The new rules for coronavirus - how will it affect your family?

A friend sent me this earlier

Oldfogie

Well, I have two sons, married with 2 kids each. We live near to each other, we can walk to each others houses. As a family there would be 10 of us. We get together for lunch most Sundays at one of the houses, we are all very close. It seems I can go the pub or a restaurant. I can go to work in the office, travelling on public transport and then go round the stores in the city. I can go to the hairdressers and beauty salon. I can even go away on holiday, sit on a plane with dozens of strangers as long as I wear a mask. The one thing I can't do is have all my family in my own home or in the garden. As long as I'm either spending money or earning money I can mix with any amount of people. I'm sick to death of this whole thing. I've followed the rules during lockdown, I havent been drinking down the pub or gone on holiday abroad but the one thing we just started doing is now against the law.

I thought three families meeting indoors as you described has always been against the guidelines? It was two households indoors or six people from any number of households outdoors?

Grannynannywanny - I fully agree with your friend's quote. Our son and daughter in law have just had a new baby, their third child. I'm distraught that my husband and I cannot visit them two hundred miles away. We are in our second lockdown, living in the North we had two weeks inbetween lockdowns. I can cope with not going out for meals. I cannot cope emotionally with not seeing my distant grandchildren and being semi removed from seeing our local ones. I am finding it difficult to cope providing childcare for local grandchildren outside homes and gardens and not going indoors anywhere else because it might not be safe and their parents are understandably worried about out doing so for all our safety in our inclement climate. It will get worse as the weather gets colder yet what alternative do we grandparents have? Three of our grandchildren repeatedly said they were sad and missed us during the national lockdown. I felt the same and a second national lockdown could well be on the way. Is this a life worth living? I sometimes have difficulty holding it all together and I am not normally tearful. Nicola Sturgeon's excluding under 12s in the numbers seems more sensible to me.

I've abided by the rules 100% and will continue to do so.
I'm not bothered at all if the new law continues to Christmas and beyond. I would rather my family stay alive and well.

"Cabinet at war over the rule of six: Almost every minister on Boris Johnson's Covid committee argued against the stringent limit - and even the PM himself was 'cautious'- but Matt Hancock got his way"
Interesting article in the press this morning. In the light of this and the decisions in Scotland and Wales to exempt under 12s from a group of 6 does anybody think we might get another Boris U turn to also exempt them in England?

I sometimes have difficulty holding it all together and I am not normally tearful.

Qwerty I'm starting to feel this way too and I think more and more people will feel like this as time goes on.

We are trapped between threats to mental health and to physical health.

Nannan2

Im sure folk could adhere to winter in lockdown much more as the idiots who flocked to beaches, and gatherings in parks etc in the sun, would not want to in bad weather!

Personally, I do not think these people were at all idiotic. I live very close to the beach, and it was lovely to see so many families enjoying the healthy sun, sea and sand. At all times they were all well distanced from each other. I am certain that those summer breaks did them all so very much good both in terms of physical and mental health.
Unfortunately, when winter sets in, the chances are that these families, many of them with small children, are going, once again to be confined to tiny rooms in flats.
Getting children back to school - again to me- was imperative. Not so much to do with education (although that plays a part), but children (as are all humans) are social beings, and with so many away from their friends etc for six months, many sorts of mental problems had developed.
So, keeping them in their schools should be our very top priority.
This latest 'rule of six' makes little sense, like so many other of the governments declarations it is ill thought out and ill prepared and will probably be changed quite speedily.

For the person who wrote that getting Covid would mean 'probably certain death' - this is rubbish both as a phrase in English (probably, certain!!!), and, of course, total and complete rubbish. Just look at the current figures for those testing positive for it, and the death rates.

It will not affect me at all.
I live alone and have no "downwards" family ~ children or grandchildren. My two married brothers live a couple of hundred miles away and, while we're very fond of each other, have always kept in touch by phone or text rather than visits.

My main outdoors activity is walking the dog ~ but I do that so early in the morning that I meet no-one.

I have continued to limit my shopping to one Co-op and the local woolshop in my town. Both with good practices that don't need to alter.
One cafe in the same town, ditto.

One Costa and Wilko in the neighbouring town, ditto.

Socially, I always did do most of it outside of the house. They mostly haven't re-started which is a shame but not tragic. I have two friends who visit, separately and whom I visit, separately.

Telly, texts, Facebook, church, crochet and the beloved dog. I'm happy. Everything is a bit restricted but, once the panic-buying days were over, no particular trauma or drama. I'm happy to keep going like this until the virus is either beaten into submission or treatable.

I have stuck by the rules, wear a mask, safely distance, only meet friends and family in two household bubbles etc., etc., and I am rather fed up with this latest edict. I suspect crunch time for many people will be Christmas when they will abide by the law but perhaps not by the spirit of it eg, I could spend Christmas day with DD and family and then go to DS in the evening. I just hope we don't end up with a nation of curtain twitchers dibbing us all in to the covid vigilantes. Taking rules from a rule breaking administration sticks in my throat.

It won't make any difference to me or my family. There are 4 of us, plus 2 grandchildren, so we'll carry on as usual.

Franbern, I agree with you. The children must come first because as you said, not only is their education important, but so is their opportunity to mix with other children socially. Most children’s clubs and activities remain closed and so the only possibility for social interaction for children with other children is at school. If they have siblings they at least have the company of other children at home, but for only children this was not possible. One of my grandchildren is an only child and with his parents working from home, and being home schooled, he saw no other child for over three months. He only started to mix with other children after lockdown when he was finally able to see his cousins. And he was so delighted to be with them after such a long time that it was quite emotional seeing them playing together.

