe I've never washed packaging either, but I'm in an area with very low incidence.
If it reassures you to wash packaging, it's not wasted time.

One of our nieghbours studiously made absolutely no concessions to lockdown. She went out and about to people's houses and invited guests into hers.
She's in hospital now ?

My sister visited today, just to the door to bring a late Christmas present. She said she's just going to get on with her life and not worry too much. Her husband is waiting for a kidney transplant. It seemed silly not to be careful.
She laughed at me for washing food packaging. She has never done it. Am I silly for doing it? I don't want to waste my time.

I spoke to my friend today who told me she and her husband had family round On Xmas day and then they went to her sons on Boxing Day. We are tier 4 and in the worst area in the country. ‘We had a lovely time’ she said. Completely blasé

I have always been careful, and take no notice of criticism. I would like to determine the manner of my death as best I can. A friend has a neighbour who goes to all the houses in her road and puts bins out, and returns to put bins back later. Superspreader, or what, all bare hands, no mask.

I was early on, even a bit by my DH, it all changed.

i wouldn't want to be friends with people like that.

Stick to your guns TerriBull and well done you. Hopefully these next 3-4 months will be pretty much the fizzling out of this awful virus. Like you, we and everyone we know are sticking to the guidelines. We feel we are so near to a vaccination now, why risk it for a biscuit?

It seems you have unanimous support TenB.
Pinching a line from another gran, sadly can’t remember who ‘stay positive, test negative’.

I am sticking to the rules although the rules are sometimes ambiguous.
My FiL died from hospital acquired Covid last month and we are holding a very small funeral for him next week.
Several of my DC's friends who are all under 50 have Covid and are quite ill.
I also know people who have been waiting for operations which can't go ahead due to covid patients taking priority.
No I am not ready to get back to normal yet despite being tempted.
You are the wise one TenaciousB

As far as I can tell, most people in my area are keeping to the rules.
We have a very low incidence here and people want to do their bit to keep it that way.

In summer, when I didn't want to do some things even though they were allowed, I just said that I felt nervous about doing them and I'd prefer to wait a bit and see how things went.

If anyone thought I was silly, they didn't say so, and I wouldn't want to continue being friends with them if they did criticise me.

NotTooOld

'We have to get on with our lives' - yes, that's a favourite. The answer is that we cannot get on with our lives if we are dead.

The other one is talking about people being too frightened to go out, as though there's something "wrong" with them. There's a woman on a local social media group who is forever going on about getting back to normal because she's fed up with seeing miserable faces.

Even among those who are being cautious there are differences of opinion as to how careful to be. There's nothing wrong with being more careful than your friends consider to be necessary.

All you can say is that you personally prefer to be extra-cautious, but try not to sound critical of them (which could give them more ammunition to criticise you).

'We have to get on with our lives' - yes, that's a favourite. The answer is that we cannot get on with our lives if we are dead.

Most people I know are keeping to the rules. One friend who lives an hour away isn’t and doesn’t care. My two children who live in London definitely keep to the rules. One works in a hospital and the other works in the Cabinet Office in Downing Street.

Just carry on doing what you feel is the right way to behave.

I’ve just watched an article featuring a woman with bowel cancer who has just had her extremely important operation cancelled because the hospital can’t cope.

It isn’t just potential covid victims who are being impacted by those just don’t seem to understand.