Incidentally I think Nicola Sturgeon’s rules are far more acceptable to most families. To allow people to go to restaurants, pubs (which are the first places I would close, along with clubs) shops, and even on holiday, but not allow families to mix even outside, unless there are only six people in the family, is asking for very quiet civil disobedience, in my opinion.

I think the Welsh rules are perfectly acceptable, too.
We can meet family and under 11s will not count towards the 6 people.

It seems arbitrary, to allow people to go to a pub near strangers but not meet up with family.

Although I do not know why a 7 year old will have fewer germs than a 12 year old!!

I think the rules in England are not only perfectly acceptable but needed desperately!
Easy to remember too ( nothing about two or three or four households etc) just the rule of six, space, face, and hand washing.
To answer the OP, it will affect my family life, but so what, it’s needed.
All the whinging about Christmas get togethers need to stop.
If one Christmas can’t be the massive family gathering that you want, then tough! There are other years......but won’t be necessarily if you are old and get Covid.

It won't affect me as I live alone, my mother lives alone and I just have daughter granddaughter and her daddy. That's my total family. I envisage a quiet Christmas as usual. None of us like noisy party's . I hate socialising with other than my family

I very rarely see my overseas family at Christmas and doubt I will see them for another year at least now.

If one Christmas can’t be the massive family gathering that you want, then tough! There are other years......but won’t be necessarily if you are old and get Covid.

I agree. It could be miserable if you're on your own but Christmas Day could become a moveable feast this year.

sharon103

I've abided by the rules 100% and will continue to do so.
I'm not bothered at all if the new law continues to Christmas and beyond. I would rather my family stay alive and well.

Me too sharon103.

I also agree (can't believe I'm writing this) something grandad wrote a while back.

What is the point moaning what Wales / Scotland are doing?

It's not the packed beaches and protest that have caused this rise.

A certain age group have been identified as having a big increase in cases.

My daughter travelled into work (Liverpool) on the train last week. First time since February, It scared her so much that she has now arranged to carry on working from home.

Seats were clearly identified as not to be used. Yet huge numbers of 16 - 20 ish year olds were using those seats and not wearing masks. She had one sitting opposite her, who started to cough,

As a family we have missed postponed two big birthday celebrations this year, one holiday (first for six years) and two memorial services for friends who have died. Our year has not been ruined as we will do all these when normality is with us.

My walking group will remain at 6 and I will not go back to my pilates class next week as there were 9 there last Thursday.

As long as people continue to make their own rules or change the rules to suit their own circumstances, this pandemic will not stop.

Our family Christmas is being postponed too. Hoping to have it next April during the next heatwave. BBQ sounds perfect.

Callistemon
I know how much you are longing to see your family in Australia, and there are many other grans who are in the same position. Those of us whose families live in the UK are so lucky in that respect.

However, if like us, one of your children have three children, then as grandparents it means you are unable to see that family either indoors or outdoors, unless one person absents themselves. If we had the same rule about children in England that Wales and Scotland have chosen to implement, then this would not occur. My grandchildren were used to seeing us, and being taken care of by us very regularly. Lockdown was hard for the children, it will be even harder for them if having been seeing us regularly again, this is suddenly stopped. Mental health is a big issue at the moment, and the mental health of young children is extremely important so that they grow up to be resilient adults. The presence of familiar adults who regularly give care should not be a stop, start, stop again, pattern of behaviour. Young children thrive with solid, caring, regular routines, and that includes regular contact with extended family where possible. I am truly concerned about the end results of this Covid19 crisis on our youngest, and most easily damaged, our children. I think they are more important than the rest of us, I’m afraid, because they are the future.

Interesting to hear government spokesman in House of Lords yesterday admitting that the Rule of Six was not based on any sort of scientific evidence, just thought that it was a simple message that we (the stupid masses) would understand.

I have a feeling this rule of 6 might change soon.

It does seem bizarre that we can do all manner of things but not have the family round

maddyone, yes I did feel relieved when they said that under 11s would not be counted in the rule of six in Wales.

Franbern

Interesting to hear government spokesman in House of Lords yesterday admitting that the Rule of Six was not based on any sort of scientific evidence, just thought that it was a simple message that we (the stupid masses) would understand.

And this is why people resent rules like this. We have been constantly told the guidance/laws have followed the science even though some of it was so blatantly illogical, but the majority of us kept them anyway. To have a spokesman admit the Rule of Six is not science based but just a whim is sickening.
And does anyone really believe that baby Johnson has only been held/cuddled by his parents and no wider family including grandparents? I for one don't. But then they've demonstrated before, the rules are really only for the plebs.
Some people have terminal illnesses and know they will not see next year. Bit harsh to tell them to stop moaning, wait until next year to hug and see your loved ones.

Callistemon
I’m so very concerned about the children in all this. I honestly feel that they have been at the bottom of the pile through it all. Cut off from family and friends during lockdown, no proper education, no clubs, horse riding, swimming, football, ballet, music lessons, park runs (apparently starting again in October thank goodness) and on it goes. No thought for our children at all. Now they have just been released to at least see their extended family and go to school, and the government has effectively cut them off from family again. In England anyway.
I actually feel that we now should consider the children first. This will probably be controversial among Gransnetters but I think the children are more important than the eightie pluses. As my daughter said, they’ve had their lives, the children have only just started. I’m in my sixties, but I think my grandchildren are more important than me. And their needs are more important than mine.

If eleven and unders are not included in the six people in the U.K. to bring it inline with Wales and Scotland I shall sit quietly and wait for the thread My GC is twelve today so that means I can longer visit my AC, it's not right